U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, plans to end his bid for the Republican presidential nomination with an event in Tampa on the eve of the Republican National Convention in August.
While Paul will bring around 200 delegates to the convention, he is not expected to speak or to endorse former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, who is expected to be nominated in Tampa.
Paul will be speaking in Tampa on Sunday, Aug. 26, at the University of South Floridas Sun Dome in Tampa.
The Republican National Convention is just around the corner, and the establishment is about to find out what you and I have known all along this election season the future is ours! Paul wrote supporters in an email sent out on Friday. So on Aug. 26, the day before the convention convenes, I hope youll join me at a special rally to celebrate how far our message and movement have come this year.
The Paul campaign labeled the event a major rally that will bring out thousands of supporters" to the Sun Dome, which holds 11,000 seats.
Pauls event conflicts with the Paul Festival, an event held by supporters of the candidate at the Florida State Fairgrounds running from Friday, Aug. 24, through the weekend, featuring speakers -- including Libertarian Party presidential nominee former Gov. Gary Johnson of New Mexico --and entertainment. While Paul has been invited by organizers of the Paul Festival to attend the event, he has not committed to it.
While the maverick Texas congressman shows no signs of attending the Paul Festival, organizers of the event -- who insist they are planning for attendance expected to reach the tens of thousands -- show no signs of slowing down their preparations to hold it.
On Friday, the team behind the Paul Festival announced that noted author and businessman Peter Schiff, who ran in the Republican primary for a U.S. Senate seat in Connecticut in 2010, will be speaking at the event.
Ron Paul has changed the landscape and direction of the Republican Party, Schiff insisted on Friday. Correct information regarding our failed economic policies has been disseminated to our young people through his campaign and the Internet, and I am proud to continue this movement through my involvement with Paul Festival.
We are honored to have Peter speak at Paul Festival, said Bryan Siemon, one of the organizers of the event. As a result of his accurate forecasts on the U.S. dot-com real estate and stock market meltdowns, Peter has become a strong voice for sound money and freedom. We couldnt imagine a festival that celebrates the philosophy of liberty without Peter being part of it.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
