[alexamenos]

...still not sure what this has to do with Paul and Republican ideology.

About the only thing that comes to mind is income taxes -- Republicans ostensibly want slightly lower income taxes and perhaps some reforms in the tax code. Paul wants no income taxes (I assume and I'd bet). These two positions aren't related except that they start in the same general direction.

I suppose i've heard the *too principled to be pragmatic* argument about a thousand times, and frankly it gets less compelling everytime I hear it. Nobody, nobody and nobody puts pragmatism ahead of principle -- what they do is demonstrate where their principles really lie.

cheers