Paul to speak at C of C in Bully Pulpit Series

Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul not only will make his first Lowcountry campaign stop next week, but he also will take part in the College of Charleston's Bully Pulpit Series on presidential communication.

The Congressman from Texas is the second candidate in the series, which hopes to attract all the presidential candidates to speak with students and others in the Charleston community. U.S. Sen. John McCain, who also is seeking the Republican nomination, was the first to speak in the series.

The event will take place at College of Charleston's Physicians Auditorium from 2-3 p.m. Tuesday.

Those who want to attend will need a ticket, which will be available for students at no charge at the information desk on the first floor of the Stern Student Center beginning Monday. Any remaining tickets will be made available to the public Tuesday morning. Tickets cannot be reserved.

Paul is expected to make at least one other campaign appearance during his visit to Charleston, possibly at his new Lowcountry headquarters on Belgrade Avenue in West Ashley, although those details have not been set.

While Paul is well behind in the polls, he has attracted a group of staunch supporters, particularly over the Internet. Paul's libertarian message opposing the United States' involvement in Iraq and elsewhere in the globe contrasts starkly with the positions of most every other Republican hopeful.

As part of the college's nonpartisan series, an equal number of presidential candidates from the two major political parties have been invited to the College of Charleston before the state's primaries.

Brian McGee, chairman of the college's Department of Communication, said the series is devoted to an often neglected subject: How a candidate, if elected, would use the "bully pulpit" powers of the presidency to inform, persuade and mobilize the American people.

After Paul's appearance, the college will let subscribers download audio files from each candidate's appearance, while video portions also will be streamed following the event. For more information, visit www.cofc.edu/.