Ron Paul Is Auctioning Off His Tip O'Neill-Smiting Chevy Chevette, for Peace

A little comic interlude on this Washington Day of Silliness: Ron Paul is auctioning off what appears to be his lime green clown car.

Ah, but there's an interesting policy story behind this fundraising stunt! Take it away, Dr. No-Taste-in-Cars!

In 1979, when I was headed to DC for my first full term in Congress, I bought a car to keep there. It was a 1979 Chevrolet Chevette. But this compact 4-door soon proved to be controversial. Tip O'Neill, the powerful House speaker, was advocating gasoline rationing for the rest of us, while he was chauffeured around in a Lincoln, all at taxpayer expense. And no waiting in gasoline lines for him, nor paying for it: he had his own pump in the House garage.

So my little car—which I paid for myself, of course—was parked next to the Tip behemoth for a cheeky photo. Well, you would have thought I was Ed Snowden. There was a huge blow-up. Tip even levied the ultimate punishment: he blocked pork-barrel funds for me, which I was not seeking anyway.

The photo in question:

Only 69,000 miles, deadline Oct. 15, funds go to the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity. "That's the one that outrages the neocons, so you know it is important," he explains.

Link via the Twitter feed of Robert Wenzel.