Bloggers, geeks, and other online types tend to be more libertarian than anything else. As a result, much of the Internet is fawning over Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) as much as Oprah is fawning over Barack Obama. I wonder, though, how much of the Internet knows how much crazy there still is in Rep. Paul. Sure, he p0wned Rudy Giuliani earlier this year at a Republican debate, but that doesn't mean that he will make a good president. Here's a sampling of the legislation authored by Ron Paul:

• H.J. Res. 23: A proposed constitutional amendment that would abolish income, estate, and gift taxes. The resolution also specifies that it also "[prohibits] the United States Government from engaging in business in competition with its citizens," but it's not clear from the amendment that it does that; the amendment would be open to wide interpretation.

  Crazytown Level: High. This is explicitly a repeal of the Sixteenth Amendment, which amended the Constitution to permit Congress to levy income taxes. But how will the government get money?

• H.J. Res. 46: A proposed constitutional amendment that would limit U.S. citizenship to children born with at least one parent who is a citizen. Currently, a child born on U.S. soil is a U.S. citizen, regardless of the citizenship of his or her parents.

  Crazytown level: Low. I heartily disagree with this amendment, but anti-immigration proponents have been after this for years, citing some EU countries as examples. (Again, contemporary legislation from other countries is acceptable as a prototype only when you agree with it; otherwise, you must limit yourself to vague, uncodified doctrines of "Western tradition." Justice Scalia, I'm looking at you!) As crazy legislation, this isn't so crazy, as natural citizenship is one way Those Mexcians get their feet in the door here.

• H.R. 300: A bill that would prohibit federal courts from ruling on issues of free exercise or establishment of religion; the right to privacy; or gay marriage.

  Crazytown level: High. While Congress is explicitly granted the power to regulate the federal courts' appellate jurisdiction, it hasn't exercised it. I suppose Rep. Paul's idea here is that the federal government should stay completely out of our lives, even in adjudication. The problem is that, to preserve the government's non-intrusion into our lives, we need the court to tell the government to stop it. Oh, and by the way, if a judge violates this law, it's an impeachable offense. Oh, and by the way, any past cases that deal with any of the above issues are no longer admissable as a precedent. That section goes way, way too far. Judges grab precedents from cases that don't, on first appearance, have anything to do with their current cases. Don't tell judges how to do their jobs (as the Republicans tried to do with Terri Schiavo).

• H.R. 1094: A bill that would state that life begins at conception, and thus, all laws permitting any abortion of any kind, for any reason, are void. Oh, and by the way, the federal courts may no longer rule on the legality of abortion, at all, for any reason.

  Crazytown level: High. For a guy who purports to be a libertarian, how can he write this stuff? I give this a "high" Crazytown level because it's so hypocritical.

• H.R. 1146: A bill that ends United States involvement in the United Nations.

  Crazytown level: High. We started the freaking United Nations. We're not going anywhere anytime soon, despite what John Bolton wants.

• H.R. 2756: A bill that repeals 31 USC 5103. Sounds pretty innocuous, right?

  Crazytown level: Very high. Here's the text of 31 USC 5103: "United States coins and currency (including Federal reserve notes and circulating notes of Federal reserve banks and national banks) are legal tender for all debts, public charges, taxes, and dues. Foreign gold or silver coins are not legal tender for debts." Yes, folks, in this bill, Rep. Paul wants to eliminate Federal Reserve notes (e.g., dollar bills) from being used as legal tender. I wonder why the bill contains hardly any references to the fact that paper money and coinage would no longer be used in transactions. And what else does he want us to use? Gold? I'm starting to get the feeling that Rep. Paul would be happier living in Ayn Rand's capitalist utopia. As a corollary, Rep. Paul also wants to repeal the Federal Reserve Act and eliminate federal banks. I thought we settled this in 1913?

• H.R. 3216: A bill that would allow the president to grant letters of marque and reprisal so that private persons may go out and find members of al-Qaeda, and specifically, Osama bin Laden.

  Crazytown level: High. Also, this legislation is unconstitutional. The Constitution gives Congress the sole authority to "grant letters of marque and reprisal" (Art. I, § 8). Ignoring that for a second, this would give bounty hunters the authority to track down members of al-Qaeda or seize their property. A letter of marque is a warrant "authorizing the designated agent to search, seize, or destroy specified assets or personnel belonging to a party which has committed some offense under the laws of nations against the assets or citizens of the issuing nation." They were once granted to state-sponsored pirates, like Sir Francis Drake, to provide them with a legal basis for raiding enemy ships. Ignoring that, do we want Dog the Bounty Hunter going out into the wide world to alienate even more Frenchmen?

So, before you decide that Ron Paul is the greatest guy in the world because he understands the concept of "blowback" and isn't afraid to speak truth to Giuliani, keep in mind that he lives in Crazytown. He's the author of good legislation, as well (like this and this), but he would make a pretty awful president.