If you have read this column in the last few months, you know my bias for Dr. Paul.

Now that the field of contestants has narrowed with Thompson, Kucinich, Guiliani and Edwards dropping out, and with Huckabee running out of cash, I feel obligated to state again, my case for why Ron Paul is a better choice for P.O.T.U.S than the others.

As a strict constitutionalist, Ron Paul believes that the current war in Iraq is illegal and was begun under false pretense.

He also thinks the IRS is a sham operation designed to fleece Americans out of their hard earned cash.

Paul wants a wall built along the Mexico-Texas and Arizona borders to stop illegal immigration, and he does not believe illegals should be granted "automatic citizenship." He believes that life begins at conception and though he is pro-life, Paul would let individual states decide on how they stand on this delicate issue.

Are these ideas too extreme for you? Then Ron Paul is not a good choice for you as President.

A growing number of American citizens think that he is a good choice, and it appears that I am one of the only persons involved in formal media that agrees and supports him.

But there is a dark side to all of us, and the best place to learn about this is the political stage.

The tradition of muckracking and character assassination is never so pointed as it is in the high-level politics of presidential races, and we have already seen terrible accusations and personal slightings that can only escalate as we near August and September and the National Conventions.

As a format for picking world leaders, choosing the least evil or not-quite-as-inept is not a good practice, but part of the game.

Ron Paul was accused of racism after excerpts from newsletters that he was associated with were made pubic.

While the stories were troubling, Paul denied writing them, citing un-named authors, but also saying that he took "moral responsibility for what went out under my name."

By contrast, the dirt dug up on other candidates was no less troubling.

For Barack Obama, the trouble begins with his middle name and his Muslim upbringing. Youtube searches reveal unsubstantiated slime that I feel is too coarse to repeat in this newspaper.

John McCain is plagued by stories of a raging temper, and while that may not be particularly sinful, his deep desire for continuing to occupy Iraq for "maybe a hundred years" leaves many voters in distrust.

Mike Huckabee seems to be a likeable fellow.

Plays bass guitar and has a keen sense of humor. But he has stated that he would prefer a rewritten constitution that is more in line with "God's standards" and this riles those who feel strongly about separation of church and state.

Why should this be an issue? George Bush's evangelical bent was touted as a major reason for his (alleged) election to offiice. It is possible that Huckabee will run of cash soon, shortening the list of contenders by one more.

Mitt Romney seems poised to buy his way into the Whitehouse, and reports of him employing illegal Mexican landscapers have surfaced, but beyond this, vague accusations of homophobia are the only dirt so far.

Pundits suggest that the fix is in, however, for Hillary Clinton to be our next Commander-in-Chief, and though there is the difficulty of the Whitewater investigations and suspicious death of Vince Foster, these old accusations are not likely to slow her progress.

To be completely fair, any involvement in political offices can be invitations to scandal. Absolute power, even in the small doses permitted Aldermen or City Council members can still corrupt.

Witness the actions of judgment-challenged coaches, clergymen and cops around the nation, including the scandal involving our own Judge Hartl here in Federal Way. What would be a poor decision or lapse in moral judgment becomes a scandal when it happens to people in positions of authority.

Next Saturday, February 9, neighborhood precinct caucuses for the preliminaries leading to formal elections are happening all around the state.

Roughly described, this is where you will vote for your candidate and thereby create delegates necessary for county, district and then state conventions. It's an important part of the political process and if you don't vote, you cannot have any say in how this country's future will be written.

For more information, you need only to ask someone with a computer to look up your candidate. If you're a Ron Paul supporter like I am, you can go to: http://ronpaul.meetup.com/275/calendar/7060039/.