There have been reports that it looked that way — but apparently not.
Or IS that the whole story? A reader sends us the link to the Michigan Republican Party blog which shows two posts mentioning they were trying to block Paul from the debates. SCROLL DOWN THIS PAGE and see a mention in the first post and an actual story with a link afterwards — a mainstream media story that the Michigan GOP was including on its own blog (and not refuted or denied but put out there).
OUR VIEW: It sounds as if the faced a firestorm of protest and pulled back. All of this, of course, will make Paul a kind of folk-hero to many in the debates. He’ll never get the nomination but the media and those who don’t like the direction of the GOP under the all-for-the-party-and-The-Leader present leadership will watch him with interest. Also, even though other candidates denounced him, it can’t be lost on them there there is a very strong anti-establishment sentiment out there — against the establishment that has taken over the GOP and run it in a way that has started to turn off “classic” conservatives.
UPDATE II:
Real Clear Politics: Remove Ron Paul From Debates?
Petition To Ban Ron Paul Removed?
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.