Are you planning to be in the Twin Cities in early-September?  Don’t have tickets for the Republican National Convention? Looking for something to do? Fear not, because the Ron Paul Revolution has got you covered. Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), the Republican gadfly and libertarian stalwart, will host an ambitious three-day series of events in Minneapolis Aug. 31 through Sept. 2, as the GOP convention gets underway across the Mississippi River in St. Paul. The event will culminate in an all-day "Rally for the Republic" at the 15,000-seat Target Center.


At the rally, Paul will officially launch his "Campaign for Liberty," an organization that, according to its Website, advocates individual liberty, free markets and constitutional government. An email announcement sent out by Paul’s Congressional campaign promises a slew of guests, including: Barry M. Goldwater Jr., anti-tax crusader Grover Norquist, TV personality and bow-tie enthusiast Tucker Carlson, a Frank Sinatra impersonator and a pair of "internationally-renowned musicians" to headline the rally. In keeping with Paul’s message of liberty, tickets will cost a patriotic $17.76. In the spirit of Paul’s presidential bid, tickets will become available Friday with a "ticket bomb" — reminiscent of the campaign’s "money bomb" fund-raising efforts — in which the campaign will try to sell as many tickets as possible on that day.


As you may remember, Paul helped to enliven the GOP primary debates by challenging Republican orthodoxy with his sharp criticism of the Iraq war and the Patriot Act, as well as his advocacy for a non-interventionist foreign policy. Paul — who remained in the race well after Sen. John McCain effectively clinched the GOP nomination on March 4 and the other challengers had dropped out –racked up impressive vote tallies in some state primaries. He garnered 24 percent of the Republican vote in Idaho, 15 percent in Oregon and, perhaps most significantly, eight percent in New Hampshire, where McCain focused his early campaigning efforts.


But will the rally make a splash? Paul promises lots of media attention — but 15,000 seats is a lot to fill, by any standard. Fortunately for him, the Twin Cities will be ground-zero for protesters of every stripe that week — particularly the anti-war variety — so there could be many receptive people looking for something to. And how often do you get to see a good Sinatra impersonator, outside of Vegas — where it will surely cost you more than $17?