Ron Paul's stemwinder aims at familiar foes

Washington (CNN) – “End the Fed. End the Fed. End the Fed.”

Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, hadn’t even started speaking Friday evening before a fired-up crowd at the Conservative Political Action Conference exalted the former presidential candidate by chanting the title of his book blasting the Federal Reserve.

“It sounds to me like the revolution is alive and well,” Paul shouted back.

Though he was inside the Beltway, the libertarian Paul was among friendlies. The 11-term Congressman, who made a run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008, has been railing against the actions of the central bank for years, even calling for a return to the gold standard.

After the financial crisis and economic meltdown of the past two years, Paul believes the world is catching up to him.

“Debt is the monster,” Paul said, condemning federal borrowing to support government spending. “Debt is what will eat us up, and that’s why our economy is on the brink.”

His book, which was published last year, has sold about 100,000 copies. The CPAC faithful on Friday night greeted Paul with a second chorus of “end the Fed” during the speech.

Paul didn’t just stick to commentary on the money supply. His central theme of limited government also touched on foreign policy and national politics.

More than once he reminded the group that George W. Bush – before he launched American involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq, two wars that continue – won election in 2000 after campaigning for a scaled-back view of U.S. involvement in other nation’s affairs.

“The bottom line for all conservatives … will be how are we going to pay for it,” Paul said.