By now you may have read the latest newspaper column detailing Ron Paul's exclusion from the Iowans for Tax Relief forum.  See: http://www.qctimes.com/articles/2007/06/27/ap-state-ia/d8q1ata80.txt

An excerpt [slightly modified for clarity] drew my attention:

"Paul didn't meet the criteria the groups drew up last winter," which Ed Failor Jr., executive vice president of Iowans for Tax Relief said "included having an established exploratory committee and garnering at least 1 percent in a national poll." The groups sent out invitations in March to all "credible" candidates of both parties; all the Democrats declined to attend.

And so, like my last missive on Failure, er, Failor hypocrisy and bold faced ... linked here, I present you with dates of when the candidates announced 2008 Presidential Exploratory Committees (files with FEC) and links to their national poll status from January, 2007 onward. Check whether Paul met this criteria for yourself:

Candidate	Announced	Source
Brownback	1-20-07	http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/ article/2007/01/20/AR2007012000619.html
Gilmore	12-19-06	http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/ article/2006/12/19/AR2006121901893.html
Giuliani	11-14-06	http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/11/13/ giuliani.president/index.html
Huckabee	1-28-07	http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=2060 1087&sid=a1.6Jw6XvL2g&refer=home
Hunter	1-12-07	http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/blogs/politicalticker /2007/01/hunter-forms-presidential-exploratory.html
McCain	2-28-07	http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=John_ McCain:_U.S._presidential_election%2C_2008
Paul	1-11-07	http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/blogs/politicalticker /2007/01/texas-congressman-files-presidential.html
Romney	2-13-07	http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/ article/2007/02/13/AR2007021300400.html
Tancredo	4-2-07	http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/ 04/02/tancredo_enters_2008_presidential_race/
Thompson	12-15-06	http://politicalwire.com/archives/2006/12/16/ thompson_creates_exploratory_committee.html
Candidate's name links to their polling data from Jan. to June, 2007. source: http://www.usaelectionpolls.com/2008/candidates/

Note: Mr. Tancredo [date in bold] was a latecomer, who coincidentally has called for Mr. Paul's inclusion in the forum.