Ron Paul, originally uploaded by ronpaul2008.

One down, 49 to go.

Michigan Republican Party Chairman Saul Anuzis is calling for Ron Paul to be booted from future debates. It’s an idea I suggested last night and has been popularized by Hugh Hewitt and Dean Barnett. Anuzis is circulating a petition that each and every state party chairman should sign. Anuzis had this to say on his blog earlier today:

I think Congressman Ron Paul was way off base and doesn’t represent any of the Republican party base…let alone activists. I don’t have a problem with his libertarian views, but blaming 9-11 on us (U.S.) was over the top. I’m starting a petition to be signed by RNC members, publicly stating that his positions are NOT the positions of the Republican party and that he should be excluded from any future debates. On foreign policy, he would actually feel more at home on stage with the Democrats. He lost a lot of respect from everyone I talked to last night.

His idea was spotted by the Associated Press and a story tonight says Anuzis’ petition will be sent to “debate sponsors and broadcasters to discourage inviting Paul.”

UPDATE — 8:42 a.m.: Anuzis has an update this morning on his blog. Here’s a tease.

I was approached by many RNC members who offered to sign our petition to condemn Congressman Paul’s comments about the terrorist attack on 9-11 and shared in my frustration that he was articulating the policies of the Democrats more than those of any Republicans.

I have long respected Congressman Paul’s principle position on many issues, regardless if I ever agreed with any specific proposals or conclusions he had come to. However, his statement on why the terrorists attacked America is so out of the mainstream geo-political thought in the west and is increasingly becoming a distraction versus a supplement to the debate, I think we should just come out and say so.

Congressman Ron Paul does not represent the majority of the Republican Party on foreign policy and his participation in the debate is little more than a distraction.

UPDATE — May 21, 9:46 p.m.: This was noted in the comments, but I wanted to make sure I posted it here as well. On Friday, Anuzis gave up on the petition idea and issued a correction for misconstruing Ron Paul’s remark.