WHAT I THINK....MARY ANN AKERS

For anyone who doubted it, Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), the libertarian phenom of the 2008 presidential campaign, is a lover, not a fighter.

And he's spreading love far and wide across the Internet, albeit unwittingly.

Paul is the inspiration behind a new online dating site called Ron Paul Singles. "We put the LOVE in Revolution," the Web site proclaims.

It works just like any other online dating service. Plug in "man seeking woman," "woman seeking man," "woman seeking woman," "man seeking man" or even "couple seeking (fill in the blank)" and you're instantly shown the potential opportunities out there in the land of Ron Paul Love.

We asked Rep. Paul a few questions about the site via e-mail, including whether he ever imagined that he'd spur an entire online dating community built around... well, himself.

"Well, I never thought I'd speak to crowds of 5,000 college kids chanting 'End the Fed' and burning Federal Reserve notes, so I guess nothing surprises me that much anymore," Paul wrote back.

The neophyte yenta said he didn't know who was responsible for creating the Web site but "I suppose it's all about Freedom bringing people together -- spiritually, politically, and now, romantically." And he encouraged any of his single friends who "want to meet a great lover of liberty" to sign up for the Ron Paul Singles dating services and give him some feedback on their experiences.

Roll Call newspaper reported on the Ron Paul love site in its print edition today, dubbing the congressman, who is an obstetrician and gynecologist, "Doctor of Love."

Paul's office declined to speak to Roll Call about the dating site, but he told the Sleuth he kind of likes the new nickname. "It's got a nice ring to it -- I'll bet my wife will like it better than 'Dr. No.' And, I've always been sympathetic to the slogan 'make love, not war.'"

The Web site gurus say they're still waiting for their first real success story. But one customer has had a promising experience thus far, writing: "What initially started out as something to relieve a little boredom and to have some fun turned into one of the most beautiful experiences... I met the most amazing man on your site, it's still fairly new but I knew from the moment I saw his eyes, (the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen) that he would take me to a place I've longed to be and bring back my smile forgotten."

Rep. Paul is even responsible for making love happen offline.

Just last weekend in Las Vegas, at a regional conference of the grassroots lobby group Campaign for Liberty, of which Paul serves as honorary chairman, two young activists who went to hear Paul speak met and fell in love. And then some.

According to Jesse Benton, the senior vice president of Campaign for Liberty, the lovebirds, Brooke Kelley and Chris Kopack, met at 2 p.m. on Friday and went to a Vegas chapel at 4 a.m. on Saturday and tied the knot. "We wish the happy couple all the best," Benton said.

If he runs for president again in 2012, seems Ron Paul has a ready-made campaign slogan: Got Love?