Last updated on July 17th, 2023 at 06:06 pm
“Rand Paul’s ignorance really astonishes me.” No, that’s not Dennis S insulting Ron’s kid. During a recent syndicated radio talk show interview, that observation came from the lips of influential columnist, Charles Krauthammer, ripping into the Republican/Libertarian’s take on ISIS and its relationship with Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad.
So, we know of at least one prominent Republican who’s not particularly a Rand Fan. Paul, of course, is anything but ignorant. Not many “ignorant” people graduate Med School and establish a successful practice as an Ophthalmologist. As an Ayn Rand (quick Trump, her birth certificate says ‘Alisa Rosenbaum’), disciple, Paul must hold to tenets that, in many instances, simply don’t apply to modern-day America. Even he is fleeing his “government butt out” philosophy.
He apparently realizes that, in changing his self-description of libertarian to libertarian-“ish.” Excuse me? He used the “ish” ploy during an April appearance on “Face the Nation” on CBS. He revealed a new-found affinity for the black population. “I’ve tried to say to the African-American population: “One, I’m going to fix the criminal justice system. Two, I believe in your privacy. And three, I believe in economic opportunity.”
Sounds good. That might have clinched the black vote if it weren’t for a tasteless and highly racist joke uttered on a conservative talk show in the wake of many thousands demonstrating in Baltimore against law enforcement. An African-American, Freddie Gray suffered a fatal spinal injury while in police custody. Here’s the exact Paul quote from the Daily Kos: “I came through the train on Baltimore (sic) last night, I’m glad the train didn’t stop,” he said, LAUGHING, during an interview with conservative radio host Laura Ingraham.
There’s more. On the Issues.org, quotes Paul as saying, “the federal government may have overstepped its role by making it illegal to impose racial segregation in the private sector.” He hastened to add that he wouldn’t want to be associated with those people. His apparent bottom line: “I love my black brothers and sisters, but let the Neanderthals be as racist as they wanna be!”
So, as far as economic opportunity, if someone isn’t going to grant you entrance to their store, they sure aren’t going to hire you. It’s comforting to know that Rand is going to “fix” the criminal justice system. Again, aren’t you going to be butting into state’s legislative affairs, Mr. Ish? And, by golly, he believes in the black population’s privacy, but failed to be specific. Law enforcement, cell phones, the National Security Administration (NSA), the fourth amendment…what???
Oh, and how ’bout affirmative action? Paul has gone on record as opposing affirmative action. I guess in Paul’s world only super blacks need apply for college admission.
Serving on various local and state South Carolina Democratic Party leadership committees, I was called by an area TV reporter to respond to comments that Paul would make during a Friday Upstate campaign stop. The young ex-Marine asked me some questions on my porch after emailing me Paul’s advance copy of the issues the candidate would be talking about. I’d also be asked for some observations about the Lindsey Graham candidacy that might be official by the time you read this.
Paul’s issues paper included ending NSA spying. Three key court rulings addressed the NSA’s data collection, also called metadata. The first was a December 16, 2013 U.S. District court ruling, finding the data collection most likely unconstitutional, followed on the 27th of the same month with another judge ruling the program legal.
The latest court opinion on the matter came earlier in May of this year. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the collection illegal without a search warrant. Now the case gets bounced back to a lower court. It’s a really tough call that rests with section 215 of the Patriot Act, scheduled for extension in June. The president has called for an alternative method of collection.
So, Paul is probably on safe ground here. On the other hand, there are still those who claim that if the program had been in effect prior to 9/11, there would not have been a 9/11. NSA appears to be Paul’s core issue and the critical data collection element is coming to a head most likely by the time you read this submission. Sunday represents several deadlines, as you will see here. As you’ll also note, such deadlines are certainly not the end all, be all. Any movement could benefit Paul, however. After a 10½-hour filibuster to get rid of the metadata collection, he stands to benefit most from its partial shelving or significant retooling.
In any event, Paul ends his crusade for privacy by saying, “We must remember that our rights are unlimited, unenumerated, and given to us by God.” Must Republican candidate pander to the evangelicals 100% of the time? Trust me, no government “rights” were given to us by God in any way shape or form, ever!!!
Paul warranted that, no matter what, he would continue to “stand with Israel.” There is an interesting eight-part, 2014 British mini-series people might want to watch. It’s called “The Honorable Woman.” It presents an objective, unvarnished look at the Israeli/Palestinian hate fest.
It’s not dishonoring our Jewish friends to concede there are two sides to every story. In fact, the series is presented from the POV of an Israeli businesswoman, played superbly by Maggie Gyllenhaal, trying to bring peace to the region. In real life, Paul wouldn’t be joining her efforts. Paul has to try to get back on the Israeli horse after accusing a neoconservative outfit of caving to Israeli interests in persuading the Obama administration to take a continuing strong sanctions stance in Iranian nuclear negotiations.
That’s brave of Paul, but he loses much of that moderate political currency in endorsing Ronald Reagan’s “Peace through Strength” a pr line designed to assuage the blood-lust right-wing of the Republican Party.
Paul has some support. He won the 2015 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) straw vote with just under 26% of the vote. Horrible human Scott Walker trailed by 4 points, so nobody takes the tally seriously. Nothing means anything until roughly August of 2016.
After about a dozen of my responses were recorded, the Fox TV station in question, ran one of my rebuttals in their early news, none in their prime broadcast. Surprised?
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