Posted on 03/14/2013 7:47:03 AM PDT by Kaslin
WASHINGTON -- When Senator Rand Paul took to the floor of the United States Senate the morning of March 6 he really -- as they say -- may have made a difference. It is a difference in our awareness of the issues facing the country. It is a difference in our perception of the man who is leading the country, President Barack Obama. It might even have been a difference in the direction the country will go. Will it continue on its melancholy path toward statism or will it follow the course of freedom as laid out by the Founding Fathers?
Senator Paul rose ostensibly "to begin to filibuster John Brennan's nomination for the CIA." Yet he aimed higher. As he explained it in the Washington Post on March 10, "I wanted to sound an alarm bell from coast to coast. I wanted everybody to know that our Constitution is precious, and that no American should be killed by a drone without first being charged with a crime. As Americans, we have fought long and hard for the Bill of Rights. The idea that no person shall be held without due process, and that no person shall be held for a capital offense without being indicted, is a founding American principle and a basic right." Thus he filibustered for 13 hours, and his views redounded around the Internet, on Tweeter, on Facebook. Everywhere!
Senator Paul is a tea party senator. He does not tailor his message to the pollsters' wise counsel. His staff does not include handlers with political antennas. Frankly, I doubt there was much advance notice to his filibuster. He just went out and did what he thought was called for by events, and the result was astounding. Millions of people, many who had never thought much about drones and due process, listened and took his side. My guess is that this moment is going to last. Senator Paul has come into his own, and what I know about him suggests that he will be a major figure in the Republican Party for years to come. He has his mind on the issues that matter.
This is what the tea party does so well. It raises awareness around the country about the slovenly way government is dealing with finances. It focuses attention about shoddy government in Washington and about constitutional issues that are being ignored. The tea party cares about those issues because they are essential to our freedom. Senator Paul believes that American rights as embedded in the Constitution are being endangered. After his performance on the floor of the Senate, millions of other Americans now share his concern. He may just possibly have given the tea party movement a digitalis. He may lead us into 2014 midterm elections not unlike the 2010 midterm election. There is a frisson of excitement about his performance that is not going away.
It would be a mistake to read too much into Senator Paul's triumph at this stage. Senator John McCain and Senator Lindsay Graham went way too far in denouncing him. But the jury is out as to how Senator Paul will perform on the world stage. The libertarian worldview flirts a little too closely with isolationism, for my money. But Senator Paul has plenty of room to grow there, and he made a very successful trip to Israel that indicates he wants to grow and maintains an open mind.
We will see if President Obama does as well. He just installed at the Pentagon the most anti-Israel cabinet official in memory and at the State Department a secretary who, two generations ago, carried the arguments of our communist enemies into the Vietnam War debate. He also installed as head of the CIA a director who, in John Brennan, is closer to the Arab line than any recent top spymaster has ever been.
It was Brennan on whom Senator Paul focused his now famous filibuster. On Feb. 20, Senator Paul inquired of John Brennan whether "the president has the power to authorize lethal force, such as a drone strike, against a U.S. citizen on U.S. soil, and without trial." On March 4, Attorney General Eric Holder answered Senator Paul's inquiry with an inconclusive statement of boilerplate. Holder's letter opened more questions than it resolved. He should have answered "no." That Senator Paul knew to focus his attack this way suggests he is a shrewd player, and that the old guard who have stood so firm in our long war against Islamist terror would be wise to spend less time denouncing him and more time trying to win him as an ally.
Im not a Paul fan...mostly because of his dad and the run of the mill followers( and the big money guys) BUT Rand has made some excellent points and I may be persuaded to support him. Time will tell. Id love to be proven totally wrong about Rand Paul.
Those two RINOs should become extinct next time there are up for election. Lindsey is a member of the GOP because citizens of SC wouldn't elect a DEM, so he decided to run as a RINO instead of a Dem, and McCain needs to retire!!
Herman Cain was my first choice in the 2012 primary but it never got to that as he was forced to drop out by the left before the primaries even started with their smears and rumors against him.
Looks like Rand Paul will fail us. He stated America will have to embrace immigrants. Like it hasn’t? He should have said immigrants need to embrace America.
I do not support amnesty, I support legal immigration and recognize that the country has been enriched by those who seek the freedom to make a life for themselves. However, millions of illegal immigrants are crossing our border without our knowledge and causing a clear threat to our national security. I want to work in the Senate to secure our border immediately. In addition, I support the creation of a border fence and increased border patrol capabilities.
Immigrants should meet the current requirements, which should be enforced and updated. I realize that subsidizing something creates more of it, and do not think the taxpayer should be forced to pay for welfare, medical care and other expenses for illegal immigrants. Once the subsidies for illegal immigration are removed, the problem will likely become far less common.
I support local solutions to illegal immigration as protected by the 10th amendment. I support making English the official language of all documents and contracts.
Millions crossing our border without our knowledge constitutes a clear threat to our nation's security. Instead of closing military bases at home and renting space in Europe, I am open to the construction of bases to protect our border.
Rand Paul embrace immigrants quote.
Read post# 7 by Freeper jbsb instead of jumping to conclusions
Who is it you have in mind that is NOT going to give us ‘a path to citizenship’...who?
There already is a “path to citizenship”....it’s called, “Do what every other legal immigrant did to get their citizenship....get in line.”
So far, Ted Cruz, as far as I know, hasn’t succombed to this GOP and Country Destroying action.
Thanks! We need to watch them all!
Do note that Cruz wants to increase work visas. “and in particular, expand high-skilled immigration “http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/340548/ted-cruz-little-skeptical-about-potuss-immigration-goodheartedness-betsy-woodruff
It bothers me that he believes or pushes this lie: “Hispanics are a fundamentally conservative community.”
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/SenTed-Cruz-US-Must-Get-Serious-About-Securing-the-Borders/2013/01/26/id/487514
EVERY poll and all their voting proves this wrong.
NONE of them are EVER going to give us all we want. Be careful about destroying the field so early...the same mistake that’s always made around here. All it gets us is the worst rino around...ie, bush, dole, bush, mccain, romney
I've read through Rand's “Immigration Policy” at his own website.
I still have no idea what his policy is concerning the 11 million illegal immigrants already in America.
Rand makes all the same cute political noises that every other pro-Amnesty Republican makes.
Secure the border, English as America's official language, no welfare, follow the rules, blah, blah, blah, blah.
But, NO employer penalties, NO mention of E-Verify, NO mention of a “path to citizenship.”
Bottom line.....
When a politician will not tell you EXACTLY what he plans to do about 11 million illegals, you KNOW he supports Amnesty, and you KNOW he supports a path to citizenship for 11 million new Democrat voters.
I think illegal immigration is doing tremendous damage to our country. That being said, there is no possible way that the United States is going to round up 11 million people and deport them. It will not happen. Build a fence. Sue illegal employers. Put a few big agro, restaurant chains and construction firms out of business and things will begin to turn around. Sort the rest of the minor details out later. First, stop the influx, stop the incentive.
who are you trying to talk to>???? LOL
He does not support e-verify which is a costly Federal program.
He wants the 11 millions to have a visa and get in line for a green card, which leads to citizenship in 20 years or so?
That’s my understanding of it.
He is happy to legalize the 11million and he doesn’t want to fine them, charge them back taxes or screw their employers.
But he also wants to make sure that the border is secure so there isn’t another wave to deal with in future.
Also he doesn’t want them to have welfare.
He will have amendments to the forthcoming bill so you can see for yourself what he has mind.
My guess is he will vote against the bill because he’s unlikely to get everything he wants.
He wants congress to vote on border security before visas’s are handed out to the illegals rather than on the say so of the administration.
I doubt they will allow this.
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