Posted on 07/29/2013 11:47:13 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
He’s light on specifics here about the pros and cons of the NSA program as he sees them, but any time three serious contenders for 2016 are in a scrum over national security and civil liberties, it’s blogworthy. More than that, it’s blogworthy because the Paul/Cruz Senate partnership is to some extent a proxy for the tea-party/libertarian partnership generally. It won’t go on forever, but it’s fascinating while it lasts. I won’t bore you with rehashing why I think Cruz is more a tea partier than a true blue libertarian; read these two posts if you care, or read Nick Gillespie for the libertarian take on why Cruz doesn’t really belong in the movement. Wherever you think Cruz lies on the ideological spectrum, though, he’s a shrewd judge of where his base stands on the issues. And in this case, he’s right in thinking that they Stand With Rand too.
In fact, before you watch the clip below, go back and watch this very short clip of Cruz on “Fox & Friends” in mid-June, after Edward Snowden’s PRISM revelations. He was asked what he thinks of NSA surveillance — and his response was basically noncommittal. He said the program is “cause for concern” but cautioned that we shouldn’t rush to judgment; his main worry about the program seemed to be that Obama might abuse it to target his political enemies. By contrast, Rand Paul had already announced a week before that he hoped to sue the NSA program into oblivion. Why is Cruz firmly with Rand now when he wasn’t before? Could be that the accumulation of leaks about what the feds are doing has finally driven him firmly into the libertarian camp, but the most damaging stuff that Snowden had — the details of government spying on Americans — had already leaked by the time of his F&F appearance. Paul, as I said, had already seen more than enough to demand a class action lawsuit against the feds by that point.
What you’re seeing here, I think, is Cruz executing the opposite of Paul’s 2016 strategy. Paul’s really a doctrinaire libertarian who’s inched towards mainstream righties on some issues (most notably immigration) because he knows he needs a broader coalition to be viable for the nomination. Cruz is really a tea partier who’s inched towards doctrinaire libertarianism on some issues (most notably drones and the NSA) because he recognizes TPers have become more libertarian and because he’s hoping to pick up Paul’s supporters in the primaries if/when he emerges as the right-wing choice against the establishment. It’s a smart strategy. Expect Rubio and Scott Walker to become more libertarian-friendly over the next year or two also. Click the image to watch.
I stand with Rand a hell of a lot more than I will stoop for the Rinos...
Cruz/Paul ‘16.
Moral clarity. I wonder how it will be received?
IMO, at the time of the leak, there was not enough info to make rash claims of NSA recklessness. Though, I think everyone with half a brain suspected it. Subsequently, no one has cited a single case where the massive program had stopped a single attack.
I don’t see where Cruz has shaded his conservatism whatsoever. Bob
Hopefully, they’re basing their position on the Constitution and not how the electorate is thinking.
The 4th amendment forbids warrantless searches and seizures.
The 1st amendment forbids abridging the right to petition for redress of grievance....an impossibility with secret courts, secret recordings, and secret meetings.
~ Don’t Stoop for RINOs, Stand with Rand!
I’d LOVE to watch the liberals s**t themselves when these two open up a salvo of a$$-whoopin’ on Hitlery or whoever the Dhimm’s coronate.
Cripsy cream, another me me too credit political whore, just using the R label to make himself look more attractive to business instead of utter retard populist liberals... but still a populistas coward in the end.
I’ve always said Cruz/Palin...but I would be willing to go with a Cruz/Paul....I would not want Paul to be President, but it might be a means of getting CRUZ in....
He doesn’t care about reception.
We are so used to wimpiness. He is not a wimp.
I am primarily a Social Conservative and Secondly a National Security one. I did not trust the old wackjob Ron Paul and I do not trust his younger son either. Except for very limited issues (like protecting 2nd Amendment rights), I have little love for Libertarians. It is my belief than Ron Paul’s running in 2012 caused the nomination of Romney...the worst possible candidate (except for Ron Paul). So, although I enjoy Cruz’s spunk, IF he supports Paul...he will not get any support from me.
Now that being said, I dislike the RINO Christy as much or more than Rand Paul. I do not consider him to be Republican - he is some form of Democrat light beer. However, I do not consider Paul to be Republican either...he is a Libertarian and should run for election as such and stay OUT of GOP races.
The ONLY reason I am upset about the NSA scandal, etc. is that President Obama has not used this power to protect national security...he has used it to suppress and spy on conservatives and political foes - an absolute abomination. This is what upsets me - not the power - the abuse of the power.
There will be much gnashing of teeth, pulling of hair and rending of garments....... the tears of rage and fear will taste like Frangelico or Dubonnet to me...
Rand and Cruz are both way better than anything we have had in the recent past.
I know. But I care how the American people will vote.
Wake up. The 47% won and is growing and the media still supports them. I wish we could get a conservative too but it ain't gonna happen.
Regardless of the “MSM reported” majority’s liking progressivism, I will be with Cruz, Rand and Palin.
Now to redress and overcome the liberal media, the liberal’s graft, the liberal’s vote buying and the liberal’s vote fraud, regrettably is likely to require re-shuffling the deck and let the liberals have their NE and West coastal empires, while flyover country regains honest common sense government and liberty our Forefathers envisioned.
/johnny
If Americans won’t vote for a strong character who works solely to protect and defend the Constitution, which they have not had a chance to do in 30 yrs there’s not much that a media scmoozer can do to fix that
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