Rand Paul says he hopes 'Southern Avenger' saga won't undermine efforts to broaden GOP's reach

cn|2 Pure Politics ^ | 7/22/2013 | Ryan Alessi

[Republican Wildcat]

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul confirmed to reporters Monday that he and staffer Jack Hunter — the former shock jock known as the Southern Avenger — were parted ways in a “mutual decision.”

Paul said he hoped that Hunter’s presence on his staff wouldn’t undermine his efforts to broaden the appeal of the Republican Party. Paul has reached out to African Americans, for instance, speaking at historically black colleges in Washington, D.C., and Louisville.

“I think everybody occasionally has people that work for them who sometimes have a background that damages what you’re trying to do,” he said.

“But I think people can judge me on who I am and what I’m trying to do,” Paul added. Here’s the clip:

Hunter worked as a radio show host in South Carolina where his alter ego, the “Southern Avenger,” would wear a wrestling mask with the confederate flag emblazoned on it. Hunter, who has worked in Paul’s Washington office for more than a year most recently as a national security adviser, came under national scrutiny earlier this month.

Hunter spoke about racial pride, immigration and stated his support for the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, as the Washington Free Beacon first reported in early July.

Hunter told the Daily Caller that he planned to return to punditry.

Paul said he wasn’t aware of what Hunter would do next.

[PGR88]

Here we go - every comment by every person connected with any rising conservative will be dissected, reassembled and transmitted.

[a fool in paradise]

Here we go - every comment by every person connected with any rising conservative will be dissected, reassembled and transmitted.

After the media's coverup of Barack Obama's 20 year history and association with Jeremiah Wright as well as his ties to known terrorist Bill Ayers, Democrats can go screw themselves.

I'm not listening.

[xzins]

stated his support for the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln

I don't care who you are....

That is breath taking stupidity

[Girlene]

Agreed, xzins. Good reason to let him go.

[xzins]

Operating under the assumption that stupid is contagious, an entire staff could be infected and be certifying the assassination of JFK before the week is out.

You really have to wonder at the job application and interview that let that slip through.

[SunkenCiv]

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  I, for one, am for immigration reform. … That being said, I’m worried that the bill before us won’t pass.... [Rand Paul: I hate to say it, but the immigration bill is a little bit like ObamaCare right now ]

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  [Paul open to voting for Senate immigration bill]

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  [Rand Paul: I'm Open to Voting for Immigration Bill]

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  Latinos, should be a natural constituency for the party, Paul argued, but "Republicans have pushed them away with harsh rhetoric over immigration." ...he would create a bipartisan panel to determine how many visas should be granted for workers already in the United States and those who might follow... [and the buried lead] "Imagine 12 million people who are already here coming out of the shadows to become new taxpayers... [Rand Paul calls on conservatives to embrace immigration reform]

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• ...by softening its edge on some volatile social issues and altering its image as the party always seemingly "eager to go to war... We do need to expand the party and grow the party and that does mean that we don't always all agree on every issue" ... the party needs to become more welcoming to individuals who disagree with basic Republican doctrine on emotional social issues such as gay marriage... "We're going to have to be a little hands off on some of these issues ... and get people into the party," Paul said. [Rand Paul: Time for GOP to soften war stance]

[iowamark]

You see the same things on FR nearly every day.

[panzerkamphwageneinz]

Rand Paul is a pussy

if this is all it takes for him to go flacid, i’m done.

[The_Media_never_lie]

Conservatives will never win so long as a corrupt press hurls lies and exagerations with impunity.

To use a military metaphor, it would be like trying to storm a beach while leaving the enemy’s machine guns intact and off limits. In this case the machine gun bullets are lies, distortions, fabrications and disinformation.

[The_Media_never_lie]

Do you know the context of the comments?