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Fillibusted! Rand Paul vs. Obama

March 7, 2013 @ 11:39 am

Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky captured the national spotlight in a way legislators rarely can. His use of the old-fashioned, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington-style, actual speaking 13 hour filibuster lead the national news and even had the Daily Show voicing their support. At issue was the use of drones against U.S. citizens on U.S. soil. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) challenged Attorney General Eric Holder regarding his somewhat vague answer to Senator Paul on this question and got more unnecessarily vague answers.

While I don't think there really is an issue of this administration seeking to target Americans on U.S. soil with drones (outside of a 9-11 like scenario in which even President Bush ordered fighter jets to shoot down planes with U.S. citizens on board), the coy answers given to the inquiry seemed designed to irritate the senators. Senator John McCain and Lindsey Graham apparently didn't think the question as to domestic use of drones should have been asked, but judging from the public's reaction to the Seattle Police Department's purchase of surveillance drones, their constituents probably have concerns of their own, and the question was not a hard one to answer.

Plus, Paul didn't freak out or rant, he came across as concerned about liberty and policy. And as far as McCain's concern that the American People will see this as an abuse of Senate rules goes, when the Daily Show is united with the most conservative voices in the country, I think McCain's fears can safely said to be misplaced.

Again, I don't think the filibuster was necessary. I don't think there is any constitutional question here--only a constitutional certainty. But Rand Paul, for a day, took the bully pulpit power of the presidency and made it his own--and had Mitch McConnell and Marco Rubio following his lead.

Here's the 2nd most famous filibuster from Jimmy Stewart!

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Comments (14)


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  • Cougsfan34 wrote...
    I believe it was totally needed
    March 7, 2013 11:37 am
    I think for far to long our congress has been fighting the Obama administration on certain subjects. More and more it seems like they just want make the nightly news with talking points. But when it comes to the legally authorized targeting of civilians...correction AMERICANS, I think Senator Paul did the right thing. This is not something that should be taken lightly nor easily. This has to be one of those hard to swallow pills for our government to deal with. I was personally upset with the Bush Administrations policy of using fight jets to shoot down terrorist hijacked planes. Killing Americans for any reason when it is authorized by the government is a slippery and often times deadly slope to fall down. When we start nit picking and making up amazing scenarios about when it is ok and not ok, we ulimatley lead us directly to tyranny. A government that has the express legally opinion that it can kill it's own people when certain perimeters are met only needs but one more scenario to modify those perimeters. If the government knew that another Sandy Hook shooter was about to take down a school full of blind childern is it ok to kill him in order to save others lives? Where do you draw the body count, where do you apply the force, what kind of force do you apply? A knife, gun, car, tank, drone, a combat brigade? These are the questions that WE need to demand from our politicans. Rand Paul was spot on. I was so proud of him!
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  • FormerMarineSgt wrote...
    What's hilarious is if Obama was Republican the question would never had been raised!
    March 7, 2013 11:39 am
    Yup. If Obama were a Republican they would never have raised this question - and even if they had of, they wouldn't have done it so publicly and we wouldn't see people like Rand and Boze running around giddy with joy because they think they made the President look bad....
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  • William Lawn wrote...
    If it had been raised by a Democrat
    March 7, 2013 12:57 pm
    They would have been labeled surrender monkeys by the usual suspects.
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  • rational wrote...
    What's hilarious is if Obama was Republican the question would never had been raised!
    March 7, 2013 5:18 pm
    Now for the truth...you are speculating about a hypothetical and so you can't really be certain...on the other hand what we do know for certain is that the Obama admin believes they have the authority to murder Americans citizens both within our boundaries as well as outside and most democrats were silent and are going along with the trampling of the constitution.
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  • DeereJon wrote...
    and if Obama was a Republican
    March 8, 2013 6:18 am
    The entire media and all of the libtards would be going crazy and protesting. Yet there you are, silent as your liberties get taken away one by one. I agree with the other poster that you must be a poser Marine. None of the Marines I know would take the stand you just did.
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  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    What's hilarious is if Obama was Republican the question would never had been raised!
    March 7, 2013 3:25 pm
    Poser Sgt. A real President would never have even considered murdering law abiding American citizens. Overseas or on our own soil.

    Your Dear Leader, on the other hand, entirely different story.

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  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    Can those who issue the Nobel Peace Prize
    March 7, 2013 3:28 pm
    ever take it back?
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  • roomtemp wrote...
    "Again, I don't think the filibuster was necessary."
    March 7, 2013 4:48 pm
    Considering your support for Romney in the last election, apparently you didn't think having a president that believes in constitutional liberty was necessary either. There was a real conservative in the race. But he received nothing but derision from the so called 'conservative media' talking heads such as yourself. The shame is collectively yours to bear, as is the second Obama term. You supported the status quo and you got it.

    Mainstream republicans and democrats are the same thing, two heads of the same hydra. It's put rather succinctly here in this farewell speech that 'conservative media' didn't even have the balls to print or discuss.

    "All this with minimal concerns for the deficits and unfunded liabilities that common sense tells us cannot go on much longer. A grand, but never mentioned, bipartisan agreement allows for the well-kept secret that keeps the spending going. One side doesn’t give up one penny on military spending, the other side doesn’t give up one penny on welfare spending, while both sides support the bailouts and subsidies for the banking and corporate elite. And the spending continues as the economy weakens and the downward spiral continues. As the government continues fiddling around, our liberties and our wealth burn in the flames of a foreign policy that makes us less safe."

    It's a good read for real conservatives and liberals of conscience. For party cheerleaders, not so much.

    http://www.dailypaul.com/263111/ron-pauls-farewell-address-full-text

    "While I don't think there really is an issue of this administration seeking to target Americans on U.S. soil_"

    Yeah, it seems unthinkable doesn't it?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Northwoods

    Think again...

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  • sportsguru wrote...
    roomtemp
    March 7, 2013 8:09 pm
    I liked RP's link and I like him as well although I knew the Dem's and Rep as well as the media would never let him get any ground to talk to America. I was aware of Northwood but consistently I am called a conspiracy theorist so I don't bother anymore. Thanks for the link, it was good reading.
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  • roomtemp wrote...
    @sportsguru...
    March 8, 2013 12:06 am
    "_would never let him get any ground to talk to America."

    I knew it too. For me it was sort of a 'hey, watch this' event. The propaganda was almost hilarious at times (were there not so many actually believing what the talking head told them instead of what their hearts and minds told them). Homemade signs = Unprofessional. Private donations and grassroots support = Cult. Talking about liberty = Kooky and crazy. Sound monetary policy = Outdated. Reducing our military footprint and number of engagements = Dangerous. And so many more... I kinda thought they might report on the Ron Paul rally in Poland just for novelty value, but nah. Paul packs several auditoriums sro, full of cheering college students as the news cuts to Santorum speaking to 34 people in the elks lodge. Cutting delegates mics announcing Paul at the rnc convention. lol!

    It was sad to watch. But it was also a pretty blatant display of how corrupted the operation of our political system has become. I do think it was kind of a 'division bell' of sorts though. A lot of people are waking up to the fact that things are broken.

    "consistently I am called a conspiracy theorist so I don't bother anymore."

    I know how you feel. I get that too. It's another propaganda media buzzword to instantly marginalize your argument without looking at facts. (There is obviously some pretty wild speculation on the interwebz.) But if you're arguing about an archived government document signed by the joint chiefs. It's hardly a conspiracy, it's history. At some point some 'public servants' really decided it would be a good idea to commit fake terrorist acts on Americans to drum up support for a war on Cuba. Fortunately, Kennedy rejected the plan. But it speaks volumes about how they think.

    "Thanks for the link"

    You're welcome indeed sir...

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  • Drool wrote...
    Nothing but Theater
    March 8, 2013 5:52 am
    This was Rand Paul's chance to get face time to promote his presidential run representing the bat guano wing of the Republican Party. We already saw his idiocy in the Benghazi hearing using taking points taken from WND.
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  • William Armstrong wrote...
    The End of Paul's Presidential Run
    March 8, 2013 8:04 am
    13 hours of infantile, paranoid, Libertarian fantasy when confronted with a serious issue. All caught on tape!

    Clueless.

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  • messiah101 wrote...
    Good for Paul
    March 8, 2013 3:03 pm
    He did a public service and deserves a pat on the back. He also showed he isn't the Loon he seems to be much of the time. My question is which guy is the real rand Paul? Of course the filibuster showed the split in the GOP.Will we finally see a split between the McCain GOP and the Tea Party GOP before the next general election?The Tea Party does not give an inch never will' Its there way or the hi-way
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  • rational wrote...
    messiah101
    March 8, 2013 4:42 pm
    The Tea Party does not give an inch never will' Its there way or the hi-way

    And yet it was McCain and his branch that wasn't open the tea party folks nor does he give a crap about the constitution or civil rights. So tell me again which part is the my way or the highway set? I think you're missing the obvious.

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