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Rand Paul's Rant

grunion

Penultimate Amazing
grunion
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Messages
11,502
Normally I see the use of the fillibuster - or, rather, the use of the threat of a fillbuster - as some kind of political gamesmanship where the Rules Of Order are used to subvert the Will Of The People. But y'know what? I really do get jazzed at democracy in action, probably because it is so rare on Capitol Hill, and when the fillibuster is used with real passion, that's a glimpse of what I think Congressional debate is supposed to be - not endless blathering about rules, and cloture, and tables and whatnot but speeches with passion. misguided or otherwise.

Normally I have a low regard for the opinions of the Senator from Kentucky - despite the practical advantage of his followers being allied with me on some social libertarian causes I just can't stomach their philosophical underpinnings. I actually do agree considerably with his opinion about the Executive use of drones, and enjoy his realignment of the Democrats as the War Party (especially now in the time of Defense cutbacks due to sequestration.) But I can't help but be cynical at the political expediency of Paul trying to assert some leadership amidst the wreckage of the Republican Party.

But moreover, I see it as a good thing that once in awhile a member of Congress holds forth on what he really thinks about an issue.
 
Good for Paul. For once, a republican is speaking without making an ass of himself.
 
mccainlawn.jpg
 
I still do not know just what Senator Paul was making such a fuss about, however I am pleased that he (unlike just about all of those other stupid, lying Republican Senators) actually had the courage to have a real fillibuster; as opposed to simply implementing one of the various procedural log jams that are so often used by the Republicans.
 
And I am cynical enough to think that a lot of the people cheering Paul on would be on the other side if it was A GOP administration he was criticising.
 
dudalb said:
And I am cynical enough to think that a lot of the people cheering Paul on would be on the other side if it was A GOP administration he was criticising.
Click to expand...

Doubtful that John Stewart is one of them. Neither am I for that matter.
 
dudalb said:
And I am cynical enough to think that a lot of the people cheering Paul on would be on the other side if it was A GOP administration he was criticising.
Click to expand...

I am definitely not one of them. I don't like the GOP any more than I like the Democrats.
 
grunion said:
Normally I see the use of the fillibuster - or, rather, the use of the threat of a fillbuster - as some kind of political gamesmanship where the Rules Of Order are used to subvert the Will Of The People. But y'know what? I really do get jazzed at democracy in action, probably because it is so rare on Capitol Hill, and when the fillibuster is used with real passion, that's a glimpse of what I think Congressional debate is supposed to be - not endless blathering about rules, and cloture, and tables and whatnot but speeches with passion. misguided or otherwise.

Normally I have a low regard for the opinions of the Senator from Kentucky - despite the practical advantage of his followers being allied with me on some social libertarian causes I just can't stomach their philosophical underpinnings. I actually do agree considerably with his opinion about the Executive use of drones, and enjoy his realignment of the Democrats as the War Party (especially now in the time of Defense cutbacks due to sequestration.) But I can't help but be cynical at the political expediency of Paul trying to assert some leadership amidst the wreckage of the Republican Party.

But moreover, I see it as a good thing that once in awhile a member of Congress holds forth on what he really thinks about an issue.
Click to expand...

I think Rand is sincere in his beliefs, but he is also smart enough to see it was a chance for him to lay claim to the throne his daddy held.
IMHO it will play out the same way;people will be intially fascinated by him but in the end his whole Libertarian Philisophy is simply too extreme for most people.
 
dudalb said:
I think Rand is sincere in his beliefs, but he is also smart enough to see it was a chance for him to lay claim to the throne his daddy held.
IMHO it will play out the same way;people will be intially fascinated by him but in the end his whole Libertarian Philisophy is simply too extreme for most people.
Click to expand...

Might be true. However, I think it's nice to be able to complement someone for a well performed action no matter who they are.

Rand Paul did good. He stood up for what he believes in, and he did so in a pretty impressive manner.

I still don't like him, though.
 
uke2se said:
Doubtful that John Stewart is one of them. Neither am I for that matter.
Click to expand...

I was thinking of several right wing GOP senators,a couple of whom were big supporters of the Patriot Act,supporting Paul. I never said everybody who supported Paul's stand was a hypocrite. But some are, since a sudden concern for civil liberties on the part of some right wingers seems more then a little suspicious ...
 
Crossbow said:
I still do not know just what Senator Paul was making such a fuss about, however I am pleased that he (unlike just about all of those other stupid, lying Republican Senators) actually had the courage to have a real fillibuster; as opposed to simply implementing one of the various procedural log jams that are so often used by the Republicans.
Click to expand...

That was my thought initially. However, as I thought about it further. The issue for which he was filibustering (drone strikes on US soil) was only tangentially related the issue being filibustered (Brennan's CIA confirmation). As such, Paul's goal was not to stop the confirmation, but to draw attention to his gripe about Holder's initial response on the matter.

Therefore, while I agree with Paul on this issue, it was not something that took courage. He simply used the filibuster to give himself the bully pulpit he needed to make his case. Using a procedural logjam would not have accomplished what Paul was really after.
 
ravdin said:
Rand Paul must be doing something right if he ticked off Sens. McCain and Graham that much.
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McCain and Graham are two of the more reasonable guys in the GOP.
Which is why the Libertairians don't like them very much...
 
dudalb said:
McCain and Graham are two of the more reasonable guys in the GOP.
Which is why the Libertairians don't like them very much...
Click to expand...

I haven't liked Lindsey Graham since he said that free speech no longer applies since we're in a war. As for McCain, I respect him greatly as a person, but not so much as a politician.
 
Paul has bolstered my visceral dislike of him by his big grandstanding hero act. Talking until he could no longer talk took a lot of misplaced "courage". :rolleyes:

Anyone who gets that exercized about something that has not happened, is not planned, and has been pointedly described as very unlikely to happen, is putting on a hero act, plain and simple.

He'll get a little temporary boost out of it, but in the long run it won't work, because McCain is right; Paul is a wacko.
 
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