Posted at the Times-Tribune
By Ronnie Ellis / CNHI News Writer
Rand Paul filed for the U.S. Senate on Wednesday as a Republican but he said he comes from the TEA Party and “we’ve come to take our country back.”
Paul, a Bowling Green eye surgeon and the son of Texas Congressman Ron Paul, held a press conference at Republican Party of Kentucky headquarters after his campaign manager David Adams filed his candidacy papers in the office of Secretary of State Trey Grayson, Paul’s major opponent in the Republican primary. Grayson was not present.
About 10 Republicans who say Paul is “too kooky” to represent Kentucky were present, gathered in the capitol hallway, three of them wearing orange jump suits and posing as terrorist captives at Guantanamo Bay. They claim Paul has flipped flopped on statements about the controversial prison.
Later, down the street at RPK Paul said that’s not true, that Grayson supporters are simply making up purported Paul statements on the prison or taking them out of context.
“I believe in trying people in military tribunals at Guantanamo,” Paul said after his formal statement to supporters who crowded into the room. “I believe in keeping the prison open until we figure out what to do with all of them.”
Grayson’s campaign this week issued a press release which claimed Paul has previously supported deporting terrorists to their countries of origin, providing links to YouTube videos of Paul speeches as documentation of the claims.
Mike Bryant, a Breathitt County software consultant who is also Breathitt County Republican Chairman and who has contributed to Grayson’s campaign, operates a web site, “Too Kooky for Kentucky,” and he was on hand Wednesday outside the Secretary of State’s office to talk to reporters.
Bryant contends Paul isn’t a true Republican but a libertarian and he said Paul should file to run as a libertarian. He said Paul “evidently got scared and ran off somewhere else and let his campaign manager file for him.” Paul was in the capitol building but left for RPK while Adams filed the actual paperwork.
Bryant’s sentiment wasn’t in evidence in the RPK room where Paul made his formal announcement before about 50 enthusiastic supporters who chanted Paul’s name.
Paul told them the country had broken away from the “constitutional chains” which restrict government and “pork barrel politicians are spending our country into oblivion.”
He promised to vote against any unbalanced budget whether proposed by Republicans or Democrats though he qualified that afterward by saying there could be exceptions during times of “declared war.” Paul pointed out the country hasn’t declared war since World War II and the country should debate the advisability of going to war and formally declare war before doing so. He also conceded the national debt is large enough it probably isn’t practical to pay it off entirely but it must be reduced.
As for the protestors who then gathered on the sidewalk outside RPK, Paul noted he has risen in the polls from underdog, marginal candidate to current front runner – at least in a couple of polls. He said when he was behind, Republicans often told him he should observe the “Republican 11th Commandment” not to speak ill of other Republicans.
“Now the shoe is on the other foot,” but he’s being attacked by Republican establishment supporters of Grayson, Paul said.
Bill Johnson, an Elton businessman and veteran, has filed for the Republican nomination for Senate. Grayson has yet to file.
I am not supporting the Republicans in any race, but I agree with them on the fact that Paul should have filed as a Libertarian.
His father, Ron Paul, is not a Libertarian. He probably isn’t either. All this cootchie coo with the GOP is disgusting. The Lp leadership including Mary Ruwart & Libertarian leaders including david Nolan, should speak up about this nonsense. Withdraw endorsement & support for the 2 paulnuts & Gary Johnson too. Remove Aaron Star as TREASURER!? All this represents a diversion of resources from the LP to the GOP. Enough is enough. Radicals take over.
but I agree with them on the fact that Paul should have filed as a Libertarian.
Why? He isn’t one. He is a life-long conservative Republican. He isn’t a “legalize marijuana and have no borders” guy like the Libertarian party is, Paul is a states’ rights guy who wants to shrink the federal government and supports border security.
The Libertarian party in Kentucky is dead too.
“legalize marijuana and have no borders”
You say that like it’s a bad thing.
“The Libertarian party in Kentucky is dead”
false.
Perhaps those Republicans should file with some other party.
The Constitution Party. The Federalists. The Stark Raving Monster Loony Party, Screaming Lord Sutch, Founder, American Branch.
“I believe in trying people in military tribunals at Guantanamo,” Paul said after his formal statement to supporters who crowded into the room.
He does not sound very Libertarian to me. Hey, if we insist that all children follow their father’s political party, how will we ever convert the Federalists and the Jefferson Whigs to our cause?
He’s against legalizing marijuana?
Well, I’m not giving him any more money then.
He’s against legalizing marijuana?
He has the same position as his father; up to the states. It ain’t something, I think anyway, he is rabid about.
false.
If you need 5,000 valid signatures just to be on the ballot for a statewide race and your party never cracks 2%…yes, your political party is irrelevant.
His dad is for legalizing all drugs, like I am.
Prohibition didn’t work for whiskey, it don’t work for weed or oxycontin or anything else.
Well maybe then Rand should file with another party.
im stuck in a house with screaming , giggling , teenage girls , the sound is like nothing youve ever heard before . oxycontin would be sweet right now…
I heard that, girl! I could use me a 80 forsure
“legalize marijuana and have no borders”
Nor am I. I am a legalize marijuana and enforce the borders guy.
“Paul is a states’ rights guy who wants to shrink the federal government and supports border security.”
As am I. True there are pure libertarians and pure Constitutionalists, but many of us fall under a mixture of the two categories.
Sorry LG you are on your own but I’ve been there and it ain’t pretty.
It’s not that bad, just do a bump of meth when you take a dip and you get right back up and catch some more shrimps, you heard?
LOL, happy New Year everyone , the girls are as loud now as they were 3 hrs ago , help…
“About 10 Republicans who say Paul is “too kooky” to represent Kentucky were present, gathered in the capitol hallway, three of them wearing orange jump suits and posing as terrorist captives at Guantanamo Bay.”
no comment needed.
have no borders
___________
Complete bullshit, the LP has always supported American sovereignty. Quit parroting Buchanan and Wooldridge talking points.
If the LP of Kentucky isn’t dead, then what is there stance on Rand Paul?
There is no truth to this rumor going around that I am an oxy-moron.
I don’t think the premise that the LPKY is only alive if it has an official stance on a candidate for the nomination of another party is correct.
However, see post and discussion:
https://independentpoliticalreport.com/2009/12/libertarian-party-of-kentucky-addresses-racism-allegations-against-rand-paul/
As well as another post I will be putting up today.
I’m for that. The only legitimate borders are individual property lines.
But if you have a good one you could be eligible to win comment of the day 🙂
Probably too late to help, but if it happens again I suggest playing some music which is even louder than they are. Or maybe a recording of them speeded up. LOL
My own political orientation is more Anti-war, true leftist, anarchist, left libertarian, agorist, (r)evolutionary.
Dan,
Up to the states would be a good move in the right direction in this case.
But ultimately, why should any state have the authority to outlaw a plant?
This is not about smoking pot, which I don’t even do.
The “war on drugs” has helped destroy civil liberties, corrupt law enforcement and the courts, break up and destroy families in every state.
It has let to do the paramilitarization of the police and feeds a growing prison-industrial complex.
It has played a large role in the rise of the universal surveillance state.
It costs a tremendous amount of tax money.
And marijuana is the biggest part of the drug war.
It also has many other uses besides getting high.
As a medicine, it is helpful for many conditions. As an eye doctor, Rand Paul should certainly know that it is the only effective medicine for some forms of glaucoma. Imagine going blind slowly and being told that the only medicine that helps can land you in jail, prevent you from getting jobs, apartments, college loans, could get your kids taken away, etc? And glaucoma is far from being the only condition medical marijuana helps with.
As fuel, it could help reduce dependence on foreign oil and take away at least one of the major excuses for foreign adventurism and wars of occupation.
Taken together, the “war on terror”/war in the mideast and the drug war are providing the excuses for the homeland security apparatus, no-knock raids, warrantless searches, indefinite detentions, domestic espionage, military tribunals, secret prisons, denial of due process, and all the associated costs to our peace, civil liberties and actual tax costs. And of course contributing mightily to both terrorist blowback and gang warfare and street crime in the US.
Not only that, but wasting police. court and jail/prison resources on drugs – especially a relatively innocuous drug like marijuana – takes those resources away from dealing with real crimes with real victims.
Marijuana is the best plant for replacing many petrochemicals and timber, and would thus reduce a lot of pollution.
It’s the #1 cash crop in America and Kentucky is one of the biggest marijuana producing states.
Given all these facts and many others, it should certainly be an important issue.
Not true at all. Politics is a game of inches.
You would be surprised how much influence can be gained by the ability to swing close races and challenge otherwise uinchallenged incumbents.
Much of that influence may be behind the scenes, but it exists.
The Socialist Party of 100 years ago is a good case in point.
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Rand Paul on his website presents himself as a Republican to the right of his father. For a constitutionalist eye doctor to not mention marijuana perscription is conspicuous omission, as Paulie points out. Also, what Rand says on immigration is pure closed borders. He does not even mention the gross burocractic waste and invasiveness that is “Homeland Security” which Ron is quick to speak of.
So what’s this Grayson calling “kooky” then? I wondered. Grayson’s accusations seem to be that Rand Paul flip-flopped on Gitmo, thinks photos of lynchings are funny, and makes Libertarians helping with his campaign angry by pretending to be Republican. Grayson’s the worst kind of negative campaigner. I hope Paul wins the primary.
The LP Kentucky site says that Rand Paul is in no way affiliated with the the LP, and seems to be saying that they have no intention to endorse Rand.
All three Republicans, Trey Grayson, Bill Johnson and Rand Paul present themselves very similarily on the issues on their websites. The only difference I see is Johnson and Greyson are interventionist and Paul is noninterventionist. Evidently, Grayson thinks noninterventionism is kooky.
http://www.lpky.org/node/159
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LIBERTARIAN PARTY OF KENTUCKY REITERATES: RAND PAUL IS NOT A LIBERTARIAN
The Libertarian Party of Kentucky again reiterated today that Rand Paul is not a Libertarian.
“I have heard Rand Paul speak at TEA Party events, and I can assure you that his positions are that of a Republican,” said LPKY Chairman Ken Moellman. “While the GOP is going through an identity crisis, the Libertarian Party has stood firm upon the same principles since its founding.”
“As head of the membership committee, I assure you that [Paul] has never been a Libertarian,” said Ronald Seiter, Louisville native and Libertarian Party of Kentucky Vice Chairman. “He has neither signed our statement of principles, nor contributed to the Party in any way.”
The Libertarian Party agrees with portions of both the Democratic and Republican Party platforms; though, not always for the same reasons. The ‘non-aggression principle’ guides the Libertarian Party. Signing an oath to adhere to that principle, along with annual dues, is a requirement for full membership in the Party or to run as one of its candidates.
The Libertarian Party of Kentucky will begin to announce its 2010 candidates for office around the state in the next few months. Kentucky law creates separate procedures for anyone not running as a Democrat or Republican. “That shouldn’t be a surprise. They wrote the rules to keep others out. But the political atmosphere has changed, people are tired of politics as usual,” Moellman said. “And I think we’re going to have some very good results in November.
The Libertarian Party of Kentucky is the official state affiliate for the Libertarian Party. Founded in 1971, the Libertarian Party believes in achieving liberty through economic freedom and social tolerance, and is the nation’s third-largest political party. More information is available at their respective websites: http://www.lpky.org/ and http://www.lp.org/
###
What bunch of nonsense!
First of all Rand is FOR legalizing medical marijuana, I can’t say with certainty he is for total legalization, but he is defiantly pro medical.
Second of all as Ron Paul said the two parties made it imposible for a third party to do anything. This is the reason I support Peter Schiff’s position that we should take over GOP from all the social and neo-conservatives. Also it is normal for Rand to show some rightist positions on terrorism. After all his main electorate are conservatives, not libertarians.
Consider this if you are libertarian who will be better representative for Kentucky in the Senate? Rand Paul or Trey Grayson? Because I think that even if Dr. Paul is not libertarian in the full sense of the word, he is more libertarian then any other candidate in the country (except maybe Peter Schiff).
About the LP message above.
I think this message is insulting!!! And if you are clear thinking person and libertarian you should feel insulted by it. I am for drugs legalization, free markets, less government, and more personal liberty, but I never donated, payed fees or signed any LP statement, so what I am not libertarian? #&%* you! I am libertarian to the core, I am even more libertarian then the curent party platform. Being libertarian has nothing to do with some group membership, it is about what you believe in.
Electing Rand Paul and Peter Schiff to the U.S. Senate should be any libertarian’s top priority, because this will give even more power to the movement. If people see that we can beat the system and elect people without special interest money or D.C. approval this can spark revolution even bigger then Reagan’s.
And for me Dr. Paul is more libertarian then LP’s official nominee for 2008’s presidential elections.
“pointed out the country [USA] hasn’t declared war since World War II —– and the country should debate the advisability of going to war and formally declare war before doing so.”
And even then, Congress declared war on Japan. It was Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy that declared war on the United States ……….
As I understand it, the US did declare war on Germany and Italy as well.
I think the whole point is that a lot of people don’t get that there is a difference between libertarian and Libertarian. LPKY is just clarifying that Rand Paul is not a party member. Whether he is small-l libertarian is a separate issue and is not something for the LPKY to decide.
Now, if I was Rand Paul, I would welcome any such clarification, since right now my job would be to win the Republican primary.
It’s not in Rand Paul’s interest to have the media and other Republican candidates create confusion and insinuate that he is really a double agent for another party trying to sneak in and take over the Republicans by indiscriminately using the “libertarian” label. And that is in fact what they are doing.
You are libertarian, but not Libertarian. What makes the difference between the two is that never donated, payed fees or signed any LP statement.
Correct, that is the difference between small l and big L libertarian.
Reagan’s “revolution” did more harm than good. See
https://independentpoliticalreport.com/2009/12/bill-redpath-don%E2%80%99t-waste-your-vote-vote-democratic/
and comments.
Good. It was someone else here who made the claim he is not, and/or that it is not an important issue.
Alternative parties do a lot.
Good luck.
Dani. Rand is for legalizing medical marijauna, you say? Super! I figured he probably was. It’s just that there’s no mention of it in “about the issues” on his site. All I was saying above was how similarily he presents himself on his website to his Republican opponents, that’s all. That may even be good strategy, I don’t know. (I forgot to point out that his Republican opponents don’t mention the Federal Reserve Bank, but Rand naturally rails on it. Will there be debates? If there are and that comes up it would be delish!)
I’m a Rand Paul fan, too, immigration policy aside. As for how he compares with Bob Barr, I agree.
My sister operates by the Schiff Doctrine. I’m glad she’s doing it.
just remembered, Rand Paul calls for term limits . . . maybe that’s what’s so “kooky” to Grayson (and his neferious backers)
“Also, what Rand says on immigration is pure closed borders. He does not even mention the gross burocractic waste and invasiveness that is “Homeland Security” which Ron is quick to speak of.”
Again–anyone who has seen Ron Paul campaign in his own district, for Congress, knows he doesn’t go around making issues out of The Fed, the Drug War, or any other obscure issue. And he certainly didn’t get elected in ’76 or ’96 by doing so.
“I figured he probably was. It’s just that there’s no mention of it in “about the issues” on his site. All I was saying above was how similarily he presents himself on his website to his Republican opponents, that’s all. That may even be good strategy, I don’t know.”
You hit the nail on the head. It is good, sensible, strategy. Ron Paul’s constituents never hear any talk of legalizing marijuana or abolishing the CIA when he is running for Congress. To do so would put him at a severe disadvantage against even the weakest Democratic or primary challengers.
It’s absolutely good strategy. He’s trying to win.
On the other hand, it’s only a matter of faith that he actually holds these other positions that he doesn’t talk about. If I haven’t heard him personally say it, I’m not assuming it’s his view just because he’s Ron Paul’s son.
I can assure you that my own views are quite different from my father’s, and if I have kids, statistically speaking based on the neighborhoods they come from they are almost certainly by and large Obama supporters if they have any political preferences.
No one will ever find a candidate whom they agree with 100%. As someone told me once when I hesitated about supporting the LP because some of their positions were too extreme:
“If you support small government and personal freedoms, hop on the Libertarian bandwagon. When government gets small enough for your liking, feel free to hop off.”
In this case I support Dr. Rand Paul for similar reasons: he may not be perfectly libertarian, but when I look at all the other candidates, I see that they aren’t even headed in the right direction. Rand Paul wants us to stop being the world’s imperial policeman, will actually talk about what’s Constitutional in front of the Senate, and will lead us back towards smaller government, and those things will be nice for a change.
Rand Paul means what he says tooo, or I believe he does anyhow. He’s his own man. He’s serious about not only freeer trade and spending cuts, but even declared war n term limits.
Grayson’s a bought man, a dirty trickster, a viper.
Amen, Conrad @43. Here’s the same idea in a bumper sticker:
Hello everyone. Money frees you from doing things you dislike. Since I dislike doing nearly everything, money is handy. Help me! Can not find sites on the: Airbrush tanning business. I found only this – airbrush tanning kit information. Fake wedding advantages chose sun people’s business about own customers, airbrush tanning. Often as you can affect there are video lotions why protection tanning is a elegant personnel to appreciate that exposed canthaxanthin at any number of treatment, airbrush tanning. Waiting for a reply :mad:, Pandita from Belgium.
think that father and son, 1988 and 2010
are pretty darn unimpressive ………..
Melty // Jan 4, 2010:
“Rand Paul means what he says too…… He’s his own man. ”
[Yeah, Right, Sure ……….]
“[Rand] Paul pointed out the country [USA] hasn’t declared war since World War II and the country should debate the advisability of going to war and formally declare war before doing so ……….”
While I agree with the tone of the posting of the thread and feel that South East Asia and the Mid East have spiraled us toward mid century oblivion, the facts are that the congress declared war on December 8th only after various attacks by the Japanese through out the Pacific Basin. Italy and Germany DECLARED WAR on the USA in solidarity!
I know some of the worst missives are text books, especially in and through Texas —- but watch Jeopardy! or Millionaire on a regular basis! Lake
It might be more accurate to say that the nation has not declared war since 1917 ……….
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