It's possible Republican Rand Paul of Kentucky isn't quite cut out for work in the U.S. Senate. Consider this item he tweeted over the weekend (via Joe Sonka).
So, in Rand Paul's mind, the National Weather Service has ordered 46,000 hollow-point bullets. He then refers readers to a fringe conspiracy-theory website, which argues that President Obama may be arming weathermen as part of a larger scheme to suppress "civil unrest."
Rand Paul sees this as a legitimate concern, and he wants his Twitter followers to be aware of it.
Regrettably, the senator neglected to check the facts before sharing this unhinged nonsense. In reality, ammunition and targets were ordered for the NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement. There was a clerical error on the paperwork -- the ammunition isn't going to the National Weather Service.
There is no secret plot; armed meteorologists are not going to rise up against the American populace; and Rand Paul's silly conspiracy theories are not to be taken seriously.
Leave a Comment:
Once, we laughed at these conspiracy nuts - now the next headline will read "GOP Lawmakers Discover Democratic Plot to Arm NWS"
Speaking of conspiracies, this site claims DHS has a billion bullets. Not the Army, the Dept of Homeland Security. A civilian agency.
http://www.infowars.com/is-dhs-preparing-for-civil-unrest-with-massive-ammo-order/
Now ordinarily, this would seem absurd. But it's being carried out by an administration that sent untraceable (until it's too late) guns to drug cartels, has some 30,000 drones to watch us, and has already killed an American citizen by Presidential decree... Benen saying "move along, nothing to see here" is disquieting, not reassuring.
I would absolutely take that allegation seriously, what with Alex Jones being so spot-on with every prediction he's made. His predictions about the 2000 government takeover by the U.N. were so very prescient, and the "inside info" he passed on turned out to be
not at all100% true.I often find myself surprised they let you out of that little door at the top of the clock you live in to type these things. Must be exhausting trying to get it all done between the chime and place where you have to give the coo-coo call.
Though I guess it's easier at noon.
"Dong!" . . . *Speaking[space]of[space]conspiracies,[space]* . . . "Coo-coo!"
"Dong!" . . . *this[space]site[space]claims[space] . . . "Coo-coo!"
"Dong!" . . . *DHS[space]has[space]a[space]billion[space]bullets." . . . "Coo-coo!"
Shooter, please please kill yourself! You don't want to be alive for the UN Antichrist One World Nazicommufascist government! Don't delay! Do it today! We'll all be thankful not to have to read your utterly retarded posts anymore!
Business insider says 450 million bullets of this is factual. I'm thinking the rest is too.
http://articles.businessinsider.com/2012-03-28/news/31247765_1_atk-rounds-bullet
Why would DHS have a large amount of ammunition?
I mean, I could understand U.S. Customs and Border Protection or U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement having quite a bit ammunition. I could also see the Coast Guard and the Secret Service having large amounts. But DHS?
What's that? Those are all part of DHS?
Never mind.
Rand Paul made up his own diploma regarding his eye business. The people of Kentucky elected this quack to be a U.S. Senator representing their State's interests in Washington.
I am embarrassed for Kentuckians because they have shown no political collective wisdom! They have helped waste every American's time and livelihood by electing such a buffoon!
Now this! -Kevo
Your classification of Rand Paul's "made up" diploma is deceptive. He completed his MD and his Ophthalmology residency at Duke University. He was Board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology out of residency, but because of a dispute, he and *200* other ophthalmologists decided to form an alternative certification board, the National Board of Ophthalmology. A number of medical specialties have competing certification boards, but Board certification is not a requirement for state licensure, nor does it necessarily say anything about the true quality of the practitioner.
Getting a couple of hundred fellow loons to follow him into his board certification mill scheme doesn't make it normal. It's the professional equivalent of those people who make up their own currency.
Don't blame all of us for Rand, we did what we could but many lack the rudiments of common sense. After all, they've kept McConnell all these years, though he does bring a lot of pork into KY. For every $1 KY pays to the feds, they get back $1.64. KY has the best free highways, 3 lanes in many places, no potholes, nice lane lines and edges. It's fun to hear them gripe about being independent while they stand in line waiting for their turn to apply for Medicaid and welfare. The grandma who owns the car says she don't want no government messing with her social security check or her medicare/medicaid. Yep, they voted for Rand boy.
Heck Rand Paul isn't to be taken seriously! They guy is completely delusional and paranoid. It absolutely amazes me. He actually is still a US Senator.
You're familiar, perhaps, with his colleague Mitch McConnell and his predecessor, Jim Bunning?
What...the employees of the National Weather Service don't have 2nd Amendment Right? ;) I thought he would be happy with that news?
I really think we have to check for Paranoid schizophrenia outbreak in this country.
Clerical error, my left foot!
That's the oldest dodge in the book; -Hitler's invasion of Poland blamed on a "faulty compass."
Fruitcakes aren't just for Christmas anymore.
FTW
This should be Rachel's screen title if she decides to air this story. Good one!
Armed Meterologists would make an awesome band name.
I had always thought that "Disgruntled Postal Workers" was a good band name.
Daniel- My take on that from back on the day was The Gruntled Postmen.
IIRC, the bad guys in the movie "Twister" were government meteorologists. Maybe they were armed.
Nope. They were corporate-sponsored. The heros were unsponsored, apparently funded through private donations.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twister_(1996_film)
WE the PEOPLE are responsible for allowing this buffoonery from those WE have put into office! Democrats/progressives have not been sufficiently loud enough to counter-act these sociopaths from gaining office! The fact that WE have blindingly ignorant people in office speaks volumes about US all; the fact that truth has succombed to lies and fantasy by the reich is exhibit A against US all!
Rand Paul may be an idiot we all laugh at, but we do so at our own peril! It is people like him that are destroying our government and nation, because in their hubris they are so convinced of their own wrong-headed positions and refuse to see that their policies are what got US into this mess in the first place!
VOTE OUT THE GOTP IN NOVEMBER!
There has been significant media coverage of the very large purchases of anti-person ammunition by the [sic] "Homeland Security" apparatchiks.
These hundreds of millions of rounds are not being stockpiled to stop a handful of "terrorists"; they are there to intimidate a public that is increasingly aware of the crony corporatist elite.
Rand Paul understands that the Second Amendment guarantees the First. Too bad Maddow doesn't.
Oh, and by the way, we're not "conspiracy nuts" we are just students of history who are conspiracy realists. If you don't think govt is conspiracy you are deluded.
I thought all ammunition was ' anti-person '. Conspiracy realists? Is that like being a little big pregnant?
Ammunition isn't anti-person; Persons are anti-person.
What do you mean by "the Second Amendment guarantees the First"? If someone says or prints something I don't like, or gathers for a purpose I don't like, then I can shot them?
I mean this sincerely . . . I feel sorry for conspiracy theorists (or, I guess, conspiracy realists). They live in constant fear.
Praemonitus praemunitus-Forewarned is forearmed. (motto of the British Royal Observer Corps)
Thanks, Ralph, for your heads-up "students of history" reminder of the many many times in the past an armed American populace has thwarted their government's unconstitutional actions against them.
Is Ruby Ridge on your "historical" list? Waco? Concerned citizens need further clarification!
Ammunition sales are being tracked?!
Once again, for the benefit of the perpetually slow (including a few members of SCROTUS) - the 2nd Amendment refers to a "WELL REGULATED MILITIA". If the word "militia" confuses you, note that the word "regulated" is right there in the first clause of the first sentence of the Amendment!
And, once and for all - the Framers wrote the 2nd Amendment because they were concerned about the dangers of maintaining a standing army (read Dr. Maddow's fine book, Drift, I highly recommend it!), not because they intended to provide a mechanism or the opportunity for the armed overthrow of our own government. If you actually read the rest of the Constitution, you will notice that there are a variety of other means specified for the redress of any grievances you may have with our government - insurrection is not one of them. In case you still don't get it, study the Civil War. Your side lost. Get over it already! Sheesh!
;-)
Yep, must be a Pauleroid internet troll. I recognize the battle cry: "You Just Haven't Read Enough!"
@10.2 Ammunitions are people, my friend.
Hate to bust everyone's bubble, but in relation to firearms, well-regulated is a very old term which means well functioning, accurate.
Thus, in order to have a militia that can shoot straight, private citizens need to know how to operate a firearm before they are called into military service. If the government could outlaw private firearms, we'd (at that time, at least) have no one who knew which end the bullet came out of when circumstances arose, and the militia was to be called up.
Not Dave (Bill? George?):
Methinks you've been drinkin' that NRA kool-aid again. Where did you get the new definition of "well-regulated" from? Seems you are pulling anything out of your rear end to justify your wackadoodle views and beliefs. If one chooses to go into the military it is not a pre-requisite that they are expert marksmen, that is why they train in the military.
oh so the NWS can't have guns now? Bwaaaah, second amendment, my cold dead hand, the govmint going to take our wives away.
I do try to keep in mind that it's a stereotype to consider all conservatives to be idiots, but they keep making it harder and harder when they come out with nonsense like this.
Now, when the NWS gets nukes to "destroy hurricanes" then we should be worried.
Something like the science fiction story Jill the Giant Killer
Those of us who are of a certain age ascribe a different meaning to the term "armed weathermen."
"You Don't Need A Weatherman To Know Which Way The Wind Blows"
Rand Paul is just one in a long line of republinut's.Michell Bachmann,Steve King and Louie Gohmert are a few other's.
I see Rand Paul as a radical threat. His only purpose in life seems to be stirring up the crazies.
I don't know which is worse . . . the crazy stuff he says or that he really seems to believe the crazy stuff he says.
as sad as this is, there actually is more evidence of armed weathermen than in the fast and furious story fox devoted months and months to talking about
Given Obama's connection to Bill Ayers and the Weather Underground, I'm surprised you'd dismiss Paul's allegations so blithely.
(ETA: Typing that with a straight face was hard...)
Its easier if you type with your fingers.
OMG! I'm gonna pee myself! Mental image of weather forecasters dressed up like rambo!
General Jim Cantore
The NOAA Commissioned Corps is a quasi-military all-officer uniformed service. They were commissioned as officers back in WWI so that they could be used as surveyors on the battlefield without the danger of being executed as spies if captured.
The Public Health Service (aka Surgeon General's Office) also has a commissioned corps, with the SG at the top. Thus the uniform.
Shhh. Don't let the kooks hear about this, though.
Do I need to fix anything? Yeah. This double post on a single click. Thanks Newsvine.
Meteorologists are tired of being blamed for the bad weather, so now they are packing! ROFL!
And this was a guy who got a major speaking slot at the Reps Natn'l convention?
It's ironic since most meteorologists I know are Republican
Everyone from other states and other parties should support Rand Paul.
If we can keep him and Mitch McConnell in office for as long as they live then the people of Kentucky will be rewarded.
Or maybe he misunderstood the phrases "Hail of gunfire" and "Raining bullets?"
At any rate - It doesn't take a meteorologist to see that Rand Paul's cloudy tweets are the only warehouses full of hollow-points.