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Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) isn't shy about his ideology. He's from the libertarian wing of the Republican Party, and when asked about most federal programs, the Kentucky senator will advocate for slashing spending and asking states and the private sector to pick up the slack.
Indeed, when Paul joined other Senate Republicans in rejecting the Violence Against Women Act last week, he said he opposed "borrowing money from China" -- Paul doesn't know China only finances 8% of U.S. debt -- to make investments that should come from states and charities.
At the same time, however, Paul believes the federal government can and should intervene to prevent women from exercising their reproductive rights, and as reporter Joe Sonka reminds us, Paul is a co-sponsor of a bill that would imprison physicians if they perform an abortion for a minor who crosses state lines to have the procedure without the presence and consent of her parents. Sonka hoped to nail down the senator on his federalist contradictions.
SONKA: You support the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act. Why is action like that good on the federal level, but not the Violence…
PAUL: (interrupts) I'm not familiar with the details on that, anybody else?
SONKA: But you're a sponsor of the legislation?
As the media Q&A continued, Sonka tried again, which led Paul to promptly end the press conference.
Incidentally, Paul is an enthusiastic advocate of having lawmakers read legislation before voting on it. So how is it, exactly, that the Kentuckian can be "unfamiliar" with an anti-abortion bill he's co-sponsoring?
It's nearly as big a mystery as Paul's opposition to "big government" except in certain parts of the culture war.
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Would self-accredited physicians be subject to this new law?
Randal Paul jumped through all the hoops to be Board Certified by the Kentucky state board of Opthalmology and he practiced for 10 years. The "doctors" who sit on that board had a loophole * that they wrote in when they created the board) that precludes them from having to take the recertification examination every ten years. It is utter hypocrisy in the good-old-boys club that they themselves didn't have to take a test that they demanded from all the other doctors. It is an abuse of power, corruption, and unethical. Randal Paul fought against that hypocrisy to try to make it so the board member doctors had to take the same recertification tests and BIG SURPRISE, those old doctors didn't want to take any recertification tests. At that point Randal Paul founded the National Board of Opthalmology to be free from their hypocrisy.
I applaud Rand for fighting against hypocrisy at all levels.
He is talking about balanced budgets and trimming fat from the war machine and the bankers.
Don't think that I didn't notice you have no ground to stand upon discussing fiscal responsibility so you took the slimy road to personal attacks against the Senator.
I've done my homework your lies about Dr. Paul are innocuous to me.
I posted this link so that other people who might have been foolish enough to trust your lie will be able to:
Go to this link and read the 5th name down on the list: active physician
http://web1.ky.gov/GenSearch/LicenseList.aspx?AGY=5&FLD1=Paul&FLD2=&FLD3=0&FLD4=0&TYPE=
Consider yourself corrected. Now, stop spreading that LIE.
"At the same time, however, Paul believes the federal government can and should intervene to prevent women from exercising the reproductive rights"
Actually Maddow... You are contradicting yourself. He's against minors getting an abortion across state lines without consent of their parents, not women. Pretty sure most operations on minors need parental consent forms signed as well. Nice try tho.
Well, yea. Remember where he learned this brand of Libertarianism from? Ron's out using the UN to wrestle a website away from his supporters.
http://www.salon.com/2013/02/10/ron_paul_sues_supporters_for_control_of_ronpaul_com/
It's RAND Paul they are talking about, not Ron Paul.
Melissa, read the comment you replied to, please.
To translate the comment into simpler terms: Rand Paul learned his libertarianism from Ron Paul, who is taking the aforementioned non-libertarian actions.
Force Strong is saying that he learned this type of Libertarian thinking from his father, not confusing the two.
That's the point. He learned this from his father, who is just as crazy and hypocritical.
very well said..........
Typical. Complain about government interfering in everything, then make laws where government interferes in everything. How can you be for small government if you do this merde?
Republicans are not for small government. They are for small government on issues and areas they don't like or if moving it to the state level gets them what they want. It is one of their many lies.
Todd the democrats don't believe in that either , and that is why I cant support either of our failed corrupt and ineffective national parties.
Rand Paul leading the song from the lectern:
Bob McDonnell had a wand - EE-ii-ee-ii-O!
And of the lady-parts was fond - EE-ii-ee-ii-O!
Love them 'small government' Republicans...
Rand Paul is a living example of hard work. People shoud cite him as an example of someone who is not gifted with intelligence, yet made it through medical school and became a doctor.
God help his patients!! I wonder if he only accepts Republicans as patients.
I can't imagine any Democrat availing themselves of his 'services'.
By the way, What kind of a Dr. is he or was he?? Did he take the boards?
Randy boy went into optometry and he wasn't too good at that. So, while he can be called "doctor" I'd follow that word with a question mark every time I said it....
So, then, be a doctor and leave politics to lawyers and business people
He is an ophthalmologist, and M.D. graduate of Duke school of medicine. He founded the Southern Kentucky Lions Eye Clinic to help provide eye surgery and exams for those who cannot afford to pay. He has been practicing since 1993. Stop insulting the man's intelligence. He does not support abortions, but does support preventative treatments like the birth control and the morning-after pill. That doesn't sound like trying to prevent women from exercising the reproductive rights. Most of his policies, especially those dealing with the actually state of the nation, actually make a lot of sense if you take the time to hear them out.
#6.6 - Actually he's said he doesn't support birth control or the morning after pill. And I have listened to him - he didn't make sense either. There's book smart, then there is "wisdom" learned by the lessons in life - he may have "book smart" for ophthalmology, but he surely does't have the "wisdom" to be in his current job and he proves that every time he opens his mouth.
http://reason.com/blog/2010/06/15/looking-through-rand-pauls-eye
Well well well Rand is just as big of a fraud as dear old dad.
What do you call the guy that graduates last in Med School?
Answer: Doctor
Randal Paul jumped through all the hoops to be Board Certified by the Kentucky state board of Opthalmology and he practiced for 10 years. The "doctors" who sit on that board had a loophole * that they wrote in when they created the board) that precludes them from having to take the recertification examination every ten years. It is utter hypocrisy in the good-old-boys club that they themselves didn't have to take a test that they demanded from all the other doctors. It is an abuse of power, corruption, and unethical. Randal Paul fought against that hypocrisy to try to make it so the board member doctors had to take the same recertification tests and BIG SURPRISE, those old doctors didn't want to take any recertification tests. At that point Randal Paul founded the National Board of Opthalmology to be free from their hypocrisy.
He does a ton of charity work operating on the eyes people that can't afford it.
I applaud Rand for fighting against hypocrisy at all levels.
He is talking about balanced budgets and trimming fat from the war machine and the bankers.
Don't think that I didn't notice that you all have no ground to stand upon discussing fiscal responsibility so you take the slimy road to personal attacks against the Senator.
I've done my homework. Now it is your turn.
Go to this link and read the 5th name down on the list: active physician
http://web1.ky.gov/GenSearch/LicenseList.aspx?AGY=5&FLD1=Paul&FLD2=&FLD3=0&FLD4=0&TYPE=
Consider yourself corrected. Now, stop spreading that LIE.
Let's talk about a balanced budget!
Ok lets talk about a balanced budget. Why is it that Rand Paul and his ilk always want to "balance the budget " on the backs of the poor? Why is it they all oppose any increase in taxes on the most wealthy among us, who, by the way with all of their loopholes end up paying a smaller effective rate than someone making 40 or 50K a year? Sure, its ok to cut medicare, SS, unemployment insurance, and any and everything else that benefits the poorest in our Country, yet, he and the Tea-Taliban won't touch oil subsidies, or the Banks?
The simple fact that we are STILL basically debating Roe v Wade 40 years AFTER the SCOTUS ruled on it says a LOT about his and that party's ideology.
What REALLY cracks me up is, that considering I was born, raised, and spent most of my life in Ky, I know for a FACT that the SAME people who elected Rand Paul on some notion of "smaller government" will be the FIRST ones crying when their welfare checks stop coming if he/they get their way. I wonder how they will feel if the GOP pushes these austerity measures and their is NO welfare AND no jobs because make no mistake, if Paul and his cronies get their way, thats EXACTLY what will happen
The simple fact that we are STILL basically debating Roe v Wade 40 years AFTER the SCOTUS ruled on it says a LOT about his and that party's ideology
good thing we didn't use your rationalizing when it came to the subject of slavery.
Simple answers to simple questions: Rand Paul is a moron. And a hypocrite. And an asshhole But if he wasn't those things, they wouldn't let him in the Republican party.
You left out cartoon character. Rand and the rest of the lunatic fringe (Grasley Broun King et al) have rendered satire in this country null and void . How do you parody people that give the Onion a run for their money with their public statements and press releases
Actually, satire in this country has been dead for a long time, at least as far as the right wing is concerned. Back in the 60's, Tom Lehrer was asked why why didn't write music or tour the country anymore. His reply was that any country that would elect Richard Nixon as president was beyond satire.
Wonder what he thought of W.'s "election"?
Paul has shown time and again his penchant to not think things through to the fullest causal/effectual implications - must be a flaw in his ideology!
In fact, whim and caprice seem to be the two foundational pillars of his particular form of libertarian ideology!
He doesn't believe in federalism unless practiced by a federal government small enough to fit into a woman's uterus! -Kevo
Rand Paul has thought through the risk of 16.4 trillion dollars in debt and he agrees with David Walker who was the comptroller general for the United States when he said our debt is our greatest national threat.
Randal Paul is not trying to buy votes with taxpayer money, so he will get my vote in 2016
I am wondering if Rand's staffers are as well versed to "fact" as that other KY Senator's staff? They are probably the ones who told him that rug looked good!!!!
When a politician does not know about a bill that he himself sponsored - just what is he doing on the capitol hill. The people present themselves as intellectual, caring, and knowing - what happened with him?? He just proved that he is NOT who he represented himself.
actually you can pull that stunt with over 90% of the elected officials, the ones who do know everything are the ones in leadership positions and are the ones that are forcing these crap laws on us.
Rand Paul is not a libertarian... he's a corporate anarchist. He doesn't believe in full rights for individuals, just no hindrance on the behavior of corporations. There is a big difference. When they put a label on themselves the media needs to question whether it is accurate.
Like "fair and balanced"?
Like I'm going to trust any label that YOU put on him.
You must be pretty arrogant to think that you can put a label on a Senator that is more fitting that the labels he uses to describe HIMSELF.
You are laying it on pretty thick.
Go study the inflation tax.
-he said he opposed "borrowing money from China" -- Paul doesn't know China only finances 8% of U.S. debt-
Whether you agree with Rand or not, is Any amount borrowed from China okay?
Honestly, partisanship aside.
I agree, especially money borrowed from China in order to pay debt owed to China.
Actually it's good that China "owns" some of our debt. The other way of saying that is that China has INVESTED in the US Govt by buying US Treasury Bonds. They thus have an incentive for our country to do well so they can make money off their investment. Could they bring down the country by calling in the debt? No, not really. If they tried, we'd just default and they'd be worse off.
We actually owe most of our debt to ourselves. The SS Trust Fund is a big chunk of US govt debt because that fund was wisely invested in the US government, rather than much less reliable Wall Street investments. Other retirement funds and individuals are holders of the debt too. That's why we should not think that the US would be better off with ZERO debt, like individuals. The govt debt is someone else's investment. What matters is the ratio of govt debt to GDP - debt as a percentage of the total economy. Ours is too high right now, but can be reduced by building up the economy, not just by increasing revenue and decreasing spending.
Borrowing money to pay for good things is okay. First off we can borrow money dirt cheap now, that money would go to helping women across America, and it would be really really easy to pay back. Demonizing any borrowing of money is incredibly ridiculous, and to my knowledge, largely unprecedented.
Thanks MB. I've been meaning to explain that for a long time, but you beat me to it and did it better than I could. Let's add that moderate growth-related inflation reduces the real value of the debt we have to pay back. Anyone who's had a fixed mortgage for awhile knows this.
For all the myopic posters talking about inflating away our debt, I hope you pause to think of how badly it will hurt when the interest rate on out national debt increases and our kids are paying 300 dollars a month worth of tax money just to service that debt.
I've been hearing "The inflation sky is falling! The inflation sky is falling!" for at least the last twenty years. And yet, in all that time, it has barely peeked over 3%—and then just a handful of times—and rarely been over 4% since Volcker crushed it three decades ago. Similarly, interest rates have been steadily trending down since that time and are now at historical lows. The Federal Reserve may not be omnipotent, but since those days of Volcker and Friedman, they've done a pretty good job of controlling inflation. So I'm pretty optimistic about that.
Nor am I so pessimistic as to believe that from the time kids are born today until they enter the job market twenty years from now, there will be no growth at all. That growth, of course, will create more tax revenue (unless Republicans get their way and abolish all taxes), which is how we've paid down our debt before.
You can say I don't have a crystal ball. Of course not. But we still have the most vigorous economy and most innovative culture in the world. So you won't be surprised to learn that I believe my optimism is more likely than your pessimism.
If they want a smaller governmant lets give it to them. Cut their jobs all together. Think of how much money we could save. Not only while they were in office but after they leave. They don't work most of the time anyway. How many breaks do you get?
Well since the moron and @!$%# have already been taken, what else can be said about this excuse for a senator? If he does represent the people of KY, I do feel that maybe that state needs a massive influx of money for education as they are sadly lacking in critical thinking.
Sure. Throwing more taxpayer money at a problem will fix it.
The US spends way more per student than it did 50 years ago and graduates of high school are not able to comprehend compounding interest like they could 50 years ago.
Let's throw a little more cash into that non-contributing administrative layer that is currently stifling American education reform.
I have a feeling there's a lot in life that Paul isn't familiar with the details... the guy is a dangerous moron. At least his father wasn't a complete moron.
Wonder how he feels about interstate pursuit of actual murderers?
Rand (and Ron) Paul are cafeteria Libertarians. They take a little from the Libertarian steam table and then a little from the religious right steam table. They probably blame the inconsistencies on the servers.
Doctors whom graduate at the bottom of the class and barely pass board exams, become doctors too. Many are there for the money, status and power...I think this speaks to politicians also. In my opinion, he is an immature manipulator.
Has anyone ever interviewed any of Dr. Rand Paul's medical staff (or former employees) on his competence as an ophthalmologist and business person? I often wonder when reading about apparently bigoted and ethically/morally- challenged professionals how they are as employers and as practicing professionals. A medical doctor who believes that intelligent and informed women are incompetent to make personal decisions about their health is using questionable judgment. Admittedly, someone not professionally trained in medicine may not be able to read a lab result and prescribe a medical remedy, but a woman facing the prospect of giving birth to a child that she does not want and cannot properly nurture is not facing a medical decision; she is facing a life-transformative decision. The "killing" of an unborn fetus is no more "wrong" than the killing of another human being in war or armed conflict. Sometimes the termination of another human being's life, regardless of age or viability outside the womb, is acceptable. At least in this culture. How say you?
Abortion and warfare are both symptoms of the culture of death and disrespect for life and individualism.
Abortion is not birth control.
No need to put quotes around killing. It is killing the fetus.
Just ask the physician who loses the wrongful death suit for the fetus that dies after an abdominal procedure.
You jokers would love to discuss any issue instead of the national debt.
And that shows how misinformed the Fox news viewer is.
Rand Paul is your typical two-faced tongue in cheek lying Republican. They will say whatever the moment calls for...they have NO SUBSTANCE AND NO SOUL.
Randal Paul will get my vote in 2016 because he knows how to balance a budget.
Warfare and welfare both have to be decreased.
I agree the wealthy corporations have had it to easy sucking off the government teat, that useless corporate welfare.
Must i remind everyone that this idiot is not a Kentuckian but was raised in Texas during his formative yrs. He came to Ky to get his education and stayed to help enlighten we dumbass hillbillies, along with are other sen. Mitch also a out of state import,from Alabama, i will never understand why we can not raise someone in Ketucky who would make a good senator
Well, how about Ashley Judd. She's an 8th generation Kentuckian. One more reason to support her. A home-grown senator, how novel!
Not reading the bills the Koch Bros. hand them is not uncommon among Republicans. I was watching a MN Senate Meeting about a year ago when a republican senator introduced a bill and could not answer a single questions about it. All of her answers consisted of things like "I'll have to get back to you on that" "I'll have to check with so-and-so" and "I don't know" on a bill that SHE just introduced. I would at least want to know what's in the bill to avoid embarassment.
Nancy Pelosi said we have to pass the ACA ( Obamacare) in order to know what is in it.
How is that different?
It isn't.
That's why the 2 party system is a scam.
Liars on both sides trying to buy votes with other taxpayer's money.
Freedom! Liberty! At least for fetuses. So what if it makes their living, breathing mothers slaves? This, by the way, was libertarian goddess Ayn Rand's reasoning for declaring those who oppose abortion rights immoral.
How Was this Clown Elected and Why,, He Is Against FREEDOM Of CHOICE,, ??? UN-AMERICAN,, He NEEDS To Be Voted OUT !!!!!!!!
Just make sure these idiots adopt or foster all the children that are born that parents can't or won't take care of. You are all for the rights before and then abandon them after...it's choices and responsibility
How does killing an unborn child/fetus differ from killing any other human being, for any other reason? If the unborn is a human being, entitled to all the rights and privileges of that state of being, then what changes at birth? How does the killing of non-combatants in a "war" differ from killing an unborn child, as an outcome of National Security? Have these questions ever been asked and answered in a public forum? Certainly not by MSM. Am I missing something? And, if so, has the person responding ever been held accountable for their answer?
Having fun being rhetorical? I believe the "Philosophy 101" blog is that way...
The really sad thing is that Republicans want to force women to have children they do not want and can't afford. Then they want to deny these babies food, clothing, medical care and education. If women are forced to have children against their will..then the country bears some of the responsibility of taking care of them. Shame on them. Cut every program that helps the poor and middle class working stiffs, trash the elderly, but let's keep the tax breaks for billionaires.
Abortion is not birth control.
Birth control prevents haploid cells from uniting.
Abortion stops a beating heart.
BIG DIFFERENCE
Right because you can compare apples to oranges and get grape fruit. Here is a clue, don't whine about the poor having children they can't afford because after all we know that no right to life protests wealthy women from seeking abortions for off spring they can afford but don't want to be bothered with. Whats rather telling is you seem to think that welfare actually exists when fact is that system was killed in the 1990's.
Congressional members have the right to be unfamiliar with legislation they sponsor, write, vote for, reject, wear as a hat.
Americans need to stop voting jokers into office.