Rand Paul’s filibuster receives mixed reviews from Republicans

Source:

Members of both parties cheered on Sen. Rand Paul Wednesday during his 13-hour filibuster of the nomination of John Brennan to be CIA director to protest the Obama administration's drone policy. But Paul drew a smack-down from two influential fellow Republicans Thursday who called the Kentucky lawmaker's actions uninformed and irresponsible.

Republican Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina joined each other on the floor of the Senate to blast Paul's diatribe against the drone program.

"If Mr. Paul wants to be taken seriously, he needs to do more than pull political stunts that fire up impressionable libertarian kids in their college dorms. He needs to know what he’s talking about,” McCain said. “I don’t think what happened yesterday was helpful to the American people."

Graham portrayed Paul's views on the drone program as outside the mainstream of the Republican Party and praised Obama for defending it.

"To my party, I’m a bit disappointed that you no longer apparently think we’re at war,” Graham said. “Not Sen. Paul, he’s a man to himself. He has a view that I don’t think is a Republican view."

I disagree completely. I think what Rand Paul did was admirable! I know he calls himself a libertarian, but imo, he has more old school Republican views than many think. I think hes a throw-back to the old Conservatives Republicans that I wish dominated the party today. And now you guys see why I dislike John McCain and Lindsey Graham and their ilk so much. THIS...is why I'm an independant. RINOs like McCain and Graham are what have cut the throat of the GOP, and they need to be drummed out of the party.

I give Bryant credit for forcing me to take a harder look at Rand Paul, because I had previously thought he was a clone of his nutty father politically. But he is his own man. He appears to have very sound fiscal views, and, to my delight, is a social conservative! He opposes federalized abortion, the Federal legalization of pot, amnesty and wants to control the border. He's no wussy either when it comes to our enemies that we are sending money to overseas.

I thought his filibuster was admirable and it ought to give the GOP the guts to stand up to the liberals in our govt. FINALLY 1 man is willing to stand up to this administration and hold them accountable. And while I personally support the drone program, I do agree with Paul that it should NOT be used against American citizens in this country who are of no immediate threat. In fact, imo, there is little reason to used armed drones against anyone in this country beause I think the main reason we use drones is to enable us to get close to a target without having to fight our way in and out ofthe area. In the USA, there is no need to have to fight our way into or out of any area where a villain is. So drone attacks are unnecessary.

So 3 cheers to Sen. Paul. I only wish my own state senators would have thought of this first and stood up to the weak-as-water RINOS that have polluted the party.

Mccain and graham, not even going there

What are your thoughts on Rand Paul?

I applaud what he did, and in forcing the medias focus, he got a response from eric holder saying no the president does not have the authority to order drone strikes on us citizens in america who are not engaged in combat. But how exactly do they define combat against the usa? In other words, could they have legally drone struck that cabin chris dorner was if they knew he was in there? I mean seriously it matters

And i wudnt exactly call mccgrahaim criticism a mixed response. Thats just the ammunition the two of them had fed the media as they so often like to do while giving their approval on more new revenues from tax restructruring, even though the governments revenues have steadily increased over last decade (and surely longer) setting new reccords. Its up to $2.4t i believe. And we still have to borrow more than a trillion annually. See, the problem is that these insiders, regardless of party, get into this mindset of how to fund the government, rather than whats best for the country, which isnt $6t in debt over four years

I agree 100%. Personally I'd have been dumbstruck had they struck the cabin with Chris Dorner in it. My worry at the time would have been the possible collateral damage, not to mention the possibility of forest fire.

My feeling on drone strikes in the USA is that if we can possibly get the law enforcement to the scene in time to head off some kind of attack, we should make every effort to do so. Using a drone would almost never be appropriate I dont think because in most cases, either there would be a lot of bystanders or the target might be in a populated area.

However, if they wished to use unmanned drones on our border to monitor the region, I wouldnt mind that at all.

As for John McCain...I think he was a collaborator during vietnam and I was not pleased to find him schmoozing with Obama at a dinner while Paul was working hard in the Senate. Obama is the architect of this phase of the drone program, and McCain's criticism of Paul makes him look to be a collaborator yet again.

He is. Hes a big government hawk. And u can bet your ass i have major problems with drone strikes in the heartland for the precedence it sets. If we wouldnt tolerate a conventional airstrike on us soil, then how is a drone strike any different? And hell even the active combat against the us by a us citizen part is removed if you happen outside the country. No warrant, no trail, no notice, boom. And what can happen to one of us can happen to any of us.

Dennis324 wrote: My worry at the time would have been the possible collateral damage, not to mention the possibility of forest fire.

Great example of what is wrong with most people in tUSA today.

So forest fires and collateral damage is the greatest concern, eh??? No other concern is more important than that??? Please join us real conservatives and help CONSERVE the Constitution and what it guarantees. Even the lowest among us have the same rights as the greatest among us. As Pun said, what can happen to one of us, can happen to all of us.


.................forest fires and collateral damage.......................please......................

Pun wrote:He is. Hes a big government hawk. And u can bet your ass i have major problems with drone strikes in the heartland for the precedence it sets. If we wouldnt tolerate a conventional airstrike on us soil, then how is a drone strike any different? And hell even the active combat against the us by a us citizen part is removed if you happen outside the country. No warrant, no trail, no notice, boom. And what can happen to one of us can happen to any of us.

Not to mention that its actually more cost-efficient and protects innocent bystanders to use conventional police forces here inside the US, than to drop a $68,000 Hellfire Missile on someone's head with a massive blast radius.