Rand Paul Filibuster

There he was, just like Jimmy Stewart, standing up in the Senate to engage in an actual filibuster.  When was the last time somebody actually stood up to filibuster anything in these times where all it takes to delay a vote is for a Senator to say "I'm going to filibuster that".

What was Rand worried about?  Apparently not the appointment of the new CIA director, who despite many conservative pundits was perhaps the worst possible choice for that job was easily confirmed the next day.

He was concerned about drones.  We've all been hearing that drones are being deployed in bases around the country, but there's been no "official" explanation from the government telling us why.  The story behind Rand's protest suggests that the GOP senators demanded documentation on the drone program before they would allow a vote on Brennan.  They got some letters from Eric Holder that seemed to say Obama has the authority to take out American citizens on American soil with drone strikes.

Rand was concerned that the Holder letters were telling the President he could ignore constitutional protections to citizens and just take somebody out if he deemed that person a threat to the country.  That's deeply disturbing, or should be, to any American, regardless of political party.

Funny that the Democrats, who were so certain George W. Bush was going to trample their rights, suddenly are unconcerned about Obama's actions that far exceed anything Bush ever contemplated.  I suppose they figure Obama won't come after them, since they're his friends - but he can take out hated conservatives any time he chooses.

The debate is over on Obama's political philosophy, despite liberal protestations to the contrary.  Everything about Obama, from his upbringing and closest associations to pretty much every speech he gives, clearly illustrates his Marxist philosophy.  We now know his promise to "fundamentally transform America" meant Marxist revolution.

By extension, conservatives simply look at the history of Marxism around the world.  Lenin and Stalin, Mao, Fidel Castro, and Hugo Chavez brutally suppressed their country's citizens and murdered millions to eliminate all opposition.  Is it then unreasonable, as McCain derisively stated in opposition to Rand's one-man protest, to hold a concern about what objective Obama may have in his mind for how he'll use those US-based drones?

I don't think so.  Rand has kicked off a process that will draw many Americans, from both Left and Right, to his side out of that concern over what increasingly looks like a president who may fancy himself a dictator.

People like McCain and many Obama supporters suggest Rand is some sort of delusional paranoid.  Why of course Obama has no designs on destroying political enemies with drones in direct contravention of the United States Constitution!  But are they so sure?  In light of the fact it took nearly 30 minutes for Ted Cruz to drag a simple answer from Holder that no, using drones to kill an American in the country who isn't directly threatening anyone, it is not constitutionally permissable.  Why was he trying so hard to duck the question?

Go, Rand!