rand paul

Rand Paul Is 1st Senator To Report Positive Test For Virus

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said Sunday that he had tested positive for the disease caused by the new coronavirus, becoming the first member of the Senate to report a case of COVID-19. He said in a tweet that he was feeling fine and was in quarantine.




rand paul

Droning on: Thoughts on the Rand Paul “Talking Filibuster”


Sen. Rand Paul has just completed his nearly thirteen hour filibuster against John Brennan's nomination to head the CIA. Breaking off his filibuster (because, he inferred, he had to pee), Rand was heralded for bringing back the "talking filibuster." There was much written (and tweeted) about his filibuster, which began with Paul’s dramatic:

"I will speak until I can no longer speak…I will speak as long as it takes, until the alarm is sounded from coast to coast that our Constitution is important, that your rights to trial by jury are precious, that no American should be killed by a drone on American soil without first being charged with a crime, without first being found to be guilty by a court."

I thought I would add a few late-night thoughts in honor of this day spent with C-Span 2 humming in my ear.

First, I think Jon Bernstein’s reaction to the filibuster was right on the mark.  There’s been a lot of enthusiasm for the talking filibuster today, from Ezra Klein's "If more filibusters went like this, there’d be no reason to demand reform," to Josh Marshall’s, "This is a good example of why we should have the talking filibuster and just the talking filibuster." But Bernstein raises a critical point: "Today’s live filibuster shows again just how easy it is to hold the Senate floor for an extended period." The motivation of recent reformers has been to reduce filibustering by raising the costs of obstruction for the minority. In theory, making the filibuster more burdensome to the minority—while putting their views under the spotlight—should make filibusters more costly and more rare. (Paul did note in coming off the Senate floor tonight that his feet hurt…) But as Bernstein points out, Paul believes in his cause, and it plays well with his constituencies. On the physical front, the tag-team of GOP senators rallying to Paul's cause also lessened the burden on Paul (as would have a pair of filibuster-proof shoes). That said, today's filibuster was a little unusual. The majority seemed unfazed by giving up the day to Paul’s filibuster, perhaps because the rest of Washington was shutdown for a pseudo-snow storm. Moreover, the Brennan nomination had bipartisan support, with Reid believing there were 60 senators ready to invoke cloture.  In short, today's episode might not be a great test case for observing the potential consequences of reform.

Second, keep in mind that this was a double-filibuster day. The nomination of Caitlin Halligan for the DC Court of Appeals was blocked, failing for the second time to secure cloture. With 41 Republican senators voting to block an up or down confirmation vote on Halligan, an often-noted alternative reform (which would require 41 senators to block cloture instead of 60 senators to invoke it) would have made no difference to the outcome. And what if the minority had been required to launch a talking filibuster to block Halligan’s nomination? Reid might have been willing to forfeit the floor time to Paul today.  But Reid would unlikely have wanted to give up another day to Halligan’s opponents. As Steve Smith has argued, the burden of talking filibusters also falls on the majority, which typically wants to move on to other business. "Negotiating around the filibuster," Smith has argued, "would still be common."  On a day with two successful minority filibusters (at least in consuming floor time and deterring the majority from its agenda), we can see why the majority might be reticent to make senators talk.

Third, let's not lose sight of the target of Rand's filibuster: The head of the CIA.  Although the chief spook is not technically in the president’s cabinet, the position certainly falls within the ranks of nominations that have typically been protected from filibusters.  Granted, that norm was trampled with the Hagel filibuster for Secretary of Defense. But rather than seeing the potential upside of today's talking filibuster, I can't help but see the downside: In an age of intense policy and political differences between the parties, no corner of Senate business is immune to filibusters.

All that said, what's not to like about a mini demonstration of a real live filibuster?!  Perhaps Paul's late day Snickers break was cheating.  But it was a good C-Span type of day overall, for filibuster newbies to Franklin Burdette devotees. Even Dick Durbin well after midnight seemed to be enjoying the fray. Perhaps there’s a silver lining for talking filibusters after all.

Authors

Publication: The Monkey Cage
Image Source: © Jonathan Ernst / Reuters
      
 
 




rand paul

Rand Paul makes bizarre 'joke' that Obama's opinion on same-sex marriage couldn't 'get any gayer'

Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, son of presidential candidate Ron Paul, mocked President Barack Obama's recent statements on gay marriage at an Iowa conference.




rand paul

Senator Rand Paul's son arrested for disorderly conduct and drunken behaviour at airport after 10 a.m. flight

William Hilton Paul, 19, (pictured) the son of Kentucky Senator Rand Paul was arrested last night at Charlotte Douglas International Airport and charged with disorderly conduct and being intoxicated and disruptive.




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Air Force erases drone strike data in Afghanistan war report just one day after Rand Paul's filibuster

The Air Force has erased data on drone strikes in Afghanistan from their most recent report that was released just one day after Sen. Rand Paul's filibuster on Wednesday.




rand paul

Sen. Rand Paul solidifies conservative star status with win in CPAC straw poll

Kentucky's Republican Sen. Rand Paul put himself in the forefront of early presidential candidate speculation winning this year's Conservative Political Action Conference straw poll with 25 per cent of the vote.




rand paul

It's a 'mistake' to jail people for having pot, says Rand Paul

Paul told Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace: 'I don't want to promote that but I also don't want to put people in jail who make the mistake.




rand paul

Senator Rand Paul tells Howard University it was the Democrats behind 'racism and Jim Crow'

Paul, an early contender for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination, argued that the Republicans, not the Democrats, have historically protected black voters' interests.




rand paul

Rand Paul: Obamacare to include medical diagnostic codes for 'injuries sustained from a turtle,' 'walking into a lamppost,' 'injuries sustained from burning water skis'

Kentucky senator mocks Obama's U.S. health care overhaul, as new poll shows 54 percent of Americans don't support the Obamacare law




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Senator Rand Paul considering Supreme Court challenge to government monitoring of phone records

Kentucky Senator Rand Paul wants to bring a class-action lawsuit to the Supreme Court against the government's phone and Internet anti-terrorism surveillance programs




rand paul

Republican battle of the bladders hits Massachusetts, as Senate hopeful Gabriel Gomez claims he could outlast Rand Paul's 12-hour filibuster without a bathroom break

'I think he went 12 hours,' said Gomez, the GOP candidate in a bizarre debate moment. 'And I've gone a lot longer than that without having to go to the bathroom, sir, [during] my time in the SEAL teams'




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Terror-fighter Chris Christie slams Rand Paul and other 'dangerous' libertarians, in a preview of the liberty-vs-security squabble that will dominate the GOP in 2016

Paul is blocking President Obama's choice to lead the FBI until he gets answers about how, when and how often federal law enforcement spies on us from above




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Rand Paul calls Chris Christie 'the king of bacon' as feud between the GOP pols heats up

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul hit back at New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie in the two Republicans’ ongoing spat over national security, calling the plus-sized pol the 'king of bacon'




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Chris Christie says 'I don't really have time for' beer summit with Rand Paul, and snarks that he's 'responsible for actually doing things and not just debating'

Sen. Paul had suggested the two bury the hatchet over a beer, but Gov. Christie told a radio audience that 'if I find myself down in Washington, I'll certainly look him up, but I don't suspect I'll be there anytime soon.'




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Sarah Palin lashes out at New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and declares support for Senator Rand Paul

Palin attributed Christie's growing popularity to what she called a 'YouTube videographer' who follows him around and manufactures situations that will give him an edge over his competition.




rand paul

Rand Paul will offer Syria amendment using Obama¿s own words, saying it would be unconstitutional to launch strikes without congressional backing

Obama said during his first presidential campaign that presidents can't order military strikes unless the U.S. is directly threatened, or Congress declares war.




rand paul

Vogue profile casts Rand Paul's wife Kelley as 'secret asset' to winning political power

The profile describes the blonde and quick-witted Kelley as 'more than a pretty image-softener' for the 'famously dour' senator.




rand paul

Senator Rand Paul launches class action law suit challenging constitutionality of NSA spy program

The lawsuit’s announcement comes only hours after the secret FISA court renewed the government’s permission Friday to collect bulk telephone metadata.




rand paul

Rand Paul says Bill Clinton is a 'predator' over Monica Lewinsky affair

Likely presidential candidate Rand Paul doubled down on comments his wife made in an interview with Vogue magazine: former President Bill Clinton is a 'predator' because of his affair with Monica Lewinsky




rand paul

Rand Paul continues Bill Clinton assault, as he may run against Hillary in 2016

Rand Paul has continued to smear former President Bill Clinton by calling him a 'serial philanderer' that was a threat to women in the workplace as a result of his extra marital affairs.




rand paul

'Rand Paul v. Barack Obama' lawsuit hits federal court with 350,000 plaintiffs, as U.S. senator sues White House and intelligence chiefs over NSA surveillance

The Libertarian firebrand has his eyes focused on the presidency and aims to organize voters by branding NSA snooping as 'precisely the kind of overreach we fought a revolution over.'




rand paul

'What you do on your cell phone is none of their damned business!': Rand Paul thrills libertarians and unites CPAC with anti-NSA stemwinder

Paul got the Conservative Political Action Conference's loudest applause -- by far -- and figures to be a major force in the 2016 presidential season.




rand paul

Rand Paul wins CPAC presidential straw poll as conservatives set aim on Hillary Clinton in 2016

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul won the conference's presidential preference straw poll, a symbolic victory that reflects his popularity among conservatives who typically hold outsized influence in the GOP's presidential selection process.




rand paul

Ben Carson emerges as sleeper threat in N.H. Republican Party event straw poll, as Rand Paul and Chris Christie lead the field

The momentary phenomenon of a presidential run by MSNBC host Joe Scarborough quickly fizzed on Saturday, and Carson -- targeted by a 'draft committee' -- came in a close third.




rand paul

President hopeful Rand Paul wants '100 percent of American pilots armed' to prevent new 9/11

Republican Presidential hopeful Rand Paul claims arming all US commercial airline pilots is the most effective way of preventing a new 9/11 attack.




rand paul

US intelligence community is 'drunk with power': Sudden GOP rock star Rand Paul wows college students at ultra-liberal UC Berkeley with an eye toward 2016

'No one should be allowed to invade your privacy' and NSA leaders are 'only sorry they got caught' snooping on Americans, he said to repeated applause from an audience of 400.




rand paul

Rand Paul bashes Hillary Clinton's handling of Benghazi and mocks her 'dead broke' gaffe

Paul joked that he'd been losing sleep at night over the former Secretary of State's financial affairs and asked the audience to take a 'moment of silence' for her wealth.




rand paul

Rand Paul caught partying in the Hamptons after skipping conservative event for a 'family commitment'

Paul told the Family Leader he had to skip the group's annual summit - of which he was a sponsor - because he had to attend an event in New York with his family.




rand paul

Rand Paul slams Hillary Clinton for 'shoot first' foreign policy that would have given ISIS control of Syria

'We are lucky Mrs. Clinton didn't get her way and the Obama administration did not bring about regime change in Syria,' the Kentucky senator wrote. 'That new regime might well be ISIS.'




rand paul

Rand Paul sparks firestorm with claim that John McCain posed with ISIS-linked jihadists in Syria

Sen. McCain 'did meet with ISIS, and had his picture taken, and didn't know it was happening at the time,' Sen. Paul claimed, setting off angry denials and a D.C.-wide press scrum to call him a liar.




rand paul

Rand Paul claims that Ebola could 'get beyond our control' and that the CDC is downplaying threat

'We should not underestimate the transmissibility' of this disease, Paul told a conservative radio show host.




rand paul

Rand Paul says Republican Party's brand 'sucks' - just like the old Domino's Pizza crust

'For 80 years African-Americans have had nothing to do with Republicans,' Paul said. 'Why? Because of a perception ... that no one in the Republican Party cares.'




rand paul

Pressure on Hillary Clinton as potential 2016 challenger Rand Paul posts mocking pictures of her

Paul is already trying to score points for the next election cycle by painting Tuesday night's losses as a failure for Clinton - even though she wasn't on the ballot in any state.




rand paul

Rand Paul in formal declaration since 1942 to declare war on ISIS

The Kentucky senator wants Congress to vote on a formal declaration of war targeting the Islamic fanatics, with troops used for strikes on its leadership and intelligence-gathering.




rand paul

'Rand Paul 2016' shirt photo comes amid annual 'airing of grievances' for fictional 'Festivus' holiday

The Kentucky senator switched on Washington's buzz machine Tuesday with tweeted photo of a garment sporting a presidential campaign message.




rand paul

Cory Booker tells Rand Paul to shave his head because his 'curls are offensive'

Earlier in the day Paul had mocked the media for obsessing over his hair and questioning the authenticity of his curls.




rand paul

Rand Paul says Hillary Clinton 'did a terrible job' protecting Benghazi diplomatic post

The libertarian firebrand senator started pummelling the presumptive Democratic frontrunner a day before barnstorming through six stops in New Hampshire.




rand paul

Rand Paul says 'over half the people on disability' are undeserving'

'Over half the people on disability are either anxious or their back hurts,' Paul said. 'Join the club.'




rand paul

Rand Paul latches on to debunked science to insist vaccines should be 'voluntary'

The Kentucky senator waded into a contentious science debate with libertarian politics, saying 'the state doesn't own your children.' He shushed a TV host on camera when she cut off his long arguments.




rand paul

Rand Paul pictured getting booster shot for Hepatitis A

The Republican senator from Kentucky received a booster for Hepatitis A, one year after his trip to Guatemala.




rand paul

Rand Paul prepares for possible court battle to keep Senate seat AND run for the White House

If Kentucky Republicans refuse to change their primary election to a caucus so Paul can compete for both his Senate seat and the presidency, he'll have to move to Plan B.




rand paul

Rand Paul comes out ahead in CPAC straw poll AGAIN

BUT -- Conservative Political Action Conference poll winners went on to become presidential nominees in the next election just 20 per cent of the time




rand paul

Rand Paul to kick off presidential bid from home state of Kentucky on April 7

Even before Cruz kicked off his 2016 bid, Paul, 52, had his eye on April 7 as a launch date for his own national campaign. But the fellow Republican's formal announcement helped solidify Paul's plans.




rand paul

Republicans mock Rand Paul's 'Defeat the Washington machine' slogan: 'It's like Hillary Clinton running on a platform of email transparency'

An Iowa Republican Party official says the senator's claims to Washington-outsider status 'won't sell in Iowa, especially since he's walking his views back toward the center.'




rand paul

Rand Paul's Republican nomination campaign store features unconventional items

Like Paul, the 52-year-old freshman senator who made a name for himself championing issues not typically associated with the GOP, the 'Rand' 2016 SWAG store is unique.




rand paul

Rand Paul gets testy with Savannah Guthrie in NBC interview

'No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!' Listen, you've editorialized,' Paul blasted the 'TODAY' host as she tried to corner him on changes to his foreign policy views.




rand paul

Meet Rand Paul's cheerleader wife Kelley who traded pompoms for politics

Kelley Ashby Paul is likely her husband's secret weapon in his bid to win the presidency. She grew up in Kentucky where she was a high school cheerleader and loves to shop with her mom.




rand paul

Rand Paul smacks around Hilary Clinton at New Hampshire summit

Paul smacked around Clinton at a campaign stop in New Hampshire on the eve of her first visit to the Granite State as a proclaimed 2016 candidate.




rand paul

Presidential hopeful Rand Paul takes poker lessons from notorious gun-toting 'King of Instagram' Dan Blizerian

On Friday, the Republican lawmaker from Kentucky shared a Snapchat video of himself learning how to play Liar's Poker - a game played with dollar bills - from the debauched social media star.




rand paul

Rand Paul New Hampshire director licks Democrat campaigner's camera

David Chesley licked the camera of an opposition researcher from the liberal group American Bridge. The tracker was at Paul's event in Londonberry on Monday. Chesley. He had been standing in the way.