#StandwithRand

Thoughts on Rand Paul's filibuster yesterday?



I was glad to see a Senator actually stand up for what they believe in. I don't know what to think of the White House's reluctance to answer the question as to whether the President had the authority to arbitrarily decide whether a US citizen on US soil still has has the right of due process of if the President could simply decide to of them.

I'd stand with Rand but not McCain and Graham who didn't stand. I'm of the belief that there are too many politicians that seem to think the American people can't get along without them and/or we don't know as much as they do about what is good for America.

A agree with you. I'm very happy, and proud that Sen. Rand Paul had the courage to take an stand a filibuster over Barack Obama's and Eric Holder's position that the U.S. Federal govt. can use an unmanned drone to kill U.S. citizen. Without any kind of due process - no trial by a jury of peers - no determination of guilt or innocence by evidence. Instead a decision is made behind closed doors and a decision is made. It's actually an outrageous development.



To me, equally disturbing is that only 14 U.S. Senators think the issue of killing a U.S. citizen by decree without due process is important enough to support. A total of 13 Republican and 1 Democrat senator joined Rand Paul on the floor and helped with the filibuster. Bravo for them.



Think how disturbing that is. That means 33 Republican senators, 52 Democrat senators, and 2 Independent senators that did not feel this issue was important enough to join. Disturbing.



Just stop and consider - this is not our fathers Democratic party. The Democrats have a long history of standing up for civil rights and civil liberties. They pride themselves on that history. My father was a proud Truman Democrat. But today, the critical right of having your day in court is taken away, and essentially, the Democratic party is silent? Only 1 Democratic Senator stands? This is the same crowd that went ballistic because 3 terrorist foreigners, on foreign soil, were water boarded. Not killed - but made uncomfortable through intensive interrogation. A bit different than a missile streaking out of the sky and killing a U.S. citizen. Hypocritical.



This is a big deal. The president is not a king, nor a dictator. He does not have the power to send someone to jail without due process. The president cannot incarcerate someone because he feels they deserve it. And he certainly does not have the power to take a life without due process. And, if convicted in a court, what about the right to appeal? Too bad.

This is very disturbing, I agree.

Note that Rand even got support from the FAAAR left for what he did yesterday re: drawing attention to the drones. Master move, although the Obama response today still leaves the same wiggle-room Paul was trying to clear up.

Republican Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham are way wrong for criticizing Rand Paul. McCain needs to retire.

Ddawg wrote:
Republican Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham are way wrong for criticizing Rand Paul. McCain needs to retire.

Along with what, about 3/4 of the rest of the senate and half the house.



Fox just reported that "Paul declares victory after Holder offers assurances on Drones". I don't know how to cut and paste in spite of my great brother's repeated attempts to teach me. He was joined by those on both sides of the Isle in his filibuster, not to include his above mentioned Republican colleges.

For the record, it does look like Holder sent Paul another letter today, in which he said the government does not have authority to target a US citizen on US soil in a non-combat situation.



Not sure what took them so long, but good for them.

SpiffCoug wrote:
For the record, it does look like Holder sent Paul another letter today, in which he said the government does not have authority to target a US citizen on US soil in a non-combat situation.



Not sure what took them so long, but good for them.

But when the letter was released by the White House, Carney said (paraphrased) "if there's an imminent threat, the answer might be different."

Ddawg wrote:
Republican Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham are way wrong for criticizing Rand Paul. McCain needs to retire.

Anytime a politician is personally offended that someone doesn't trust the government with additional powers it is evidence that they have become like all dairy products that have hung around past their expiration date. It is time for them to go.

Ddawg wrote:
The Democrats have a long history of standing up for civil rights and civil liberties. They pride themselves on that history.

I hear this quite frequently but have never seen evidence of a "long history of civil rights." Sure Kennedy sent the national guard to desegregate some schools in the south but that hardly constitutes a long history. Most of the history that I am aware of shows the democrats being anti-civil rights.

I understand that many old democrats were Roosevelt/Truman democrats but that is a whole 'nother story.

tww wrote:

The Democrats have a long history of standing up for civil rights and civil liberties. They pride themselves on that history.

I hear this quite frequently but have never seen evidence of a "long history of civil rights." Sure Kennedy sent the national guard to desegregate some schools in the south but that hardly constitutes a long history. Most of the history that I am aware of shows the democrats being anti-civil rights.

I understand that many old democrats were Roosevelt/Truman democrats but that is a whole 'nother story.

True that. Still - they like to pride themselves on the media fed urban myth. :whistle: