Sen. Paul Responds To Obama's Libya Speech

Transcript:

The President of the United States often faces unforeseeable dilemmas that demand tough decisions based on reliable intelligence. The recent events in Libya presented President Obama with such a scenario. But how our Commander in Chief chose to handle this new dilemma raises serious questions about his understanding of constitutional checks and balances.

Libyan President Moammar Gadhafi is every bit the madman Ronald Reagan once said he was, but are the rebels adherents to Jeffersonian democracy or Bin Laden’s radical jihad?

In 2007, then-candidate Obama said that “The President does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation.”

I agree with candidate Obama. Unfortunately, President Obama has failed to heed his own advice. He has ignored our constitution and engaged us in a military conflict without congressional debate and approval.

...

The subtext to the President’s speech concerning Libya tonight was “What if we had done nothing?” But a better question might be, What if helping Libya’s interest actually hurts America’s interests? What if we are sending our military to places where we might actually be helping the same terrorists we fight in other countries or potential future terrorists?

It’s time that we re-examine these policies by once again consulting the Constitution on such matters and the common-sense principles that made this country great. We can no longer afford to spend what we don’t have. And we can’t afford to address every other nation’s problems before we can address our own.

Over the coming days and weeks, Congress will force President Obama to confront these questions. Our brave young men and women have answered the call of duty time and time again over the past decade.

Sen. Rand Paul At CPAC

"We must be more bold!"

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The Right Scoop has the full interview.

Hat tip: Cubachi

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John Stossel defends him:



The source of all tyranny is the belief that freedom does not promote virtue.

Rand Paul Wins GOP Nomination

AP calls it for Paul via Hot Air:

Political novice Rand Paul rode support from tea party activists to victory in Kentucky’s Republican Senate primary Tuesday night, delivering a jolt to the GOP establishment and providing fresh evidence of widespread voter discontent in a turbulent midterm election season.

Paul had 59 percent of the vote—with returns counted from 29 percent of the precincts—to 37 percent for Secretary of State Trey Grayson, who had been recruited to run by the state’s dominant Republican, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Here's our prior posts on Rand Paul.

Update: Rand Paul thanks his supporters for their hard work as he accepts the nomination:

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He calls in to Fox Business's Happy Hour to discuss potential health care reform strategies, and other pending legislation:

Rand Paul Makes Official Announcement

Mike Bryant, a Breathitt County software consultant who is also Breathitt County Republican Chairman and who has contributed to Grayson’s campaign, operates a web site, “Too Kooky for Kentucky,” and he was on hand Wednesday outside the Secretary of State’s office to talk to reporters.

Bryant contends Paul isn’t a true Republican but a libertarian and he said Paul should file to run as a libertarian. He said Paul “evidently got scared and ran off somewhere else and let his campaign manager file for him.” Paul was in the capitol building but left for RPK while Adams filed the actual paperwork.

Bryant’s sentiment wasn’t in evidence in the RPK room where Paul made his formal announcement before about 50 enthusiastic supporters who chanted Paul’s name.

Paul told them the country had broken away from the “constitutional chains” which restrict government and “pork barrel politicians are spending our country into oblivion.”

He promised to vote against any unbalanced budget whether proposed by Republicans or Democrats though he qualified that afterward by saying there could be exceptions during times of “declared war.” Paul pointed out the country hasn’t declared war since World War II and the country should debate the advisability of going to war and formally declare war before doing so. He also conceded the national debt is large enough it probably isn’t practical to pay it off entirely but it must be reduced.

There's a funny saying that originated somewhere: "Heaven doesn't want me, and hell's afraid I'll take over."

I suggest Paul's slogan should be "Democrats don't want me, and Republicans are afraid I'll take over!"

Rand Paul for Senate

Interview with Rand Paul

By Judge Napolitano:



I love that he's beating both the Democrat candidate and the Republican Senate Committee's candidate in the polls already.

Rand Paul for Senate