Rand Paul Breaks Three Hour Mark on Filibuster of Brennan Nomination
Everyone should be enjoying the mellow tones of Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) from the Senate floor as he gives props to Lysander Spooner, slams Oliver Wendell Holmes and Herbert Croly, praises Obama for saying he believed in curbing executive power and slams him, and his CIA nominee John Brennan, for believing in the power of summary execution of Americans. Sen. Paul is asserting boldly that the U.S. is not a battlefield worthy of martial law.
He will have to go on for nearly nine hours to beat a Bernie Sanders speaking-filibuster record for this century, though. Can he do it?
Paul admits, as he speaks to an empty floor and a nation in front of their computers and TV sets, that he's almost certainly not going to beat the Brennan nomination. But he's unique, alas, among modern politicians in believing that standing up for the rights of Americans to not be summarily murdered is worth doing, at whatever political cost.
UPDATE: Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) tweets in apparent support of Paul's point, and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) plans to join him on Senate floor--and in fact has as I type.
UPDATE II: Ted Cruz from Texas is also saying some great things about our natural rights, posed as questions for Rand Paul, right now.
UPDATE III: Reason 24/7 is now livetweeting the ongoing filibuster.
Also: israndpaulstilltalking.com? Yes!
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We could use a few more like him in government, that's for sure.
White males? That's racist, straight up.
Sexist too.
leaves out aliens as well 🙁
He's calling out conservatives for complaining there's no right to privacy just because they don't like birth control/abortion.
As part of a lesson on enumerated vs. unenumerated rights, the 9th and 10th, etc.
p.s. After having read through the morning threads, I look down my happily married snoot at you for not being married yourself. You don't have a real relationship, like I do.
Well now that I'm writing again I figure you need something to bitch at me about, so that works well.
What a passive-aggressive way to drive traffic. "Now that I'm writing again..." = woman-speak for, "Hey check out my blog!"
Like I want your kind reading it. Fucking married people.
Jealousy reigns supreme in the Nicole household.
I don't need to befoul my eyes with your witless musings, I have a spouse to go visit in the hospital and share confidential conversations with regarding our jointly-filed taxes.
Ahhh...sounds nice.
That sounds a lot less fun than whoring on the margins of society.
That sounds a lot less fun than whoring on the margins of society.
Who says I don't also do that? Having my marriage certificate, I can wear two hats: the conservative proper family man, or the whore if I feel like it. You, by contrast, are restricted only to the latter.
There are things more fun than whoring on the margins of society? Do tell...
Hey, Nikki, can you fill a bustier?
For a price.
*rifles through wallet*
"Fucking married people."
All I can get.
Haha! Married people don't fuck anymore.
Right. All I can get = little.
Right. All I can get = little.
I'm sorry. Mrs sarcasmic makes special (unnecessary, but I'm not going to tell her) effort to keep Mr sarcasmic too spent to even think about straying.
I'm sorry. Mrs sarcasmic makes special (unnecessary, but I'm not going to tell her) effort to keep Mr sarcasmic too spent to even think about straying.
Well she better, since she considers you jacking it as cheating on her.
Haha! Married people don't fuck anymore.
Au contraire my friend, for indeed, I just placed an order for this item to be delivered in time for our upcoming anniversary.
http://www.amazon.com/Includes.....d_sbs_op_2
Man, you have to tie her down to get any? Sorry to hear that.
Well, you know what they say: you can take the boy out of the rape, but you can't take the rape out of the boy.
Er, wait a minute...
You can't rape the willing.
Sure you can, sarc, you just have to try harder.
Breeders!
That's the stuff! But what, if anything, does a filibuster really accomplish? Isn't it just delaying the inevitable?
I usually come down with that opinion on filibusters as well, but this isn't to stop a nomination or legislation, its just to get Obama to say "No, we won't kill a non-combatant American on American soil with a drone." I can see that happening. The longer this goes on, the worse it is for Obama. Even Reddit is getting a furious lap hog over a tea party darling.
I have to say that as pointless as this gesture is, it's nice to see it being done. That being said: pointless is the operative word. Because we're fucked, that's why.
Most things are pointless. But that doesn't mean you can't take pleasure in them. for me it'll provide morsels of warmth on crazy train to fuckedville.
Absurdism is not pointless. I enjoy it very much.
Aqua Teen Hunger Force is absurdism. A filibuster is not, unless it's a Silly Party filibuster done by Michael Palin.
I'm going to go ahead and call a dude giving a con law lesson for three hours to an empty room absurd.
"You can't be judge, jury and executioner all at once!" And you say it's not absurd. Pah.
I don't think its pointless. He may actually get President Obama to go definitively on the record to say "No drones will be used on non-combatant Americans."
Even if he doesn't, it still needs to be said that someone tried to stand in the way.
Unfortunately he'll be the sole arbiter of who is classified as a "combatant".
He may actually get President Obama to go definitively on the record to say "No drones will be used on non-combatant Americans."
Where are the fucking courts!?!?! Obama shouldn't even be in position to decide yes or no on this.
Big finger-bang party at Ruth Ginsburg's house.
What an asshole. The People? spoke during the elections. Who is he to assume that one person should throw sand in the gears of an efficient gov't? I believe he is actually a muslim plant, sent to sow dissention and partisanship.
Paul is clearly the Imam of Butcher Holler. In becoming an eye doctor, he followed (or paralleled) Bashar al-Assad. Crafty bastards, aren't they?
I hadn't even thought of that, but you're absolutely right! How did I miss such an obvious connection?
I heard he sacrifices virgins to the Aqua Mohammad.
Mike Lee is giving him a break.
On C-SPAN? Live? Huh.
"Rand, honey, is it supposed to be that soft?"
Way to go Dr. Paul! Glad to see someone standing up for basic human rights. There should be 100 Senators protesting, not just 1.
Hopefully he can keep speaking until the government runs out of money, and everyone goes home.
er, the government is already out of money. See sequester, deficit, debt
So Rubio tweets in favour of Ron Paul? Doesn't that mean that opposing Drone Warfare is Neocon Christian Zionism?
tweets? What a pussy. Go stand in the well or, better yet, stand next to Paul or close as the rules apply so you're in the camera shot, too. Tweets. Good grief. Next we'll hear that Rubio 'liked' Rand's FB page.
It's still something, though.
it is, but Rubio is pondering a presidential run. Go look presidential and stand shoulder to shoulder with the Constitution. The people who don't like it are not likely to support either man anyway. The ones who do like it..... who knows.
Check out Raimondo's feed. He is gushing in love with Paul - he's admitted that he's moved to tears
Filibustering Hagel = Neocon Filibustering Brennan = Good
So Raimondo is a hypocrite. News at 11.
Or, he is consistent - he attacks Paul when he believes Paul is wrong and praises him when he believes he is right. Funny, how that works
That sort of "consistency" is meaningless.
You are aware that he attacked Paul for allying with Rubio and Cruz to oppose Hagel?
He supports things when the Democrats do 'em, and opposes 'em when it's the Republicans.
Perfectly consistent.
Consistently witless.
And a big round of applause for Mike "bathroom break" Lee.
Mike "bathroom break" Lee
I guess there are worse nicknames to be tagged with...
Marco "Hey, can't I play too?" Rubio
Rand Paul Covering His Eyes: "Marco!"
Voice From Somewhere in the Chamber: "Rubio!"
Rand Paul: "Fish out of water!"
Reading it, "Rand Paul, Covering His Eyes" sounds like the language of that jackass species in TNG that only speaks in metaphors.
Darmok on the ocean
Obama, his eyes closed.
Drones, their buttons pressed
Brennan, filibustered on the Rand.
EVERYONE LEND HIM YOUR POWER!!!
WE MUST FORM THE LIBERTY BOMB
It's times like this I wished I believed in stupid things, like new age-y energy transfer. I would hang a crystal from my erect phallus and focus all of my chi directly into it, then transmit it via chanting circle directly into Rand (probably through the anus; I'm not really sure how that nonsense is supposed to work) and empowering him to keep on speaking.
STEVE SMITH ALREADY ON IT. GO RAND GO!
"LIBERTY BOMB"
I knew it! Libertarians are terrorists!
PAUL'S POWER LEVEL IS OVER 9000!!1
This is why no one takes us seriously.
WOHOOOO!! Rand Paul is kicking arse. I know he's talking into an echo chamber, but at least someone is saying it in DC.
So Rubio and Udall will be waiting to take over when Paul can't go on any more to keep the filibuster going, right?
Er Rubio and Lee. For some reason my brain turned R-Utah into Udall
And now, some idiocy from the plebians:
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ti.....itics.html
That wacky S.O.B. Rand Paul! Making speeches about due process and rights and stuff!
I'm starting to believe that Rand Paul actually does terrify the "progressive" faithful. They seem to reserve a special frothing vitriol for him they don't waste on standard conservative politicians.
I've always wondered if this might happen if a moderately libertarian politician actually became a threat to pull back the curtain on their so-called "liberalism." I just never expected to live long enough to see it.
Still, I expect Rand Paul will ultimately turn out to be a big disappointment. But a feller can dream!
Still, I expect Rand Paul will ultimately turn out to be a big disappointment
Ah, the eternal gloom of the libertarian mind.
It's the only thing we all can agree on.
read those postings and explain again why anyone should be surprised that King Obie I won re-election.
LMAO, funniest one is "pandering to the conservative base..."
But wait! There's more!
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/po.....n-brennan/
If the drone strikes on American citizens are going to inevitably come to fruition as I sadly anticipate, I am going to make sure to hide out in SWPL areas in hopes that when they target me for counterrevolutionary thought, at least some of these dumbfucks will be collateral damage.
Heh, that's some grade A stupid.
JW ? 43 mins ago
Because Rand doesn't have a leg to stand on
I will hunt this impostor down and feast on his fattened liver.
Don't forget to eat his heart. That's where his strength is.
Avoid the brain... It makes you sick
Senator Ted Cruz joins in.
Rand! Rubio! Cruz!
The Republican Dream Team!
Rand Paul!
Who's this guy? What a moran!
Rand for President!
HuffPo: TEAM BLUE to the end.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/.....19740.html
1Troubles
456 Fans Become a fan
55 seconds ago ( 3:25 PM)
Where was this fools outrage from 2000-2008????
SPAIN62
"Solidarity is the tenderness of the people."
4806 Fans Become a fan
2 minutes ago ( 3:28 PM)
AynRand Paul has delusions of adequacy.
Tootsie56 3279 Fans Become a fan
1 minute ago ( 3:25 PM)
Paul, Cruz, Lee: Attention seeking jerks. Not sure which is the biggest fool. Hope Cruz and Rand especially, lose re-election. Cruz loves the sound of his own voice so much it makes many want to hurl.
And the best:
LincolnJones
of, for, and by the PEOPLE!
1183 Fans Become a fan
2 minutes ago ( 3:28 PM)
15 MOST $Bankster? BRIBED US SENATORS! ALL CONSERVATIVE TeaPurty Rs
0PENSECRETS 0RG FOR 2013
#1 Paul - KY Takes 543 Times More from $Banksters? than Labor
#2 AIexander - TN Takes 305 Times More from Banksters than Labor
#3 C0ATS - IN Takes 287 Times More from Banksters than Labor
#4 T00MEY - PA Takes 281 Times More from Banksters than Labor
#5 AY0TTE - NH Takes 277 Times More from Banksters than Labor
#6 J0HNS0N - WI Takes 276 Times More from Banksters than Labor
#7 P0RTMAN - OH Takes 223 Times More from Banksters than Labor
#8 RUBl0 - FL Takes 212 Times More from Banksters than Labor
#9 Mc CAlN - AZ Takes 173 Times More from Banksters than Labor
#10 HeIIer -NV Takes 158 Times More from Banksters than Labor
#11 Thu'ne - SD Takes 155 Times More from Banksters than Labor
#12 Mc C0NNELL - KY Takes 144 Times More from Banksters than Labor
#13 SES'Sl0NS - GA Takes 141 Times More from Banksters than Labor
#14 C0RKER - TN Takes 127 Times More from Banksters than Labor
#15 C0RNYN - TX Takes 103 Times More from Banksters than Labor
Gosh, maybe that's because Big Labor knows it's not going to get free shit from these guys? Also, I wonder if the "banksters" are the big 5 banks, or just banks in general. What a dildo.
Well, since it's impossible to have 543 times zero, Labor has to have given Paul something. So my question is, how much did Labor give him, and why?
Or option 2, the person that created that list doesn't know even that much math.
Fuck unions.
but unions never bribe anyone. Only kleptocratic korporayshuns do that.*
*derp squad
Wow. No, it gets better:
bluejoni2525
and we've got to get ourselves back to the garden
3025 Fans Become a fan
2 minutes ago ( 3:37 PM)
Rand Paul's small mind can't grasp the term hypothetical !!!!!! Folks he's just looking for those CPAC votes nothing loftier !!!
and we've got to get ourselves back to the garden
If he means, himself, as compost, I fully support this goal.
God damn it. I've been able to live the past few decades without having to admire a politician. Rand Paul just ruined my streak.
May not agree with him on everything, but dude is straight up hero.
Not a hero. But he is at least willing to follow the oath he swore to uphold the Constitution.
I don't know. It strikes me that, in modern American politics, that might very well qualify as heroic.
"Ron Wyden ?@RonWyden
Heading to the floor to speak on Congressional oversight of executive branch & rules for targeted killings."
Now what will they say at HuffPo?
Ron fucking Wyden!!!!!!!!! Bipartisan now. I can't wait to see the HuffPo comments.
I'm sure there will be crickets
Radio silence, over.
Will CNN finally post a story about this?
no, but CNN may report how Wyden came to be Woodwarded/Davised by a pissed off White House.
Hate to admit it, but Wyden has some serious sack to be doing this, against what is probably the most vindictive administration in history.
Awesome. Will others jump in now?
now watch all the neocons come out of the woodwork and try to store some brownie point.
9/10 of these republicans wouldn't be saying a word if Mittens won.
Eh, as long as they're willing to demand something now I'm fine with it 🙂
I just want this to get more attention than "Like Father, Rand Crazy."
We have a democrat up now!
Is Rand Paul still talking?
That is when I saw him; the young Senator from Kentucky facing down the Pale Orcs of the Senate. He stood alone against this terrible foe, his armour rent, wielding nothing but an oaken branch as a shield... Obama the Defiler learned that day that the line of Paul would not be so easily broken.
Awesome!
This is the best comment of the week.
..and then the bomb dropped from the sky...
ummm, wasn't that the part right before Oakenshield got partially eaten by a Warg?
Oh ho, a good one at Huffpo.
*barf*
Deadly force against officers of the government for political reasons is the definition of terrorism.
Damn colonials. The King has been given his powers by God!
Hate to instaGodwin, but seamonkeyking would have made a great Nazi.
Huffington Nazis. I hate Huffington Nazis.
Just tell me you have a giant stone fist you can hit them with.
By it's own definition, Godwin's Law only applies to situations where comparisons to the Nazi party are unfounded and hyperbolic.
This guy sounds like he would have been leading the charge into Warsaw.
In a country where some people are stockpiling weapons and ammo to take on the government, it would be a good idea to have a plan to deal with them. It makes sense to use drones rather than allow these traitors to shoot police officerstax collectors and sheriffsredcoats. Deadly force against officers of the governmentCrown for political reasons is the definition of terrorism. Being an AmericanEnglishman doesn't change that.
Some people are peasants and serfs and slaves in their hearts, groveling for crumbs from their lords and masters. They don't wear chains on their skin, but on their souls. Is it wrong for free mem to despise these pathetic creatures?
Someone hasn't read much about the Revolution or is the subtlest troll ever.
The Twitters are encouraging. Justin Amash is going to watch the proceeds for S&G's.
The Twitters are also retarded (as usual).
Yeah. I try to stick to just the #Liberty.
"Stand with Rand" is a pretty good campaign slogan, to be honest. Of course, a critic might call this Randstanding.
Nice!
Deadly force against officers citizens of the government United States for political reasons is the definition of terrorism. Being an American President doesn't change that.
fixed
Ron Wyden (D-OR) has joined the fray.
I sense a great disturbance in the State Media, as if a great many voices cried out "B-B-BUT RETHUGLICANS" and were silenced.
"...this is a test of the Emergency Broadcast System..."
Only Democrats can be flippant about religion when they're in college. Unless they're in a campus Christian group, and then that's OK too. That's, like, common knowledge.
Also, I remember going on a Halloween fun run in Louisville while Rand Paul was running for election. Some wiener dressed as Aqua Buddha to be clever, and maybe six people in the entire crowd actually got his costume.
the repetition is getting kinda boring.
Can't they talk about puppies or something?
I suggest they start quoting Presidential Candidate Barack Obama's statememts on executive overreach. And maybe read his Nobel Peace Prize citation and acceptance speech into the Congressional Record along wit his more recent statements on the matter.
Rubio does more than tweet!
notice how he's not exactly criticizing anything specific, especially on the drone strikes
just more slimy neocon pandering
True. But he is giving Rand Paul a chance to regain his Mana.
This has me wondering: what color Planeswalker is Paul?
Hmm... I haven't played MTG in about 20 years, unfortunately. Can he use Fireball?
Listening to him almost gives me some hope for the country. But then I realize that there are apparently only a handful of elected republicans left who are willing to stand up and declare that the government doesn't have to summarily execute its citizens. How disgraceful and shameful that is.
Doesn't have the right to do that, I should have said.
Between Paul, Wyden, Lee, Rubio, Moran and Cruz, they could technically make this filibuster go on until 2016, as it should.
God that would take such huge enormous balls. Are any of those listed up for reelection in 2014?
Which just gave me an idea! Libertarians need to get six senators elected. Then start a running filibuster that rotates in four hour shifts for the next six years. Nothing gets done, laws sunset, spending drops, Senate becomes a forum for libertarian education.
That is an awesome idea!
I'm in!
Honestly, the lack of job killing bullshit alone would probably send us into a steady period of growth.
I fully support this. The trouble would be getting six libertarians elected to the Senate. The political attitude of America would have to change, or they would have to be sleeper agents.
I like it.
Senate majority leader invokes the nuclear option at the first available opportunity with 93 senators in support.
Libertarians are quintessentially the people who don't realize that they're too stupid to be right about everything like they think they are.
If those six libertarians hold the balance of power in deciding which party gets to select the majority leader, perhaps the Senate majority leader would not be so quick to pull the plug on them lest their power gets supplanted. A third party merely needs to hold more members than the difference between the two parties to be the kingmakers, and only need enough manpower to block the others from getting what they want.
Sadly Tony is right. Not about the vote count. But as long as there were 50 Democrats involved and VP Biden to break the tie, the Nuclear Option it is. After all the Democratic party has got to do everything in its power to protect the sanctity of Federal power.
"the people who don't realize that they're too stupid to be right about everything like they think they are."
Tony|3.6.13 @ 5:59PM
lolololol
Man, the best part is that Holder's testimony/letter/whatever the fuck he talked about the "appropriateness" of killing people in "cafes" was so hilarious it's providing excellent material.
Boo!
Senator comes back tomorrow. Ha.
Pat Toomey tweets that he is headed to the Senate floor to support Rand.
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Nicole, dirty onanbot.
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Listen to Rand on C-Span2:
http://www.c-span.org/Live-Video/C-SPAN2/
He's tired and rambling, but he has yet to say anything I can disagree with.
STAND WITH RAND
Contact him with your support! Tell your Senator to support him!
STAND WITH RAND!!!!
I did it dude.
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What a great two weeks for liberty! First the sequester goes into effect and the sky does not fall, then Hugo Chavez dies! Now Rand is doing an honest to god, old fashioned filibuster! Viva la liberte!
From ABC:
"11:36 p.m. ? Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has now joined the filibuster. On the Senate floor McConnell congratulated Paul for his effort and said it is clear that Brennan is a controversial nominee. Earlier in the day McConnell was ready to let Brennan get an up or down vote. But after nearly twelve hours of Paul's filibuster McConnell said he would oppose ending debate on the Brennan nomination, which could mean other Republicans will follow suit and the confirmation could be further delayed. The addition of establishment senators like McConnell to Rand Paul's effort indicates that they have recognized Paul is having an effect outside of Washington and second that there is power in their unity. That said, many Republicans will likely ultimately support Brennan's nomination and their views on Brennan, the war on terror and drone strikes are more in line with President Obama's than they ware with Sen. Paul's."
Stand with Rand!!
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