'Libertarian Kids' Defended by Rand Paul

A well-deserved shot at McCain

Sen. Rand Paul on Wednesday took a swipe at critics of his lengthy filibuster, saying that he spoke for nearly 13 hours with young people in mind and calling on the GOP to take a "more tolerant" approach.

"Last week, a Senate colleague of mine said that when I questioned whether or not the president could order a drone strike on American citizens on American soil, I was just catering to 'libertarian kids in their dorm rooms,'" Paul wrote in an op-ed posted at Policymic.com, referencing barbs he took from Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). "Standing up for the Bill of Rights and the Fifth Amendment was not a political stunt designed to appeal to certain audiences. I took an oath to protect the Constitution and it is an oath I intend to keep.

"But we do need a Republican Party that addresses the concerns of young people. We need a different kind of GOP, a party that speaks to the rising generation, who may have unique interests and concerns," Paul (R-Ky.) continued.