Rand Paul Starting a Filibuster Against PATRIOT Act: Watch Now!

Wants reforms, not reauthorization.

Rand Paul tweets:

Twitter

You can watch it live on C-Span right now, here.

Update: Politico notes that this isn't technically a "real" filibuster. There's a time limit on how long Paul can talk.

Update II: Roll Call explains how long Paul can actually talk.

Comments

[Slammer]

At what time did he actually start? Im watching now.

[Cytotoxic]

YEA BOY. A stand on par with the Spartan 300.

Even if Rand doesn't succeed here, he will have great victory in the form of endless ammo on the campaign trail.

[Spencer]

I wonder if it will be as good as the last one!

[The Late P Brooks]

With any luck, this will induce a brain embolism in Peter King.

[Mazakon]

You forgot about Christie.

[Tonio]

Christie is loving this because he thinks he can use this against Paul. King is shitting himself with fear of terrorists - the islamist sort, anyway, he's fine with the celtic nationalist variety.

[Loki]

And Lindsey Graham

[MJGreen]

All of this has happened before...

[Swiss Servator, Quelle frisch]

So say we all!

[Krieger's Waifu]

Rand Paul will lead the human race to its end.

[BiMonSciFiCon]

Let's give up our advanced technology and gambol freely about the plains.

[Rhywun]

WORST ENDING EVAR!

[Libertarian Joe]

GO Rand GO!!!!

[widget]

Rand Paul has cozied up to shakedown artist Al Sharpton. A beta SWPL maneuver. The party of Lincoln could do better than that. There's no chance that a Republican candidate could get a majority of black votes, but he doesn't have to poison the well.

[jay_dubya]

riiiight

[RBS]

What the fuck, why do people make appointments then no show and not bother to call?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Are you saying you had an appointment with Senator Paul this afternoon?

[RBS]

Ha, no just waiting on a potential client that made her appointment less than 24 hours ago.

[Spencer]

she found your comments on here and ran for the hills.

[Tonio]

Last-minute planning is often a sign of flakiness.

[RBS]

That describes about 90% of my clients.

[Banjos]

I'll be in my bunk...with C-SPAN on.

[widget]

Don't you have a geeky husband who will take you to Taco Bell and to the movie theater to watch "Fury Road"?

[Florida Man]

I didn't care for it. I was also very drunk, so I might have missed some of the nuances the film was shooting for.

[Overt]

That film was many things. Nuanced is not one of them. I loved it, but can see how people could take or leave it.

[Florida Man]

Yes Overt, that was the joke.

[Ted S.]

I thought he preferred to watch "Furry Road". :-p

[Fist of Etiquette]

"...lost two or three arms."

Point = invalidated.

[DaveSs]

Looks like he is talking to an empty room.

[Curtisls87]

You mean it's filled with empty-headed senators, or you mean it's literally an empty room?

[Evil Capitalist]

They don't give a shit about the Constitution or our rights, why would they want to hear him speak on them.

[DaveSs]

Ok, he really is talking to an empty room.

The only other person there is whoever is sitting in the Chair.

[Tonio]

That's what generally happens during a filibuster. Nobody stays to hear that.

[DaveSs]

If this was a regular session of the Senate then a quorum would need to be maintained while he was talking.

[Fist of Etiquette]

He's going after structuring now.

[Swiss Servator, Quelle frisch]

*swoons in a mancrush*

[Andrew S.]

He's talking about civil asset forfeiture and structuring right now. As important as doing away with the PATRIOT Act is doing away with that shit.

[The Late P Brooks]

You forgot about Christie.

The list is long. Lindsey Graham is on it, too.

[jay_dubya]

Its easier to count who is not on the list.

[ThisGuy]

Hey Scott, he still has to yield the floor, so it is a filibuster if he last long enough to delay proceedings tomorrow.

[Fist of Etiquette]

And the drug war.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

None of the cable networks are covering this. CNN is instead showing Roger Goddell's press conference about the Patriots.

[Andrew S.]

Priorities, man!

[Sudden]

You'll enjoy your bread and circuses and ask for seconds, got it plebe?

[robc]

The fact that they are covering private business dealings instead of government ones is a step in the right direction.

[Slammer]

Is he answering who deflated the Colts balls?

[The Late P Brooks]

I assume MSNBC will portray this as Rand's desperate attempt to shield kkkorporationz from accountability, or some such nonsense.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

He's technically not filibustering so this is all just a ploy to get attention for his Koch-funded agenda to enslave American workers and put blacks back in chainzzzz!

But really, because he's also self-promoting they're going to insist that his impure motives nullify what he's talking about.

[Andrew S.]

Based on the comments on C-SPAN's Facebook, I've learned that he's just doing this to appease his Tea Party base, that he's just doing this for contributions, and he's not really a doctor(?), so they shouldn't be calling him Dr. Paul.

[RBS]

he's not really a doctor(?)

They probably think he's an optometrist.

[Trevor St McGoodbody]

Oh jeez. There are much easier paths to victory than appealing to "the Tea Party," most of which don't involve pissing off the bulk of your own party.

[Emmerson Biggins]

clearly, this is motivated by a simple desire to hide his racism.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Now he's shitting where he eats.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Now he's going after national security letters (writs of assistance).

[Andrew S.]

And here comes Senator Wyden to join in.

[Fist of Etiquette]

RON WYDEN IS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT TOO!

[Pro Libertate]

I signed some petition supporting the filibuster. I figured I was already on a watch list for donating to his campaign.

As weakened as we are, we're still, relative to the rest of the world, a staggeringly massive economic and military powerhouse. We're so much more powerful than our competition that we have the luxury of not having to wring our hands over whether our values are contrary to our survival. We can operate on the high road, preserving, protecting, and advancing civil liberties and free(er) markets, playing by the rules domestically and abroad, and using military force of any kind only as a last, not a first, resort.

We don't need to spy on our own people, torture suspected terrorists, or constantly kill enemies and bystanders to retain our security. Of all of the countries on Earth, we can choose to be what we want to be. Why not choose to be that shining city on the hill we claim we are?

America, you are full of stupid.

[Fist of Etiquette]

I'M NOT HEARING A QUESTION, RON.

[Andrew S.]

Saw someone say they couldn't wait for Wyden's 45 minute "question". I love hearing these two talk on this subject.

I mean, I hate hearing these two talk on this subject, because it's all so fucking stupid no civilized country would have ever done this in the first place. But other than that...

[Fist of Etiquette]

It was a softball question.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Ugh. This filibuster is taking FOR-ever.

[Pro Libertate]

Like, I know, really. Why do they have to take so, um, long and stuff?

[Trevor St McGoodbody]

Sure is, but it's not nearly as boring as most filibuster topics. Most are so dry that it's like choking down Saltines without a glass of water.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Ouch for Clapper.

[Bill Dalasio]

And this is why I view pretty much any whining about Paul's stance on abortion or gay marriage or military spending pretty much horseshit. Right now, there's really just one politician making anything like an effort to stop the government from spying on its own citizens. And Paul's it.

[Trevor St McGoodbody]

We don't have to vote for him. I'm just glad that someone who's in the headlines is talking about it. Sometimes that's what it takes to push this into the national consciousness, although for the life of me I can't understand why more people aren't actively aware and concerned about it.

[Bill Dalasio]

I'm so glad you're happy he's pushing the issue into the national consciousness. So, you can vote for someone who agrees with you on abortion or gay marriage or military spending or whatever your particular hobby horse is. But, still supports (or at least isn't willing to do anything about) the government spying on its own citizens.

[Andrew S.]

He's going after Obama now. And idiot Republicans at the same time.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Rand Paul is being paid off by the warrant rubber stamp makers.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Now he's channeling his old man.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Mike Lee blames you, the voter!

[Fist of Etiquette]

I'm not hearing a question, Mike.

[jack rombouts]

It is about time someone goes after that unconstitutional patriot act. Don't expect our jerk off Supreme Court Justices to void the P act on constitutional grounds. They have no respect for the Bill of Rights. Here are some recent examples for you: The high court said Obamacare was legal under the feds power to tax. John Roberts was the swing vote on this ruling. I said back in 2005, that he was no dam good, yet conservatives thought he was the greatest. The high court also ruled in favor of the government taking forced DNA samples from people arrested for speeding. Alito, Kennedy, Roberts, Thomas, and one other justice that I cannot recall, allowed this outrageous violation of our Fourth Amendment. They also allowed in mid-2000's ruling, that police can break down your door without even announcing who they are. And they can legally gun you down if you fight back, thinking that they are intruders. How are you supposed to know who they are if they don't announce, and they are wearing ski masks and fatigues? They also ruled that prosecutors are exempt from law suits brought by citizens who were wrongfully convicted because of prosecutorial abuses of power. So even if a prosecutor knows you are innocent but lies to the judge and jury, you have no recourse! Even if you spent years behind bars for nothing.

[jack rombouts]

Also, they recently upheld the police practice of pulling people over for a traffic violation, and making them wait several hours to have the outside of their car searched by a drug sniffing dog. Even if the police have no evidence to suggest that the people are involved with drugs to begin with. What a bunch of jokers we have on the bench! And these are just a few recent examples! I could go on for hours.

[Fist of Etiquette]

HOW DARE THEY CONTINUE TO UTTER SNOWDEN'S NAME ON THE FLOOR OF THE SENATE WITHOUT SPITTING.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Ha, he said queery.

[bacon-magic]

Rand Paul needs to be voted for...

[Fist of Etiquette]

Heinrich, you sure you want to be on record cheerleading Obama at this point in your career?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Paul putting his faith in the Supreme Court.

[Loki]

Nice...

Although it would be better if he could talk as he can, but I guess they don't want a repeat of his 13 hour drone policy filibuster.

Also, I'm sure HuffPo will be explaining to all the good little proggies out there how this is just a PR stunt, and they shouldn't like Rand Paul 'cause he's still icky and stuff.

[John Galt]

Enough voters seemed to sympathize with the last PR stunt to turn the tables in DC.

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[Conservationist]

Rand Paul earning his pay today as a leader.

[John Galt]

That's something pols very seldom do. In fact the vast majority never do it even once.

[John Galt]

Go, Rand!

[wwhorton]

Oh, hell. I was all ready to forego voting at all ever again, but I might turn out one last time for Rand.

[waffles]

This Rand guy is pretty cool guys. Has Reason ever covered him before?

[Vampire]

*looks on as pancakes beats the syrup out of you.

[DaveSs]

I love how he's tying all kinds of overreach together.

Structuring, asset forfeiture, drug war, mandatory minimums, wetlands, gun registration

[Don'tTreadOnMe]

OMG, he is exhausted.....GO RAAAAAND!

[Don'tTreadOnMe]

Look at the FISA judges......a bunch of old fucks most born from 1934 to the 1940's. Do they even know what the interwebs are? JFC!!

http://www.fisc.uscourts.gov/current-membership

[Don'tTreadOnMe]

I bet most of them are actually dead and the one young one born in the 60's is pulling all the levers. Star chamber, baby!

[Don'tTreadOnMe]

anyone out there? Helloooooo?!

[Brochettaward]

Watching. And disgusted to see Cruz stroll up with his slicked back hair. Pompous prick.