Rand Paul filibustering Brennan nomination on Senate floor

nicely said, i liked him on some issues and not on others, but he did earn my respect today.

He earned some of my respect today as well.

But really a 13 hour filibuster is exciting to C-span junkies, and few other people. People here are celebrating it as some victory, when it was nothing of the sort.

And now I am being deluged with neg-reps for stating the truth. Outside the political junkie-o-sphere, this stunt did nothing. Mass excitement for a 13 hour filibuster.

I didn't know he couldn't pee. Maybe a little planning is in order for the next filibuster, so it actually can make news beyond the political junkie bubble.
 
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You're simply blind, then. He's single handedly united different factions of the party behind him and made Obama and his administration look old and out of touch. He's doing what Obama did to the Neocons, and even political pundits agree there is no doubt he is now a national figure that is viewed as a leader.

Rand had every major media outlet talking about him, with everyone from Malkin to the ACLU getting behind him.

If you didn't know he couldn't even use the bathroom during a filibuster, I doubt your opinion on anything else politics is well informed :rolleyes:

He earned some of my respect today as well.

But really a 13 hour filibuster is exciting to C-span junkies, and few other people. People here are celebrating it as some victory, when it was nothing of the sort.

And now I am being deluged with neg-reps for stating the truth. Outside the political junkie-o-sphere, this stunt did nothing. Mass excitement for a 13 hour filibuster.

I didn't know he couldn't pee. Maybe a little planning is in order for the next filibuster, so it actually can make news beyond the political junkie bubble.
 
Outside the political junkie-o-sphere, this stunt did nothing.

I have a different take on it. It was plastered all over the media this evening. And I'm betting that almost every conservative talk show host will run with it at length on Thursday. My Democrat g/f heard it on NPR as she was driving home from work. It was on the major browser news story lists. Also, the fact that it was a filibuster on a purely civil liberty issue really defines it as unique and approachable. The only thing in recent history that compares is Kucinich filing articles of impeachment against Cheney. I think Krauthammer is right - this makes Rand a solidified national figure.

I think it also weeded out Rubio to some extent, as he looked silly compared to Rand, Ted Cruz, and Mike Lee.
 
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Here's what Rand has done:

1) He brought the issue of Presidential drone assassination front and center. That's pretty important.
2) He's electrified the libertarian "Ron Paul" base.
3) Only one week ago, many grassroots Republican voters were very upset at Rand for voting for Hagel. That seems to be long forgotten.
4) Leftist factions (Code Pink, ACLU) supported his effort. I personally did not expect this at all.

I could go on.
 
By Friday evening newstime, nobody will be writing about it.

Doesn't matter. What happened yesterday is that Rand's Q-score went up a ton. People who may have been only casually aware of him are much more aware of him now, and it was over an issue of civil liberties that most average Americans would agree with. Fox gave a lot of coverage to Rand, which is where the majority of GOP voters get their news. Additionally, it was covered on a ton of other media outlets. At the end of the day, a lot more people heard about Rand yesterday than they would of otherwise, and over an issue/stance that rings positive for all but the most ardent Obama supporters.
 
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This was bumping near the top trending topic in the world for hours. How many times did we achieve that with the 2012 or 2008 election? Once? Maybe? For a few minutes? This was GIGANTIC. This was the day when the media messed up. This was so brilliant I can't even express it in words. What was the media to do? Pretend like a senator is merely objecting to a nomination for 13 hours? No. They had to say what he was protesting. All the while putting Barack Obama and the democrats in an absolutely lose lose situation: admit your laws and actions are unconstitutional or stay silent and prove him right. This was a watershed moment, this is what is going to win him 2016. You can't over-exaggerate this moment. I'd say it's nearly as tantamount (if not more so) than Ron's first debate in 2008 in terms of how many allies to the side of liberty this is awakening.
 
Agreed hammy, and the best thing that I see is that the issue this was all over was a libertarian issue, but it was something that most voters are going to agree with him on. It wasn't some crazy wedge issue. I mean honestly, how many average voters are going to say that the President has authority to use drone strikes to kill Americans on US soil? Rand took a stand, in a grandiose way, on an issue that 90% of voters are going to agree with him on. Win, win, win.
 
This was bumping near the top trending topic in the world for hours. How many times did we achieve that with the 2012 or 2008 election? Once? Maybe? For a few minutes? This was GIGANTIC. This was the day when the media messed up. This was so brilliant I can't even express it in words. What was the media to do? Pretend like a senator is merely objecting to a nomination for 13 hours? No. They had to say what he was protesting. All the while putting Barack Obama and the democrats in an absolutely lose lose situation: admit your laws and actions are unconstitutional or stay silent and prove him right. This was a watershed moment, this is what is going to win him 2016. You can't over-exaggerate this moment. I'd say it's nearly as tantamount (if not more so) than Ron's first debate in 2008 in terms of how many allies to the side of liberty this is awakening.

That's right. Rand not only proved to be a champion of civil liberties, but that he's also masterful in using the media to promote his agenda.


MATT DRUDGE ‏@DRUDGE

Obama busy courting Graham, McCain, yesterday's mashed potatoes. Shift tonight is to new generation. Stunning media skills #StandWithRand
 
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers said:
Any suggestion that the United States would use drone strikes against U.S. citizens in the United States is irresponsible. Suggesting that such a thing is being contemplated provokes needless fear and detracts attention from the real threats facing the country.

It would be unconstitutional for the U.S. military or intelligence services to conduct lethal counterterrorism operations in the United States against U.S. citizens. And as Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, I would never allow such operations to occur on my watch. I urge the Administration to clarify this point immediately so Congress can return to its pressing oversight responsibilities.

Yo, Rogers. If you had been paying attention to the conversation, you'd realize a few things. The fact that it would be unconstitutional for military and intelligence to conduct 'lethal counterterrorism operations' is beside the point. Rand made that very clear. It would also be against the posse comitatus act. And Brennan said outright that, as CIA director, he wouldn't do it.

The problem is that there are other agencies that could do it. And if suggesting such a thing is provoking needless fear and not a real threat, why in God's name do the president and the attorney general adamantly refuse to clarify the situation?

sorry. 13 hours ain't shit.

What ain't shit is your sorry ass. Just thought I'd throw that out there. You've never united millions of Republicans and Democrats against the whole system. Not even once.

You don't even make a decent critic, much less someone who gets jack done. In case you were curious.
 
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So from the looks of things, the executive branch remained silent throughout, no forthcoming responses promised?
 
But really a 13 hour filibuster is exciting to C-span junkies, and few other people. People here are celebrating it as some victory, when it was nothing of the sort.

I'm guessing you missed the headlines yesterday? He was the headline story in nearly all major media outlets. He was also trending #1 on twitter. He brought together groups as diverse as the ALCU and the NRSC to stand behind him.

I think this event definitely extended a bit beyond cspan junkies and I suspect it's much more notable than you're giving it credit for.
 
Chuck Todd is now speaking about Paul for thrusting the issue of drones into the spotlight, also called the Wall Street Journal's article on it 'harsh words.'
 
Beck hitting this issue hard on his show so far this morning, interviewing Mike Lee right now, saying the MSM is not covering this story, asking where the other Republican senators were.
 
It has been the major topic all morning thus far on CSPAN's Washington Journal.
 
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By Friday evening newstime, nobody will be writing about it.

So basically what you are saying is for the handful of liberty minded representatives we have - to keep their mouths shut. Don't even bother defending the constitution. Don't bother bringing more attention to the issue of whether the government has the right to take out its own citizens, because the media won't report it.

But it's not about whether the news will continue to write about this. It's about influencing the hearts and minds of THE PEOPLE and HOPEFULLY igniting a fire under them to start speaking out against this. Build up the momentum.
 
He earned some of my respect today as well.

But really a 13 hour filibuster is exciting to C-span junkies, and few other people. People here are celebrating it as some victory, when it was nothing of the sort.

And now I am being deluged with neg-reps for stating the truth. Outside the political junkie-o-sphere, this stunt did nothing. Mass excitement for a 13 hour filibuster.

I didn't know he couldn't pee. Maybe a little planning is in order for the next filibuster, so it actually can make news beyond the political junkie bubble.

It has to start somewhere.
 
So from the looks of things, the executive branch remained silent throughout, no forthcoming responses promised?
Seems the king believes he is too important to satisfy the questions of the peons. I suspect he will sidestep the issue and come up with some sort of statement that allows him to kill people when he feels the need.
 
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