Rand Paul begins filibustering the PATRIOT Act…sort of
With the possible exception of Ted Cruz, Rand Paul might be the only candidate on either side of the aisle who really opposes the PATRIOT Act in general but more specifically the NSA spying program. In my opinion this could be a winning issue for him and provide him with the chance to distance himself from every other candidate.
Last week the Senator from Kentucky promised to filibuster the PATRIOT Act and today around 1:00 in the afternoon he began the filibuster…sort of.
Because the Senate is debating the issue of granting the President fast-track authority on trade deals and because, according to this article, Senate rules will cut Rand Paul off in time to take a vote on the fast-track legislation nothing will be delayed so for all intents and purposes this is not a filibuster.
A spokeswoman for Paul said he would talk “until he can no longer speak,” but Paul’s ongoing diatribe isn’t a true filibuster like the one he famously mounted over drone policy in 2013. The Senate is currently working through the 30 hours of debate on a trade bill and is scheduled to vote one hour after the chamber officially convenes Thursday. If Paul were to talk through the night, Senate procedure would cut him off at about 1 p.m. tomorrow. That gives the Kentucky junior senator, who was joined by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) for a colloquy at around 3:30 p.m., hours to lash out against the National Security Agency, without actually gumming up the legislative works.
Rand Paul appears to be trying to have it both ways, he will get his point across while at the same time he will not be ruffling any feathers, and that is a little disappointing to me, but he is the only person speaking out on this issue and if this provides him with a high profile forum to do so then I say go for it!
“There comes to a time in the history of nations when fear and complacency allow power to accumulate and liberty and privacy to suffer,” Paul said as he opened his remarks at 1:18 p.m. Wednesday. “That time is now. And I will not let the PATRIOT Act—the most un-patriotic of acts—go unchallenged.”
I stand with Rand on this issue and I hope the American people listen.
Malo periculosam libertatem quam quietum servitium
America's Watchtower 
Good for him.
Leslie
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Reblogged this on Brittius.
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Thank you!
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You’re welcome.
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No on re-authorizing the (non)Patriot Act; no on fast track authority; no on the TPP!!!
Will you people (Congress, Executive branch, judicial branch) stop destroying my Constitutional Republic!!!!
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That sure would be nice!
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Reblogged this on A Conservative Christian Man.
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Thank you again!
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It takes quite a person to stand and talk that long without a teleprompter, or a receiver in his ear, or whatever else some use to know what to say!
Calling it the ‘Patriot Act’ it the total opposite than what it is – no American spirit was behind that. They open the session with prayer. Which god are the majority of them referring to? LET US PRAY. O LORD OUR ROCK, HEAR OUR PRAISE TODAY, FOR YOUR FAITHFULNESS ENDURES TO ALL … LISTEN TO THE MELODY OF OUR GRATITUDE, FOR YOU ARE THE CENTER OF OUR JOY. LORD, THANK YOU FOR ILLUMINATING OUR PATHS WITH YOUR PRECEPTS, DISPELLING THE DARKNESS OF DOUBT AND FEAR. I wonder what precepts he’s talking about that they’re supposedly following to keep them off the dark path?
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Yes, I love how he called the PATRIOT Act the most un-Patriotic of acts. They took advantage of us when we were weak and now it is time to stand up against it!
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All in all, Obama is having a very successful time with his GOP Congress. His ratings are now over 50 percent. Well done McConnell and Boehner. Thanks so much.
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And all this time I thought we won the election…
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We may after all have the first three term president since FDR. Third term may sound specious but who could have fathomed a country re-electing to a second term a president bent on destroying the country and shredding the constitution he swore to protect? If nothing else his appointment to Secretary General of The United nations along with the support of his allies in congress on both sides of the aisle may give him all the power he needs to crush this nation.
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