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Rand Paul is giraffish.

Doesnt make sense to compare a little sprite of a U.S. senator to a giraffe. But hang with me here.

The junior senator from Kentucky is now self-isolating after he learned Sunday that he is infected with the coronavirus.

But he didnt self-isolate before he saw fit to expose himself to other members of the U.S. Senate by attending a luncheon in the senate, and according to The Washington Post, going to the Senate gym and taking a dip in the Senate pool.

Along the way, one can only suspect that he touched tables and chairs and door knobs and lockers and shower knobs and hands and, well, just about everything youd expect to touch if you went to a luncheon and a gym and a swimming pool.

Leaving the coronavirus everywhere he went.

All this after he was worried enough that he might have picked up the coronavirus in Louisville at the March 7 Speed Ball fundraiser an event at which at least three others who attended tested positive for the virus that he went looking to be tested.

This really shouldnt surprise any of us.

It falls right in line with the second-rate political philosophy he ripped off from second-rate author Ayn Rand a philosophy that puts ones own personal desires and individual wants above all else.

But when he complained about rules limiting the manufacture of incandescent light bulbs because they use too much electricity, or when he ranted about the fact that the low-flow toilets in his house hadnt worked for 20 years, he became little more than a punchline.

Now hes a petri dish.

According to the Congressional Research Service, the average U.S. senator is 62.9 years old. Its the oldest U.S. Senate in history, and it puts the average senator well over the age of 60, at which point the coronavirus becomes much more lethal.

Its hard to image a U.S. Senate headed by Mitch McConnell being more toxic than it already was, but congratulations Rand. You did it.

Now, youve got two other Republican members of the Senate in self-quarantine, one of whom is 73-year-old Sen. Mitt Romney, of Utah. Romneys wife, Ann, is 70 and has multiple sclerosis, which could put her at even greater risk.

And Paul subjected Romney and the others to this after he was worried enough about himself to get the test, but not worried enough about others to warn them? Who does that?

Obviously, someone who is more worried about their individual right to do whatever the hell they want and doesnt give a damn about the people they might harm.

Its the same type of person who would insist on burning incandescent lightbulbs even though they force us to burn more fossil fuels and then claim that their use of fossil fuels isnt causing climate change despite the fact that the scientists studying this stuff almost uniformly say it is.

Its the same type of person who would block funding after national disasters in an attempt to make some lame point about deficit spending, and then would vote for tax cuts for the wealthy that would put the country into even greater deficit spending.

Read this: Rand Pauls coronavirus infection sends shockwaves through Senate during major stimulus debate

Its the same type of person who looks up to Ayn Rands objectivism philosophy a philosophy Paul ascribes to that says a persons own happiness is the moral purpose of his life.

In my house, wed call it giraffish, from an episode of the old Andy Griffiith Show when Barney Fife is explaining to Opie why a pack of dogs hes worried about during a thunderstorm and one little trembly one in particular will be OK.

Dogs take care of one another, Barney explains. Not giraffes.

Boy, giraffes are selfish, Barney says. Running around, looking out for number one.

The fact that Paul was, as always, looking out for No. 1 has exposed other members of the Senate, their families and staffs to this dreaded virus. He should be ashamed.

But, giraffes dont feel shame.

See the article here:
Rand Paul's 'me first' mentality exposed the US Senate to coronavirus - Hopkinsville Kentucky New Era

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), who was the only senator to oppose a coronavirus relief package last month, announced Sunday that he has tested positive for the virus.

He is feeling fine and is in quarantine, an announcement on his Twitter said. He is asymptomatic and was tested out of an abundance of caution due to his extensive travel and events.

It added, He expects to be back in the Senate after his quarantine period ends and will continue to work for the people of Kentucky at this difficult time.

In addition to being the only senator to vote against an $8.3 billion emergency coronavirus package, Paul also was one of the eight senators who voted against paid sick leave in a stimulus bill that passed with an overwhelming 90-8 vote last week.

I think that the paid sick leave is an incentive for businesses to actually let go employees and will make unemployment worse, Paul, a physician who has a Kentucky-issued medical license, explained to Newsweek.

CNN reported that Paul closed his Capitol Hill offices over a week ago and urged employees to work from home due to concerns over the coronavirus outbreak. Two people who attended the annual Speed Art Museum ball in Kentucky with the senator on March 7 later tested positive for the virus, according to the Courier-Journal.

But despite reportedly being tested roughly a week ago, Paul continued to interact with colleagues and even worked out at the Senate gymand was swimming in the poolon Sunday morning, shortly before he received his positive test results, Politico reported.

Paul is the first senator to test positive for the novel coronavirus. Two other members of Congress, Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) and Ben McAdams (D-UT), have also gone public with positive test results.

According to the World Health Organization, COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, is particularly dangerous for people with lung problems. In August 2019, Paul had part of his lung removed after an altercation with his neighbor Rene Boucher. The two had a long-running dispute over lawn care.

On March 2, Paul appeared on Fox News and downplayed the global threat of the coronavirus.

While it is worldwide, I think there is room for optimism that this thing may plateau out in a few weeks and not be as bad it as it may have been portrayed, he said to host Neil Cavuto. Weve seen pockets of this around the world and even in Italy and Iran where we have it, but none of it is approaching what started in China.

When asked about institutions taking larger measures to limit the spread of the virus, Paul was resistant to the idea. I think closing down the Smithsonians would be way too premature and I wouldnt advise something like that.

And when Cavuto asked Paul about making personal adjustments to avoid infection, the Senator was particularly defiant. I mean, I fly all the time and Im not cutting back on my flying... I was on a plane today, he said. I could be wrong and this could be really bad in two or three weeks or a month, but Im hoping its not going to be. Im not ready to buy all the toilet paper at Target.

The senators father, Dr. Ron Paul, a physician and a former Republican congressman from Texas, published an essay called The Coronavirus Hoax last week for the New River Valley News, a local outlet based in Virginia.

People should ask themselves whether this coronavirus pandemic could be a big hoax, with the actual danger of the disease massively exaggerated by those who seek to profitfinancially or politicallyfrom the ensuing panic, the elder Paul wrote.

As of Sunday afternoon, there are 30,000 COVID-19 cases in the U.S., and nearly 400 people have died.

Read this article:
Sen. Rand Paul Reveals He Has Coronavirus - The Daily Beast

There are no principled fiscal conservatives during a crisis. Except for Sen. Rand Paul, evidently.

The libertarian-leaning Kentucky Republican offered an amendment to the $104 billion coronavirus relief bill the Senate passed Wednesday, which would have offset the spending through reforms and cuts elsewhere. The senator doesnt oppose the idea of government assistance during this time of crisis, he just wants to ensure that we dont pile hundreds of billions in additional debt on the shoulders of future generations, given their already astounding burden of $23 trillion. When his amendment failed, Paul voted against the final bill in protest.

Actually standing up for principle during the coronavirus crisis makes Paul evil, apparently, in the minds of many unhinged critics:

This is just a sampling of the over-the-top vitriol that rushed Pauls way. Now, theres room for conservatives perhaps to disagree with Paul and think that this simply isnt the hill to die on. But he deserves credit, not condemnation, for being the rare politician in Washington willing to fight for principle even when its not easy or convenient.

Next time, maybe in the not-too-distant future, our children may not even be able to borrow their way out of a crisis, Paul warned in his Senate speech. In response, his amendment would have offset the $104 billion in coronavirus spending by requiring a Social Security number to receive the Child Tax Credit, thus reducing fraud; allowing the president to redirect spending from other areas; and rolling back our wasteful military presence in Afghanistan. These are all sensible reforms by any fiscally conservative estimation.

Liberals can rail against him all they want on Twitter and MSNBC, but the fact remains that Paul has a point. We cant just keep piling hundreds of billions on to the national debt every time a crisis pops up politicians have a way of framing every issue as a "crisis" or well have a fiscal crisis of our making on our hands before we know it.

More:
Stop hating on Rand Paul for trying to offset $104B coronavirus spending - Washington Examiner

This weekend, the Senate will likely vote on Phase 3 of the federal coronavirus response. As they do so, I urge aggressive but prudent actions.

As a physician, we learn early and take an oath to do no harm. This is an important principle to apply to both the medical and the economic steps taken to combat the current situation.

Ive put together agenda items that fit this description. They will help. They are prudent. They are short term, and they are not an overreaction or a misdirection.

Right now, every special interest in Washington is fighting to lard up the response with their pet projects, from tax breaks to pet social issues. This is wrong, and we must avoid this temptation.

There are also those advocating for $1-2 TRILLION in new spending in the next few months. We simply cannot sustain that as an economy. We must look to be more precise with our actions.

I have already advocated for several commonsense proposals that would expand the availability of urgently needed items such as masks and respirators. Ive introduced legislation to speed the testing and production of drugs and vaccines.

The mask and respirator legislation was thankfully already passed in Phase 2 of our response.

I also want to make sure all Americans who are feeling economic hardship are helped.

First and foremost, we must enact a payroll tax holiday. The FICA tax is the largest tax most Americans pay. It is about 15 percent, split between employer and workers. I want to put a stop to that tax temporarily for BOTH business owners and workers to help both during this time of struggle. Thats a huge boost to everyones paycheck and to our overall economy. It would let people keep over $200 billion of their OWN money over the next two months. It would start immediately.

Second, I want to ensure businesses are not forced into bankruptcy or closure due to new mandates, while also seeking to guarantee that every person who needs assistance is able to receive it. Instead of placing the burden of paid sick leave on businesses already struggling with the virus impact, I want to shift the burden to the federal government by expanding the unemployment system to cover the most severely affected and offer immediate leave for those who need it due to the coronavirus. My proposal does this by incorporating reforms from an amendment to Phase 2 offered by Sen. Ron JohnsonRonald (Ron) Harold JohnsonGOP seeks up to 0 billion to maximize financial help to airlines, other impacted industries Dr. Rand Paul's prescription for combating the coronavirus crisis Senate passes House's coronavirus aid bill, sending it to Trump MORE (R-Wis.) that echoed the changes I have called for and that received strong, bipartisan support, although it unfortunately fell short of passing. The reforms allow for temporary enhancements to states unemployment programs, with the federal government afterward picking up the cost of the expansion, so that Americans who cannot work due to the coronavirus are protected. The reforms also remove the waiting period to receive the insurance. I have also added a provision to make self-employed workers eligible for unemployment insurance.

No one should have to worry about large tax payments right now, which is why I asked the IRS to extend the April 15 payment deadline to July 15, something theyve done this week. My plan would codify that into law. This would be for businesses, too, so they could focus on staying open or reopening, not on tax filing and payments.

Finally, I want to encourage all of our well-capitalized banks and lenders to aid their customers at this time by deferring payments on loans, both business and individual. From mortgages to car payments, from small business loans to large lines of credit for business operations, anything we can do to buy time is helpful here. To encourage this, I want to offer a tax credit of up to 3 percent of their corporate tax rate for lenders who postpone payment requirements for 60 days.

Im also working with the administration and leaders in medicine and economics to identify regulations and red tape that can be cut, new ideas for supplying the front lines of our medical teams, and anything else that can be done quickly by the federal government to help.

My office remains in operation, and my website, Paul.Senate.Gov, has updated information and links for assistance.

These are big ideas. They are bold, broad agenda items that will help those struggling, but without bailouts, without questionable long-term social policy changes, and without a trillion-dollar price tag. We should work together on these and other similar plans to slash regulations, return money to those who need it, help those who are struggling, and win both the battle against this pandemic, and also the battle to save our economy.

This week has seen a great upheaval in many of our lives. Social distancing is in full effect. Public schools and places of business are closing. Jobs are being put on hold or lost, and people are beginning to see the struggle that lies ahead.

I hope this time of uncertainty and great challenge will be brief, but I know we will make it through this together.

As counties, states, and the federal government spring into action, it is incumbent upon all of us to keep a watchful eye on both our liberty and our wallets. We dont have an unlimited supply of either of those. They must be preserved while responding to any crisis. In the past, times of crisis have been times of danger for both. We saw erosion of our liberty after 9/11 with the Patriot Act and expansion of FISA courts. We saw an erosion of our dollar and expansion of our debt with the bailouts after the 2008 Great Recession.

There is no doubt surrounding the severity of those crises or of this one. The question is, how do we act with prudence to help those who will be truly in need? And how do we protect our nations future with an already burdensome $23 trillion debt?

My plans address the crisis, with those important warnings being heeded.

Paul is the junior senator from Kentucky.

Originally posted here:
Dr. Rand Paul's prescription for combating the coronavirus crisis | TheHill - The Hill

WASHINGTON (AP) Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said Sunday that he had tested positive for the disease caused by the new coronavirus, becoming the first member of the Senate to report a case of COVID-19. He said in a tweet that he was feeling fine and was in quarantine.

Paul, an eye surgeon, said he has not had symptoms and was tested out of an abundance of caution due to his extensive travel and events. He said he was not aware of any direct contact with any infected person.

Paul, a deficit hawk, was among eight Senate Republicans who voted against a House-passed bill last week that provided more than $100 billion to boost testing for the coronavirus and guarantee paid sick leave for millions of workers. He also was only Republican senator who opposed an earlier bill authorizing $8.3 billion for initial response to the coronavirus.

The senator was on Capitol Hill this past week, including at a luncheon Friday among GOP senators. He spoke on the Senate floor on Wednesday afternoon, addressing the cornonavirus and an amendment he sponsored that would pay for virus relief efforts by withdrawing U.S. forces from Afghanistan.

A spokesman for Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., said Moran briefly saw Paul at the Senate gym Sunday morning and that he shared that information with GOP colleagues at a policy meeting. Moran followed CDC guidelines and kept a safe distance between him and Sen. Paul,'' spokesman Tom Brandt said. Moran has spoken with the attending physician at the Capitol and has been told he does not need to self-quarantine, Brandt said.

South Dakota Sen. John Thune, the second-ranking Republican senator, said on the Senate floor that lawmakers will consult with the attending physician about all senators who have been in contact with Paul.

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said he was praying for Paul and noted that Paul's health is compromised. Paul, 57, broke several ribs in 2017 when a neighbor assaulted him over a long-standing landscaping dispute. Paul, who was later awarded $580,000 in damages and medical expenses, had surgery last year to remove part of a lung damaged by the assault.

Two House members, Reps. Mario Diaz Balart, R-Fla., and Ben McAdams, D-Utah,, have tested positive.

The Senate was in session Sunday seeking a bipartisan response to the pandemic. If approved, the bill would be the third measure Congress has approved in response to the coronavirus this month.

The White House has increasingly emphasized that testing should prioritize the elderly and health care workers who have symptoms of the virus. While most cases of COVID-19 are mild and tens of thousands of people have recovered, older people and those with underlying health problems are at higher risk for more serious problems, such as pneumonia.

We dont want everyone to go out and get a test because theres no reason for it," President Donald Trump told reporters in a briefing Friday.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tells people to seek testing if they have certain symptoms of the flu-like illness caused by the coronavirus fever, cough and trouble breathing and if they have traveled recently to an outbreak area or have been in close contact with someone who is infected. They should first be tested for the flu and other routine infections.

The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover.

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Read the original post:
Sen. Rand Paul says hes tested positive for coronavirus - oregonlive.com