Rand Paul Protests Judicial Nominee Over Drone Policy
Senator Rand Paul protests Obama nominee over drone policy. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky took to the Senate floor Wednesday to protest the nomination of a judi...
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Rand Paul Protests Judicial Nominee Over Drone Policy - Video
Rand Paul Opposes Nomination Of Obama #39;s Drone Policy Guru To Bench May 21 2014
On Wednesday, 5/21/14, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul gave an impassioned plea decrying the use of drones to murder American citizens without any sort of due process whatsoever in advance of a...
By: Bobby Powell
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Rand Paul Opposes Nomination Of Obama's Drone Policy Guru To Bench May 21 2014 - Video
TAVIS SMILEY | Sen. Rand Paul | May 21, 2014
In this clip, Sen. Paul explains why he believes American jurisprudence dictates that the U.S. citizens deemed traitors and killed overseas by drone strikes should have been afforded a trial....
By: PBS
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TAVIS SMILEY | Sen. Rand Paul | May 21, 2014 - Video
Rand Paul takes to the Senate floor Wednesday to oppose the nomination of David Barron to a US appeals court, citing one of his signature issues: the use of military drones to target Americans.
The speech didn't come close to the 13-hour filibuster of last year, but on Wednesday, Sen. Rand Paul (R) of Kentucky again took to the floor of the US Senate with impassioned words about civil liberties and US drone strikes.
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The spark that set him on fire was, like last year, a nomination by President Obama. In March 2013, Senator Paul, a tea party favorite, filibustered the nomination of John Brennan to be CIA director, warning of the potential use of government drones against Americans on US soil. This time, he objected to the nomination of David Barron to the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit over concern about targeted killings of American suspects overseas.
Mr. Barron is a Harvard law professor, but when he worked for the Justice Department, he co-wrote legal memos that defended the Obama administrations policy of targeted killings abroad. The memos related to American Anwar al-Awlaki, the Al Qaeda operative killed by a US drone strike in Yemen in 2011. The memos reportedly defend the strike as lawful on grounds that Mr. Awlaki was a participant in the war with Al Qaeda on the enemy side and represented a specific threat to the US.
The legal material has been secret but, under pressure from senators, was recently made available to the full Senate not just members of the Justice and Intelligence committees. On Tuesday, the Obama administration, under court order, said it would release to the public a redacted version of the material. That has satisfied one of the Democratic critics, Sen. Mark Udall of Colorado, who supported Barron's nomination in a largely party-line procedural vote on Wednesday afternoon.
Senator Udall welcomed the administrations transparency and, in a statement, said it affirms that although the government does have the right to keep national security secrets, it does not get to have secret law. The material is not expected to be released before the Senate votes on Barron's nomination, probably Thursday.
But transparency wasnt enough to satisfy Paul, a leader in GOP presidential polls. He tried, unsuccessfully, to delay Wednesdays procedural vote on the nomination until the public fully debates the issue. As with other post-9/11 security issues torture of terrorism suspects, unlimited detention of detainees, and widespread surveillance of American phone data drone strikes challenge the balance between individual liberty and safety.
Am I the only one who thinks that something so unprecedented as an assassination of an American citizen should be discussed in the light of day? the senator asked, with incredulity.
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Rand Paul thumps Obama nominee over US drone strikes on Americans (+video)
By Niels Lesniewski Posted at 12:47 p.m. on May 21
Sen. Rand Paul is dismissing the idea that Minority Leader Mitch McConnells Republican primary victory in Kentucky Tuesday night was a defeat for the tea party movement.
Paul, who upset the establishment-backed candidate in his own 2010 primary, had endorsed McConnell early in the race, which was a sour point for some on the right who viewed the incumbent as too entrenched and insufficiently conservative.
Im probably considered to be from the tea party, but I supported Sen. McConnell because I like, you know, that hes a conservative, Paul told reporters Wednesday in the Capitol. I dont know that thats a defeat of the tea party necessarily when he wins. I think he stands for conservative principles, and him winning is consistent with the tea party.
Its not always, I think, as clear cut who is since the tea party has no membership, Paul continued. Its sort of like everybody or a lot of people say theyre in it, some people say theyre not.
Now, Paul is seeking party unity as McConnells general election race against Democratic nominee Alison Lundergan Grimes kicks into gear. TheKentucky Senate race is rated Leans Republican by the Rothenberg Political Report/Roll Call.
I was happy with Sen. McConnell winning yesterday, and I think hell be a good candidate and have a good chance in the fall, Paul said.
Paul said McConnells primary challenger Matt Bevin had a credible campaign despite getting less than 40 percent of the voteTuesday. He also offered an olive branch of sorts to Bevin.
Its just hard to win against an incumbent, but you know, I think hes got a future if he wants to continue work in the party, Paul said of Bevin. I hope he will support Senator McConnell, the nominee, because I think thatll show that there are no sour grapes and that hes really willing to, you know, do whats best for Kentucky and for the Republican party.
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Paul: McConnell Win 'Consistent With the Tea Party'