Based on the reactions of John McCain and Lindsay Graham to Rand Paul’s filibuster it is fairly obvious that he is afraid of being upstaged on the national scene and losing his influence in the Party as a result. He is clearly (to use his own terminology) a wacko-bird.
Rand Paul’s filibuster performance on March 6, 2013 really had nothing to do with politics; it was the principle of the thing. It was about civil rights and the security of citizens doing their daily business without fear of assassination at the unchecked word of a chief executive who may be motivated more by political considerations than by national defense interests.
What Senator Paul was getting at was a vitally important point. The U.S. Constitution contains certain protections against government excesses that must be enforced or the document becomes meaningless and all of its protections non-existent. Constitutional limitations are all that protects our citizens against government excesses and without them a tyranny would be a likely rapid result. Statists find such protections an impediment to their ambitions, but rarely couch their objections in such terms because it is much easier to sell the idea that they are working for the benefit of the people while they do the exact opposite behind the scenes or away from objective press coverage.
There are a fair number of people who seem to have no concerns about government power or potential abuses thereof. Many of them are government dependents who perceive nothing beyond their next dole check and benefit payment. Others are simply trusting fools who cannot recognize anything beyond their faith in the current crop of leadership and ignore the fact that the next generation might not be so deserving. (That is, assuming that the current crop is deserving; a questionable conclusion.) Then, there are others who see such issues only in terms of who is in power. They would criticize the other party, but leave the same practices by their own party members alone. Senator Paul has the right of it. Right is right and wrong is wrong. It doesn’t matter who is in power, and the potential for future abuse is real, making future consequences of current errors a matter of extreme importance.
So, where does Senator McCain fit into the equation? The answer hides within muddied waters. There are some who suggest that McCain’s experiences as a prisoner in North Vietnam have effected his ability to fight for what it right. This is possible, but not that likely, in the opinion of this writer. Senator Paul, interviewed the day after his approximately 13 hour speech suggested that McCain’s actions were based in a mistaken belief that circumstances require the use of „rules of war” within the nation’s boundaries to combat terrorists. Senator Paul, in contrast, believes that such rules should only be applied in the case of an actual armed attack or situation, which cannot be handled through the use of more conventional law enforcement techniques. In any event, a citizen not actively involved in military actions at the time they are confronted, should be entitled to his or her constitutional rights; not drumhead justice at the hands of a chief executive operating above the law.
McCain may actually believe that in the rules of war approach, but it is more likely, that he is playing a „go along to get along” game in which he is attempting to maintain his influential position of “leadership” as a senior member of the Senate. He sees Senator Paul as a threat to the deference and respect that his seniority has brought him. McCain is one of those old guard Republicans who doesn’t believe that the landscape of the political game has changed. He denies that he is now facing an adversary who believes in destroying the opposition so that it can achieve single party, authoritarian rule. Lindsey Graham, who believes that Senator Paul’s question is not worthy of an answer, is equally wrong and has his head stuck just as far in the sand.
To make matters worse, McCain and Graham are probably also unaware that the opposition is fully willing to make use of drone strikes against Americans, not because they are foreign agents or terrorists, but because they are part of the political opposition. You can bet that in addition to the official Obama „kill list” there is an unofficial one, not available to individuals outside of the inner circle, with names of people to be eliminated if it becomes possible. You can bet your bottom dollar that Barack Obama would kill any and all effective political opponents if he believed he could get away with it. McCain and Graham either won’t see it or don’t care; and their jealousy of Rand Paul is in the way of any rational thought or action.
One has to only look at the extent Eric Holder went to in avoiding the question of whether Americans could be killed on their home soil without trial or due process. Holder exists as Attorney General for only one purpose; to provide cover for Obama’s excesses. The fact that Senator Ted Cruz pried an answer out of him is a tribute to Cruz’s tenacity, but Senator Paul had been after the same answer for some six weeks. It took both of them to get the job done. Holder was trying not to give a straight answer because the real answer in his mind is that the current administration should be able to kill anyone, anywhere, anytime it wants with impunity. (This sentiment was more or less echoed by comments of Texas Congressman Ted Poe who said that the administration wants to be able to do anything it wants, domestically, without restraint. He also referred to Holder’s refusal to provide documents on the Fast and Furious scandal, demonstrating his contempt for the Legislature.) Holder knows that admitting to his true beliefs would not pass muster, even in the lapdog press. Cruz had to force him to deny his own sentiments on the record. It was a heroic effort.
So, after the fact McCain and Graham condemn Senator Paul’s equally heroic effort to bring attention to where and how the government is stepping on or intending to step on civil rights. This is tough to do because today’s Democrat Party is purportedly the party of civil rights. But it isn’t; today it is the party of authoritarianism and will eliminate all constitutional protections if possible, propaganda to the contrary. Today’s Democrat Party is a few inches short of the old German National Socialist Party. The only real difference is that instead of Jews, today’s Democrats are after the wealthy, the independent, the traditional and religious; it is a different sort of class warfare, but it is such, none-the-less. Actions like those of Senator Paul help to awaken Americans to the facts, and move the nation away from a deadly course. We need more like him. Senator McCain doesn’t care what happens to the people, as long as he has his senate seat. The present administration is content to allow him to remain there for the duration because he is ineffective as an opponent. He poses no threat. In fact, he may be more of an ally than anything else.
McCain’s time has passed and his opportunity to make a difference is gone. He doesn’t know what he is talking about while Senator Paul does. Graham has proven himself a member of the DC power elite who cares nothing about the public. Paul is not looking to fire up a few libertarian oriented college students; he is looking toward the long-term future of the nation. McCain completely blew it in 2008 and is now acting like a spoiled and petulant child. It is time for him to step aside and let some real leaders take charge.
It is time to Stand With Rand
