Rand Paul

[fljoe0]

I don't usually heap praise on Rand Paul but I'm glad he is putting the US drone strike policy in the spotlight. I really don't think we need more ways to get around due process. Is it just me or does it seem that the same people that criticized President Bush for going around due process are trying to go around due process? I didn't like the Bush administration going around due process and I don't like the Obama administration doing it either.

Senator McCain was very critical of Rand Paul saying that the United States would never abuse this policy. The problem I have with what McCain says is that President Obama wouldn't abuse the policy but what about the next person we elect or the one after that? Looks like a slippery slope to me.

[Lily Sawyer]

I have *never* heaped praise on Sen. Paul - he's never commanded my respect - but he had an exquisitely fine point with his assertion that the use of drones on Americans, should they be allowed to fly over American air space, is the same as not giving an American the right to a judge and jury. It is completely counterintuitive to the premise upon which our courts system is based: innocent until proven guilty. And that only happens in a court of law, not in some military control room where Joe Random Air Force FlyGuy can press the FIRE button and blow up civilians along with the intended target.

We already slipped down the slope when we decided to use drones in this so-called "war against terrorism" in the Middle East, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Ordinarily I believe that using weapons like a drone are fair in a wartime situation, but it's not cool to use them to counter terrorist activity within our fly space when we have operatives on the ground who can enter, search, seize, and arrest with appropriate court-ordered warrants.

So for the very first time, I happen to agree with Sen. Paul. It'll probably be the last time, though.

[Shasta]

I think anyone willing to take a stand like this deserves some respect. And it's not just over something ridiculous, which I appreciate even more.

[Sepia and Dust]

My feeling is that, if you don't intend to use the authority, you don't need to have the authority. The authority to drone-strike American citizens on American soil needs to be removed. Yesterday would be good.

[Out of Order]

Well said fljoeO!!

[PatInTheHat]

I think this administration is trying to find a way out of this seemingly soon to be gelatinous quagmire of conflicting BS, and the moon howlers on either side, they don't want to hear nary a single word of it.
Paging Keeper of the National Magic Wand, your needed in across the aisle prestidigitation!

Now as for my seemingly always eh steamed. Senator Rand Paul, we here in The Mighty BlueGrass is kinda wonderin', so like what, he now the newest shill for the candy bar lobby?

[Patricia A]

I am going to add a non sequitur as I do. I'm working a closing shift and had to make myself sleep late this morning, after waking up at 5:30 this morning I forced myself to stay in bed and go back to sleep.
I was rewarded with a dream that made me wake up laughing. I watched a good portion of Mr. Paul's filibuster yesterday so I suppose it was on my mind. I do take the subject of dronery very serious, and think it needs to be addressed by grown ups who write bills.
Soooo anyhow... in my dream this morning Rand Paul was standing before Congress dressed like Davy Crockett, he was even wearing a coon skin cap. Instead of filibustering against the appointment of the CIA guy or about drones, he was complaining about a white German Sheppard that belonged to his neighbor that wouldn't stop pooping in his yard.
Oh dear, my brains is a funny place. Thought I'd share......

[exzel]

He went off to Congress an' served a spell
fixin' up the neighbors an' laws as well
took over Washin'ton so we heered tell
an' tacked that shepherd poop and horrid smell
Randy, Randy Paul, seein' his duty clear!

Randy, Ravy Paul, king of the fila-bust-ier!

[91rewoT]

Paging Keeper of the National Magic Wand, your needed in across the aisle prestidigitation

Dang it Pat. You made me have to go to dictionary.com.

[Robert Gray]

The only question I have is how extreme a circumstance are they talking about? The hypothetical situation discussed in where this could take place was supposed to be a worst case scenario sort of thing. What if you had an American Taliban in a truck moving toward a building and the intelligence was said person was about to make a suicide bombing? Right or wrong, if I were the President and the best intelligence I had indicated this person was about to kill a bunch of Americans, I'd green light the drone.