Posts Tagged Rand Paul
The Tea Party and Israel?
Posted by Joel in Religion and Politics on November 27, 2010
- Image via Wikipedia
If we are going to cut social welfare programs, then we need to cut foreign aid programs first. Even foreign aid to Israel. The problem, however, is that many on the Right (and the Left in many cases) have their own pet projects. For those on the Right, it is Israel. And for the life of me, why is it that Rand Paul is actually sticking to his guns on this and earning my respect on this single issue?
But while Mr. Cantor and other newly empowered Republicans are eager to promote themselves as Israel’s staunchest defenders in Washington, the reconfigured American political landscape is a more complex and unpredictable backdrop for Middle East peacemaking.
Scores of Tea Party-backed candidates are entering Congress, many of whom favor isolationist policies and are determined to cut American foreign aid, regardless of its destination.
Rand Paul, the newly elected Tea Party-backed senator from Kentucky, bluntly told the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee, an influential pro-Israel lobbying group, that they were going to disagree about the need for foreign aid and suggested that they move on to other topics, according to a person briefed on the meeting.
….
Representative John A. Boehner, the Ohio Republican who is the House speaker-designate, sent out fund-raising literature aimed at Jewish voters, criticizing the administration for its pressuring of Israel on issues like settlements.
“That was the first time I had seen Israel used in a partisan political way,” said Representative Gary L. Ackerman, a New York Democrat and outgoing chairman of the House foreign affairs subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia.
NYT: Is Tea Party a blessing or curse for Israel? – Politics – The New York Times – msnbc.com.
So, what do you think? Do you think that while we cut social programs and foreign aid to other nations, that Israel alone must continue to collect American tax-dollars?
Related articles
- Israel Must Fear Tea Partiers, Or Something Like That (legalinsurrection.blogspot.com)
- The Fun’s Just Beginning (slog.thestranger.com)
- “GOP and Tea Party Gains Are Mixed Blessing for Israel” and related posts (docstalk.blogspot.com)
- GOP to cut Foreign Aid to Israel? (thechurchofjesuschrist.us)
- Daoud Kuttab: America’s Latest $3 Billion Bribe to Israel (huffingtonpost.com)
Does Aqua Buddha condone violence?
Posted by Joel in Religion and Politics on October 26, 2010
Updates at the bottom of the post…
I hate this. I hate what politics are doing to us.
I hate the fact that this is the month supposed to be about raising awareness for domestic violence and we find this what? Acceptable? Humorous? She got what she deserved?
This was a woman who was protesting Rand Paul. This is still allowed in this country. And she was not just stopped, but attacked, viciously, by a crowd of Paul’s supporters. Her name is Lauren Valle.
I hate the fact that Rand Paul would have been by a few yards, at the most, away from this, and nothing happened.
I hate the fact that a woman tried to intervene was was pulled away to let the stomping continue.
And I hate the fact that this political season is getting me mad.
Update:
She suffered some serious injuries; cops did nothing.
Rand Paul issues statement:
“The Paul for Senate campaign is extremely disappointed in, and condemns the actions of a supporter last night outside the KET debate. Whatever the perceived provocation, any level of aggression or violence is deplorable, and will not be tolerated by our campaign. The Paul campaign has disassociated itself from the volunteer who took part in this incident, and once again urges all activists — on both sides — to remember that their political passions should never manifest themselves in physical altercations of any kind.”
And…
But Paul wasn’t as quick to describe the incident as violence when he appeared on Fox News Tuesday.
“There was a bit of a crowd control problem,” Paul told Fox News’ Martha MacCallum. “I don’t want anybody though to be involved in things that aren’t civil.”
“And it is an unusual situation to have so many people so passionate on both sides jockeying back and forth,” he continued.
“It wasn’t something that I liked or anybody liked about that situation. So I hope in the future it is going to be better,” Paul said.
Fox News’ Bill Hemmer also downgraded the violence in his description of the scuffle. He said Valle simply “had her shoulder stepped on.”
Rand… buddy…. she was purposely attacked. This wasn’t jockeying.
And this is the picture of the ‘curbstomper,’ a campaign worker…
Related articles
- Rand Paul backers get violent towards MoveOn.org protester (shortformblog.com)
- MoveOn woman kicked & stomped by ‘Libertarian’ Tea Baggers outside Rand Paul debate (americablog.com)
- Apparent Rand Paul Supporter Stomps on MoveOn.Org Member’s Head (Video) (themoderatevoice.com)
- Woman Stomped on Outside Rand Paul Debate (politics.usnews.com)
Rand Paul and Rousas John Rushdoony
Posted by Joel in Religion and Politics on June 2, 2010
I’ve covered Rushdoony before, knowing that his Dominionist garbage would come up again…
The article below does a fair job at connecting Rand Paul back to the father of Dominionism, although the connections should be closer for my tastes. While many Americans only seem to vote their emotions at the moment – Left and wrong – the voter should take his or her time to educate themselves on the candidate and the candidate’s issues. If Paul is influenced heavily by Rushdoony, while he may be marginalized if elected – I get the feeling that the Kentucky GOP doesn’t care for him, and he is would be just as unwieldy in the Senate – could this empower other dominionists to run?
I know that those like Patricia King and Rick Joyner tend to favor Sarah Palin, but I wonder if they’ve said anything about old Rand Paul?
Check out the article:
Rand Paul and the Influence of Christian Reconstructionism | Religion Dispatches.
Some Passing Thoughts on the Passing of Rand Paul
Posted by Joel in Religion and Politics on May 21, 2010
Rand Paul made mention the other day on one of the finest news programs on air, that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 provided some (Constitutional) issues against private property.
The Liberal Media smells blood in the water and the Conservative Politicians are running to hide.
Now, this may come as a surprise to many, but the problem is, is that Constitutionally speaking, both Ron and Rand are correct. They are Constitutional Fundamentalists, looking at the letter of the law. Liberals generally look at the spirit of the law and the age, I reckon. The Constitution sees a difference between citizen participation and those who are prevented from participating. Further, the Constitution, formed in the wake of an attempted rebellion dealing with private property, deals a lot with the protection of private property. As a matter of fact, a segment of the population was, well, private property. I mean, the Constitution of the Republic (not a Democracy), legalized and protected slavery and the dehumanizing of a person. It enshrined private property.
I don’t think Rand or Ron is racist (well, maybe one of them is) and they are correct about the unconstitutionality of at least certain segments of the Civil Rights Acts. But, what to do about it? Segregation would not end without Federal Intervention. Amending the Constitution to give minorities civil rights would have failed, and upon failure, what would have happened?
Maybe both sides should step back and look at what Rand is saying. Granted, I wouldn’t vote for him as I find his views on several things beyond my toleration, but the fact is, is that there is a difference between the letter of the law and the spirit of the law, and it has been recognized since nearly the very beginning.
Anyway, just my thoughts.
