Rand Paul Is Still My Senator

In early 2009, I was a fairly new fan of Congressman Ron Paul, having learned of him during the 2008 presidential election. You can imagine my excitement when I heard that his son, Rand Paul, was thinking of running for the U.S. Senate. When I found out he would be representing Kentucky – my home state – it was that much more invigorating. I knew immediately that I would do everything I could in my local community to raise support for Rand.

The first order of business was to bring Rand to my city for a live speaking event. If he decided to run I knew he would be going up against establishment candidates in both the primary and general elections and I wasn’t sure how Kentucky voters would react to a libertarian-minded candidate. I wanted his presence to be known as soon as possible. I confirmed a date with Rand’s assistant and began organizing everything on my own, from the event location to amplification equipment to advertising. This would be my first attempt at organizing any kind of public event, so needless to say I was nervous about its success.

To add more stress to the situation, severe thunderstorms raged the entire day of the event, not ideal for an outdoor meeting. I feared my efforts were in vain and that I would have to cancel at the last minute. But after some of the hardest praying I’ve ever done, God stopped the rain and brought out the sun just in the nick of time. On May 8th, 2009 Rand spoke to a gathering of approximately thirty people in Paducah, KY. It was a decent turnout considering the venue and weather conditions. It garnered local media coverage and marked Rand’s first public event in my community as a potential candidate for the U.S. Senate.

Four days later on the Rachel Maddow Show he officially announced the formation of an exploratory committee. I continued volunteering for Rand at political functions, fundraising dinners, phone banks and more. I was privileged to meet with him on several occasions and got to attend his victory party on the night of the general election. I mention all of this to show that I have followed Rand closely from the very beginning and have been proud to call him my senator. I have since relocated from the Commonwealth of Kentucky to the Welfare State of Illinois. Trust me, no representative for this state comes close to matching Rand’s integrity and boldness.

Like his father, Rand has continued the fight to preserve liberty in an era of big government. His thirteen-hour filibuster in regards to Obama’s drone policy should remind all libertarian types – whether we agree with everything Rand has done as senator or not – that he is on our side. No other senator would have the courage to stand up to a murderous, law-breaking administration like he did. Here is one of my favorite quotes:

I’m a Republican. I didn’t vote or support the president either time, but I admired him, particularly in 2007 when he ran. I admired his ability to stand up and say ‘we won’t torture people, that’s not what America does.’ How does the President’s mind work, though? The President that seemed so honorable, seemed so concerned with our rights, seemed so concerned with the right not to have your phone be tapped now says he’s not concerned with whether you can be killed without a trial. The leap of logic is so fantastic as to boggle the mind. Where is the Barack Obama of 2007? Has the presidency so transformed him that he has forgotten his moorings, forgotten what he stood for? Civil libertarians once expected more from the president. Barack Obama of 2007 would be right down here with me arguing against this drone strike program if he were in the Senate. It amazes and disappoints me how much he has actually changed from what he once stood for.”

The day after the filibuster ended, the Obama administration finally admitted that they do not have legal authority to kill American citizens on U.S. soil without trial. Rand claims victory, though the answer leaves much to be desired. Nevertheless, this is a great step in the right direction and we have Rand’s heroic action to thank for it.

I may no longer live in Kentucky, but Rand Paul is still my senator.