Rand Paul Filibusters John Brennan, old school style

[jimmy olsen]

Good

http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/06/17210879-with-bipartisan-aid-paul-filibusters-cia-pick-brennan?lite

Pledging to speak "until I can no longer speak," Kentucky Republican Rand Paul on Wednesday launched a filibuster of the nomination of John Brennan to be the next CIA director, getting assists from a half dozen other senators over the course of hours standing on the Senate floor.

After holding the floor for over five hours, Paul declined Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's suggestion to move towards a vote on the nomination, which Paul is protesting because of what he says is the Obama administration's lack of legal clarity on its drone policy.

The Kentucky senator said late Wednesday that he will drop the protest when he receives written clarification from the administration over its possible use of drones to target U.S. citizens on American soil -- a request which Reid said will push a vote on Brennan's confirmation at least until Thursday.
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Paul spoke solo for over three hours before being joined on the floor by other lawmakers who stepped in to continue the filibuster.

Republican Sens. Mike Lee of Utah, Ted Cruz of Texas, Jerry Moran of Kansas, Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania and Marco Rubio of Florida - as well as Democrat Ron Wyden of Oregon -- participated.

"You must surely be making Jimmy Stewart smile," Cruz said of Paul upon taking the floor, alluding to the famous filibuster portrayed by the actor in the 1939 film "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington."

Rubio came to Paul's aid after tweeting a message of support, saying that Paul is asking "a legit question."

"Why so hard for them to just give straight answer?" he wrote on Twitter. "Almost like they feel it is beneath them."

Paul objects to what he calls the Obama administration's lack of clarity over whether a suspected terrorist who is an American citizen can be targeted with a drone strike on American soil.

"I will speak as long as it takes until the alarm is sounded from coast to coast that our Constitution is important," Paul said in opening his remarks on the Senate floor. "That your rights to trial by jury are precious, that no American should be killed by a drone on American soil without first being charged with a crime, without first being found to be guilty."

In a response to a letter of inquiry, Attorney General Eric Holder wrote to Paul this week that such a targeted strike is "possible, I suppose" in a catastrophic circumstance, although the administration has "no intention" of doing so.

Paul began his filibuster as Holder testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee, where the attorney general reiterated his defense of the administration's policy.

Paul said Wednesday that he is concerned that the administration has failed to name specific criteria about who could be subject to targeting, invoking the public animosity towards some anti-war activists in the 1960s.

"Are you going to just drop a drone, a Hellfire missile on Jane Fonda?" he said.

The Kentucky lawmaker, the son of outspoken former presidential candidate Ron Paul, began speaking at 11:47 a.m. ET. After over an hour of continuous speech, he quipped that his throat was already becoming dry.

He acknowledged later that there aren't enough detractors in the Senate to block Brennan's confirmation, which will require 60 votes for approval.

"Ultimately I will not win," he said. "There are not enough votes."

Paul's traditional or "talking" filibuster is the first use of the tactic since 2010, when Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont held the Senate floor for eight hours and 37 minutes to oppose Obama's proposed tax plan.

[derspiess]

Kinda mixed feelings on this.  On one hand it does seem to be a good tactic for him to get answers to important questions.  On the other hand, I'm not a huge fan of political spectacles. 

[Kleves]

I like making people who want to filibuster actually fillibuster. I think this particular filibuster is stupid.

[mongers]

I like making people who want to filibuster actually fillibuster. I think this particular filibuster is stupid.

Well it's rather clear to me what the main objective is, to sure up support amongst the tinfoil brigade who think the American government has declared war on it's people and is preparing to ship them off to FEMA camps. 

[fhdz]

I'm no Rand Paul supporter, but it seems to me there's merit in wanting the current administration to nail down its drone policy a wee bit...

[Razgovory]

I like making people who want to filibuster actually fillibuster. I think this particular filibuster is stupid.

Well it's rather clear to me what the main objective is, to sure up support amongst the tinfoil brigade who think the American government has declared war on it's people and is preparing to ship them off to FEMA camps.

Yeah.  10 years of drone strikes on Muslims, that's fine.  Wait, does that mean it can be used against white people?  Unconstitutional!

[Ed Anger]

Damn right. Hellfire the darkies.

[Razgovory]

You build a bunker in a country full of bunker busting bombs and you are just asking of it.

[Sheilbh]

Kinda mixed feelings on this.  On one hand it does seem to be a good tactic for him to get answers to important questions.  On the other hand, I'm not a huge fan of political spectacles.

That seems like the opposite of your view on the Benghazi hearings

I love political theatre and I think this is great. My respect for Paul for doing it has increased hugely. I think a good principled filibuster is a great thing and I wish all filibusters or threatened filibusters were made to come to the floor and actually hold it like this.

I don't know if I agree with him on the issue itself but I'm glad he's making the points that many left-wing Democrats have been too cowardly and self-serving to make during this Administration, and I find that the right is cheering him on quite heartening.

[derspiess]

That seems like the opposite of your view on the Benghazi hearings

That was an exception.  Congressional hearings usually annoy me, but get some guys yelling at Hillary and her getting all bitchy back at them, or some dumbass worrying about Guam tipping over and I'm entertained.

[dps]

I like making people who want to filibuster actually fillibuster. I think this particular filibuster is stupid.

Yeah, I don't have a problem with wanting some clarification about drone usage per se (though I think the issue is a bit overblown), but it really has nothing to do with the nomination.

[Caliga]

I'm pleasantly surprised at you people.  I expected this thread to be full of LOOOL PAUL IS A MORAN comments, based on the fact that he's a) from Kentucky, and b) is related to Ron Paul, facts which must automatically make him stupid and wrong.

[Sheilbh]

Quoting Glen Greenwald and his other foreign policy/civil liberties oddities make him a mental.

But there's always a place for that in politics.

Edit: However I love that some liberals like Wyden (who I quite like) are coming out to join him

[Neil]

Why should Obama's drone policy be any different than his F-15 policy?

[Sheilbh]

And, as I say, I do love his points - especially about the imperial Presidency and the rightful critique of Obama's failure on civil liberties:
http://mashable.com/2013/03/06/rand-paul-filibuster/