How Did Rand Paul Become a Liberal Hero?

[DonViejo]

by David Freedlander Sep 29, 2013 4:45 AM EDT

He’s from the far corner of the right, but he’s to the left of most of the Democratic Party on key progressive issues like war, drug policy, and over-incarceration. Liberals tell David Freedlander why they’re embracing the Tea Party darling.

He came to Washington railing against the party establishment. Once in the Senate, he became one of that body’s foremost critics of war and of increased military spending. He drew national attention for his defense of civil liberties. His use of the real, live, stand-up-and-shout-them-down filibuster took an axe to moribund, genteel traditions of the upper chamber of Congress.  He called for the restoration of the voting rights of felons, a little-remarked-upon issue except to civil rights activists, but one that could tip the balance of electoral politics in key states. He even is pushing for legalized hemp.

Is this liberal hero Bernie Sanders, the socialist from Vermont? Of course not. This lefty hero is Rand Paul, the Republican from Kentucky, who during a period of liberal retreat has somehow emerged as one of the nation’s most articulate defenders of progressive values. Look no further than a Wednesday earlier this month, when Paul testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee against mandatory minimums for non-violent drug offenders. Citing statistics that showed that young minority males were far more likely to face longer prison sentences than other groups, he sounded like a class warrior: “Why are the arrest rates so lopsided? Because it is easier to go into urban areas and make arrests than suburban areas.”

And it has won Paul some plaudits in unlikely corners, with stalwart liberals like Medea Benjamin writing that Paul should be commended for his anti-war stance. The liberal website Truthdig.org has regularly praised Paul’s stances, and the site’s founder, New Left journalist Robert Scheer, has regularly sung the Kentucky Senator’s praises on a nationally syndicated radio show he appears on.

“I have a lot of problems with Rand Paul,” said David Sirota, the liberal author and blogger, citing his positions on the economy and on a woman’s right to choose. “But I think that on issues concerning national security and the domestic security state he is as right as anybody in the Congress—and there aren’t a lot of people in Congress who are good on those issues.”

full article
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/09/29/how-did-rand-paul-become-a-liberal-hero.html

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Maybe this situation is akin to "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

[Scuba]

3. Because our Democratic "leaders" are too conservative to challenge the right?

Thanks to DUer RC for this great graphic.

[FarPoint]

4. Rand Paul is not a Liberal Hero...

This is pure fiction.

[BlueMTexpat]

13. Spot on! eom

[cyberswede]

17. +1

Fuck Rand Paul.

[djean111]

5. That "hero" word sure gets flung about with reckless (or deliberate) abandon here.

Has pretty much lost its meaning here, for me.

[Bluenorthwest]

6. Don, try to wrap your head around this. For years, Dick Cheney supported marriage equality while

Obama and Clinton and Biden and all the Democrats opposed it. As a gay man I favor my own equality, thus Dick Cheney agreed with me. Hillary and Barack and Joe openly disagreed with me. In their debate, Biden calmly stated that he agreed with Sarah Palin that marriage was just for straight people. 'I agree with the Governor!!!!!!' he shouted.
Was Palin Joe's hero? Why did Obama agree with Pat Robertson? Robertson his hero? Would you say Palin and Biden have lots of political positions in common? Were they nearly identical? He shouted out 'I agree, no marriage!!!!'

So yeah. This bullshit is bullshit. The author of this bullshit seems to think we are stupid beyond belief. Freedlander is full of shit and can go fuck himself.
Now Don. When Obama was opposed to marriage equality did you also oppose it, or was Dick Cheney your hero? Those are your choices, according to Freedlander. Which was it?

[DonViejo]

11. First, my posting of an article does NOT translate into...

"Don agrees with the author of the article." Secondly, Darth Cheney's support of marriage equality meant nothing to me; he ran as Veep in 2004 representing a party and an ideology that was actively campaigning against my right to marry. The fact Darth's lesbian daughter endorsed that ticket and worked for it's re-election made me quite nauseous.

Now, are there liberals enamored of Rand Paul? Yes, of course there are, I've read their comments on DU but seen even more comments by DU members enthralled with and by Chris Christie. Is Rand a liberal hero? Yes, in some areas, I believe he is but, so long as he is a Republican, he will never be a hero to me or even slightly represent me or the issues I believe in or which concern me (becoming an independent or a Democrat won't do it either, Rand is tainted for life as far as I am concerned).

Disagree with Freedlander to your heart's content but, just remember, because I posted the article does not mean I agree with him.

[Hippo_Tron]

7. Rand and his father are occasionally absolutely right on things others don't talk about...

First of all, if I could snap my fingers and make Bernie Sanders President of the United States and put 535 of his clones in congress, I'd do it in a heartbeat. He's basically just as right as Ron or Rand on any of the national security or drug war issues, but he doesn't get the kind of platform that they do to speak.

That being said, I remember very vividly one of the 2008 Republican debates. The moderator asked all of the candidates what they would do to help the Republican Party reach out to black voters. All of them had some typical ridiculous bullshit response. Except Ron Paul who said, "I'm going to end the war on drugs, which has been the most destructive policy for black Americans in the past several decades". And the fact that NOT ONE person in the Democratic debates said anything like that, really is shameful.

Ron and Rand Paul are stopped clocks. For two minutes out of every 24 hours, they're absolutely right and for the rest of the time they're absolutely wrong. And it's unfortunate that those two minutes are on issues that Democratic Party leadership happens to be wrong on. It's also unfortunate that people on the left can't get themselves on TV to talk about those issues like Ron and Rand can.

But if it takes libertarian nutjobs to get a debate started about the war on drugs, then so be it. The debate NEEDS to happen.

[Blue Idaho]

8. John Lewis is a liberal hero, Frank Church is a liberal hero

FDR is a liberal hero - Ayn Rand Paul is NOT a liberal hero.

[Avalux]

9. Here's the rub with Rand Paul and his ilk.

He may be in agreement with 'liberals' on some issues, but the motivation is coming from a different place.

Paul is motivated by selfishness and greed; his anti-war stance isn't because he cares about people dying and wants peace, it's because he doesn't want the resources going to it. He'd rather have that cash in his own pocket.

Medea Benjamin and Robert Sheer should be smart enough to point this out instead of singing the idiot's praises.

[Jamaal510]

10. Rand Paul sure isn't my hero.

For Christsakes, I wish people like Medea Benjamin would stop saying that he and his Dad are defenders of civil liberties. They aren't. For instance, where were they as their own party has been making it harder for certain people to vote? Where were they when Republicans have been trying to impose restrictions on what women can do with their own bodies, and how they've railed against same-sex marriage? Last time I checked, both of them agreed with the rest of the GOP on those issues. And with regards to the drug issue, the Paul clan doesn't even care about legalizing marijuana or drugs federally; they only want to quit enforcing federal drug laws. Individual states can still wage the war on drugs however they please.

As stated upthread, someone like Bernie Sanders is on the progressive side of ALL the issues, in addition to drugs and having a non-interventionalist policy, but that doesn't get as much play.

[AgingAmerican]

12. Rand Paul is a right wing extremist

List a few of the 'leftys' that say he is their hero. Thanks in advance.

[DonViejo]

15. One is identified in the last paragraph of that portion

of the article posted in the OP. Others are named in the full article, reached by clicking on the link

[AgingAmerican]

16. None of the people in the OP or the article call him a "Hero"

Except the author of the article.

[HappyMe]

14. He's neither a hero nor is he a liberal.

He's a right wing asshat.