jct74
05-24-2013, 12:14 PM
I very much doubt that Obama would have made that speech yesterday if Rand had not carried out his 13 hour filibuster and brought Obama's drone policy sharply to the public's attention for the first time ever, so good on Rand for forcing Obama's hand and furthering the conversation on this important issue.
Rand Paul uses 2016 bully pulpit to push Obama on drones
By CAROLINE HORN / CBS NEWS/ May 24, 2013, 6:00 AM
President Obama Thursday gave a sweeping national security speech outlining his approach to fighting global terrorism, the legality of his administration's use of unmanned aircraft to hunt and kill suspected terrorists, and his desire to close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The speech was an hour long and in the middle of it were two sentences aimed squarely at one of his critics: Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.
"For the record, I do not believe it would be constitutional for the government to target and kill any U.S. citizen - with a drone, or a shotgun - without due process," Mr. Obama said. "Nor should any president deploy armed drones over U.S. soil."
Back in March, Paul led a 13-hour filibuster on the Senate floor over just this issue. His concern was that the Obama administration was setting a precedent that the federal government could order the killing of American citizens on U.S. soil without first convicting them in court. Indeed, this week Attorney General Eric Holder officially confirmed that four U.S. citizens, including terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki, had been killed in overseas drone strikes. In his speech Thursday, the president justified these killings by asserting that "when a U.S. citizen goes abroad to wage war against America...his citizenship should no more serve as a shield than a sniper shooting down on an innocent crowd should be protected from a swat team."
The president's remarks illustrate how effectively Paul is using his position as a conservative star and possible presidential candidate to further his favorite issues. Most 2016 contenders demur when asked about their political ambitions (See Jeb Bush). Many try to fly under the radar of the national press completely (See Andrew Cuomo). Not Rand Paul. At a breakfast sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor last month, Paul admitted he was considering a run - and added that just thinking about it served a purpose.
...
read more:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57585995/rand-paul-uses-2016-bully-pulpit-to-push-obama-on-drones/
Rand Paul uses 2016 bully pulpit to push Obama on drones
By CAROLINE HORN / CBS NEWS/ May 24, 2013, 6:00 AM
President Obama Thursday gave a sweeping national security speech outlining his approach to fighting global terrorism, the legality of his administration's use of unmanned aircraft to hunt and kill suspected terrorists, and his desire to close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The speech was an hour long and in the middle of it were two sentences aimed squarely at one of his critics: Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.
"For the record, I do not believe it would be constitutional for the government to target and kill any U.S. citizen - with a drone, or a shotgun - without due process," Mr. Obama said. "Nor should any president deploy armed drones over U.S. soil."
Back in March, Paul led a 13-hour filibuster on the Senate floor over just this issue. His concern was that the Obama administration was setting a precedent that the federal government could order the killing of American citizens on U.S. soil without first convicting them in court. Indeed, this week Attorney General Eric Holder officially confirmed that four U.S. citizens, including terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki, had been killed in overseas drone strikes. In his speech Thursday, the president justified these killings by asserting that "when a U.S. citizen goes abroad to wage war against America...his citizenship should no more serve as a shield than a sniper shooting down on an innocent crowd should be protected from a swat team."
The president's remarks illustrate how effectively Paul is using his position as a conservative star and possible presidential candidate to further his favorite issues. Most 2016 contenders demur when asked about their political ambitions (See Jeb Bush). Many try to fly under the radar of the national press completely (See Andrew Cuomo). Not Rand Paul. At a breakfast sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor last month, Paul admitted he was considering a run - and added that just thinking about it served a purpose.
...
read more:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57585995/rand-paul-uses-2016-bully-pulpit-to-push-obama-on-drones/