Rand Paul on NPR's On Point w/ guest host John Harwood 8/6/13

[jct74]

David Boaz from Cato and Molly Ball from The Atlantic discuss libertarianism at the beginning of the hour, then Rand Paul comes on at 29:00 for the rest of the hour. The host John Harwood from CNBC tries to focus the conversation on Jack Hunter (starting at 35:35) but then Rand promptly shuts him down.

http://onpoint.wbur.org/2013/08/06/rand-paul

mp3:
http://podcastdownload.npr.org/anon.npr-podcasts/podcast/330/510053/209559873/WBUR_209559873.mp3



tube of Hunter exchange:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=W3JJzLnYuQs

[anaconda]

Harwood surprisingly clueless on the polls regarding NSA spying (around 16:00 or so).

[anaconda]

I think Rand Paul put prospective interviewers on notice. Rand was not taking any innuendo from Harwood.

[neoreactionary]

Harwood surprisingly clueless on the polls regarding NSA spying (around 16:00 or so).

I think it's more likely that he was just straight-up lying/propagandizing.

[neoreactionary]

I think Rand Paul put prospective interviewers on notice. Rand was not taking any innuendo from Harwood.

Wow, just got to that part of the interview. Very impressive response by Rand, Harwood was really trying to drag things into the mud and got bitch-slapped hard.

[fr33]

He got downright angry in that one.

[mit26chell]

Wow - Rand was really on top of his game in this interview. I wish he would've had these smarts for the 2010 Madcow interview! He shot this asshat down the minute he started bringing up all of the irrelevant garbage.

[neoreactionary]

He got downright angry in that one.

Justifiably so, imo, that Harwood guy was being a giant douche. Not that that's anything out of the ordinary for NPR-tards, but most of the interviews he's done lately have been friendly. It's nice to see that he can handle himself so well in a hostile environment. He's gonna need to do a lot more of that in the lead-up to the general election.

[Lucille]

Rand Paul: “Don’t you have something better to read than a bunch of crap from people who don't like me?"
http://www.economicpolicyjournal.com/2013/08/rand-paul-dont-you-have-something.html


Establishment crony John Harwood went after Rand Paul very aggressively today in an interview on Boston’s NPR station WBUR . Rand was a bit weak in defending his former aide Jack Hunter, but then hit back hard when Harwood wouldn't stop with the nonsense questions.

Harwood, the chief Washington correspondent for CNBC, author of The New York Times’ weekly column The Caucus, and Tuesday’s guest host on the program “On Point," asked Rand:


“What conclusion should people draw from the presence of that former shock-jock Jack Hunter, on your staff who co-authored a book with you, who was identified as the ‘Southern Avenger’?”

The Daily Caller (http://dailycaller.com/2013/08/06/rand-paul-fires-back-at-radio-host-asking-about-jack-hunter-video/#ixzz2bDrKTnGs) continues:


Though Paul insisted that Hunter is no longer a part of his staff, Harwood reiterated the possible presidential candidate’s close associations with Hunter, who even co-authored his book.

Paul responded by emphatically separating himself from his former aide and defending his own credentials, saying that he was not aware of the controversial writings.

“I think some of the things he wrote or many of the things he wrote were stupid and I don’t agree with. They weren’t things I was aware of, or reasons why I hired him,” he told Harwood. “I do think though that he was unfairly treated by the media and he was put up as a target practice for people to say he was a racist, and none of that’s true.”

“He got along fine with everybody in the office, treated everyone fairly, regardless of race or religion, and we have a very varied office staff and backgrounds, so I think that it was just unfair,” Paul said. “But it’s also unfair to paint a broad brush and say that’s who I am, when I should be judged by the things that I’m doing.”

“And I think there is no greater defender, truly, of minority rights, if you include minorities to be color of your skin, or the color of your ideology than myself,” he continued, “because I will stand up there with the most progressive members of the caucus in the Senate and say, ‘You know what, civil liberties are important. They’re important particularly because of some the egregious things that happened in America’s history.’”

Harwood then asked for comment on an excerpt from an article in The Economist that read, “The only notable libertarian-leaning politicians to generate real excitement among conservative voters have risen to prominence through alliances with racist and nativist movements.”

“Don’t you have something better to read than a bunch of crap from people who don’t like me?” an irritated Paul asked. “I mean, that won’t make for much of an interview if I have to sit through, you know, reading after recitation of people calling me a racist.”

“I don’t accept all of that, and I don’t really need to, or spend the time going and talking about that,” Paul added. “If you want to talk about issues and what I stand for, I’m happy to. But I’m not going to really go through an interview reciting and responding to every yayhoo in the world who wants to throw up a canard.”

Harwood again brought about Jack Hunter, and the senator responded, “Well, why don’t we talk about Rand Paul? I’m the one doing the interview and you can go ahead and beat up on an ex-employee of mine, but why don’t we talk about Rand Paul and what I’m trying to do to grow the party, and then we might have an intelligent discussion.”

After Harwood insisted that he was indeed trying to have an intelligent discussion, Paul responded, “Well, you’re not.”

“You think you want to dwell on something, that you want to bring up critical articles from people who don’t like me and don’t support any libertarian ideals,” he continued. “Why don’t we talk about what libertarian Republicanism means and what it would do for the party? Let’s talk about some issues, let’s talk about indefinite detention, let’s talk about aid to Egypt, let’s talk about repatriation of foreign capital so we could redouble our infrastructure which the president asked for last week. Those might be some pertinent topics other than doing ad hominem on me.”

Harwood responded, “Let’s talk about transportation.”

[neoreactionary]

Rand Paul: “Don’t you have something better to read than a bunch of crap from people who don't like me?"
http://www.economicpolicyjournal.com/2013/08/rand-paul-dont-you-have-something.html

lol, speaking of crap from people who don't like Rand Paul . . .

[Mr.NoSmile]

Now that's taking the gloves off and putting folks on the defensive. And best of all, his reasons for it aren't exactly in the wrong. He wants to talk about one thing and while the journalist is supposed to keep the conversation in check, both the interviewer and subject should not always be abrasive to one another. That sort of crap leads to what you got when Dan Rather interviewed Bush I.

[FriedChicken]

npr is a station a lot of independents listen to. I'm glad he went on the show. I think he did awesomely defending himself too.

He did great with the SS and medicare questions.

[ObiRandKenobi]

that whole exchange was hilarious


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3JJzLnYuQs

[anaconda]

Wow, just got to that part of the interview. Very impressive response by Rand, Harwood was really trying to drag things into the mud and got bitch-slapped hard.


He didn't just push back enough to make Harwood tow the line. At the end of the interview he piled on Harwood even more as payback. I think I detected Rand's voice almost shaking a little for quite some time.

[anaconda]

Y'all will like this Harwood interview from Fall 2007 if you never saw it...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DggQlFJ0xc

[neoreactionary]

He didn't just push back enough to make Harwood tow the line. At the end of the interview he piled on Harwood even more as payback. I think I detected Rand's voice almost shaking a little for quite some time.

Yeah, I hafta admit it was fun to hear a pansy-ass leftist pussy get put in his place.

[jtstellar]

arg will probably be in bad mood till october, don't have much stomach for bullshit like this interviewer puts out. his face reminds me of a thinner peter king, something about these effeminate men with square fat in their cheek. they think it's cute or something?