Front Page of Yahoo Again: Rand Paul: WH criticism of BP sounds 'un-American'

[bobbyw24]

WASHINGTON – Kentucky's Republican Senate candidate Rand Paul is criticizing President Barack Obama's handling of the gulf oil debacle as putting "his boot heel on the throat of BP."

Paul says Obama's criticism of the oil company sounds like an attack on business and "really un-American."

In an interview Friday on ABC's "Good Morning America," Paul says the president's response is part of the "blame game" that's played in the U.S. Paul said that leads to the thinking that tragic incidents are "always someone's fault" and added, sometimes accidents just happen.

Paul began the interview on the defensive when GMA host George Stephanopoulos tried to clarify Paul's position on whether civil rights laws should apply to private businesses. Paul, who won the Kentucky GOP primary Tuesday, asked when his honeymoon with the media started.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100521/...e/us_rand_paul

[paulaholic]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100521/...e/us_rand_paul

[sailingaway]

WASHINGTON – Kentucky's Republican Senate candidate Rand Paul is criticizing President Barack Obama's handling of the gulf oil debacle as putting "his boot heel on the throat of BP."

Paul says Obama's criticism of the oil company sounds like an attack on business and "really un-American."

In an interview Friday on ABC's "Good Morning America," Paul says the president's response is part of the "blame game" that's played in the U.S. Paul said that leads to the thinking that tragic incidents are "always someone's fault" and added, sometimes accidents just happen.

Paul began the interview on the defensive when GMA host George Stephanopoulos tried to clarify Paul's position on whether civil rights laws should apply to private businesses. Paul, who won the Kentucky GOP primary Tuesday, asked when his honeymoon with the media started.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100521/...e/us_rand_paul

Well, that's not going to hurt him in Kentucky. It's just common sense.

The finger pointing to deflect blame when maybe it is something good people just didn't anticipate rather than just paying to clean it up (BP) and figuring if standards could prevent it in the future leads to those lofty sounding bills with the horrible unintended consequences being rushed through.

Before Rand pulls back or qualifies really good things he says, he should remember that over 70% of GOP per Rasmussen think their leadership is out of touch with the base.

[angelatc]

I liked it when he said that. He's absolutely right. Obama's initial reaction to every crisis is to viciously attack somebody.

[Bruno]

video of interview in this thread

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=245877

[Bruno]

sorry, duplicate post

[jmdrake]

I wish Rand would quit using the "honeymoon" joke. He had his honeymoon already during the primary where he was pretty much left alone by the MSM. The Palin deal plus the tea party backing kept attacks from Fox off the table. And since his opponent was making attacks (mostly) from the right MSNBC and others had little interest. It's a different ballgame now.

[Cowlesy]

merged dup threads.

[sailingaway]

I wish Rand would quit using the "honeymoon" joke. He had his honeymoon already during the primary where he was pretty much left alone by the MSM. The Palin deal plus the tea party backing kept attacks from Fox off the table. And since his opponent was making attacks (mostly) from the right MSNBC and others had little interest. It's a different ballgame now.

He is pointing out to people that the media was poised to jump down his throat the second he won the nomination. And nitwit saying 'I'm only discussing issues that arise in the campaign' as if Rand ever ONCE brought up the civil rights act of 1964 himself....

[ssforronpaul]

I wish Rand would quit using the "honeymoon" joke. He had his honeymoon already during the primary where he was pretty much left alone by the MSM. The Palin deal plus the tea party backing kept attacks from Fox off the table. And since his opponent was making attacks (mostly) from the right MSNBC and others had little interest. It's a different ballgame now.

It is a joke as you said to lighten the situation up and allow people to feel a connection with him as a person. It is to break any hostility one feels toward him because of the MSM. Most good speakers do it when they begin speaking.


ssforronpaul

[Cowlesy]

Rand locking up with the White House.

I'm behind you Rand, git'm!!

[specsaregood]

It is a joke as you said to lighten the situation up and allow people to feel a connection with him as a person. It is to break any hostility one feels toward him because of the MSM. Most good speakers do it when they begin speaking.

ssforronpaul

I think it is a lame "joke" but sure. I'd have to watch the interview again, but he did do an EXCELLENT job at the beginning of that interview of lightening it up and changing the tone, good mojo. Caught me off guard how naturally he did it.

[specsaregood]

Rand locking up with the White House.

I'm behind you Rand, git'm!!

I hope that whitehouse spokesman takes the bait again like he did with the whole civil rights bruhaha. That is what we want. We want the KY voters to think of it as Rand Vs. Obama.

[sirgonzo420]

I hope that whitehouse spokesman takes the bait again like he did with the whole civil rights bruhaha. That is what we want. We want the KY voters to think of it as Rand Vs. Obama.

Yep.

[angelatc]

Rand locking up with the White House.

I'm behind you Rand, git'm!!

Unbelievable that he actually got attention from the White House. No better way to win this election than to make himself Obama's sworn enemy.

[Cowlesy]

Unbelievable that he actually got attention from the White House. No better way to win this election than to make himself Obama's sworn enemy.

AP Radio News updates on satellite talk radio mention his attack on the White House this morning about BP as saying the WH is attacking Private Businesses.

[specsaregood]

AP Radio News updates on satellite talk radio mention his attack on the White House this morning about BP as saying the WH is attacking Private Businesses.

If he manages to get another response from the WH, I think some are going to realize Rand is no political-gamesman lightweight.

[jmdrake]

He is pointing out to people that the media was poised to jump down his throat the second he won the nomination. And nitwit saying 'I'm only discussing issues that arise in the campaign' as if Rand ever ONCE brought up the civil rights act of 1964 himself....

The issue arose out of the campaign because Rand's opponent brought it up. It's naive to think that the media isn't going to ask you to respond to an attack by your opponent. When Rand was interviewed by the blogger Mica Sims she asked him about the BS Grayson attacks about abortion also. The difference was that was clearly a friendly interview. Really the only thing that's surprising about any of this is that people are surprised. A few months ago people were crowing about how much better of a candidate Rand was than his father or than Medina, not realizing he simply hadn't been attacked by the media yet.

That said, after watching the interview itself I think he did a good job. And yeah I can see the "icebreaker - joke" angle. But if Rand and everyone else doesn't brace themselves and realize what's happening now is the "norm" and the primary was the exception then we're in for a rude awakening.

[MRoCkEd]

This is great.
Now they need to ask Conway if he agrees that Obama's actions were unamerican.

[squarepusher]

is rand siding with BP? may not be the wisest move all things considered

[specsaregood]

I think it is a lame "joke" but sure. I'd have to watch the interview again, but he did do an EXCELLENT job at the beginning of that interview of lightening it up and changing the tone, good mojo. Caught me off guard how naturally he did it.

Ok, I watched it again.
He laughed, in reply to Georgie saying, "we're just asking the questions that come up in the context of this campaign" and he laughed at him for that. It was his laugh, it was very infectious for the viewer I think.

[specsaregood]

is rand siding with BP? may not be the wisest move all things considered

I got the impression he was siding against "the blame game", not with BP.

[Cowlesy]

is rand siding with BP? may not be the wisest move all things considered

He didn't side with BP. But when Secretary of Energy Ken Salazaar says he's keeping his boot on BP's neck, he thinks that's idiotic.

BP didn't say, "Hey! Let's kill eleven of our workers, blow-up an oil rig, and gush millions of barrels of oil into the ocean."

This is going to ruin their business. I don't think they'll ever recover from it. They're self-insured because of the massive risk of what they do. When you see they have "$6.5 billion in profits in Q1," that's not $6.5 billion in cash profit, but accounting profit.

Before this is over, BP's liability is going to be so massive that they'll be selling assets to raise cash to pay the settlements. I doubt it'll last as a viable enterprise, will probably enter bankruptcy, and it's U.S. assets placed into receivership by the U.S. government (BP is a British company).



Rand said that accidents happen. There is no need to kick BP when they're down. He also didn't say that the EPA didn't have a role, as he believed there need to be some sort of regulations on international waters.

[Ethek]

is rand siding with BP? may not be the wisest move all things considered

BPs motives were profits. They could not directly cap the well to start with because regulations dictate that a capped well is a dead well. They were trying to cap it so that it could remain a viable well for thier investment. Non of the half measures were working. If I understand correctly I think if they had been allowed to cap it to start with they would reopen it when they could and all would be done with by now.


I think Rand should call for using a small tactical nuclear weapon to seal off the sea floor.

[low preference guy]

I wish Rand would quit using the "honeymoon" joke. He had his honeymoon already during the primary where he was pretty much left alone by the MSM. The Palin deal plus the tea party backing kept attacks from Fox off the table. And since his opponent was making attacks (mostly) from the right MSNBC and others had little interest. It's a different ballgame now.

it's fine. just a chance to let the public see him smiling. it disarms them.

[itshappening]

Rand's defense of capitalism and business may attract some good donors i.e corporate donors who believe in free markets rather than donors looking for something off him .

[RforRevolution]

This is full attack mode, huh? That's twice this morning that's he's on the front page of Yahoo!.

[sailingaway]

The article mistates what happened. Rand didn't say they were putting a bootheel on the throat of BP, that was the incendiary language of the administration, and Rand was saying that sort of blame before the facts were known wasn't helpful.

[Juan McCain]

This is full attack mode, huh? That's twice this morning that's he's on the front page of Yahoo!.

Rand Paul v. the White House . . . great place to start from, it can be the daily political news, a great boost to the US Senate campaign.
And hopefully a few more years of this during the Ron Paul 2012 campaign against BO.

[Inkblots]

I liked it when he said that. He's absolutely right. Obama's initial reaction to every crisis is to viciously attack somebody.

I agree with this completely.