My Coffee Klatch With Rand Paul

[jct74]

My Coffee Klatch With Rand Paul
The Kentucky small-l libertarian (and likely presidential candidate) talks with P.J. O’Rourke about philosophy, money, and hopelessness.

P. J. O’Rourke
09.27.14

The office of Senator Rand Paul, advocate of limited government, is in the Russell Senate Office Building — monumentally huge, forbidding, and labyrinthine to the extent that I got lost three times trying to find him.

Senators and their staffers used to fit into the Capital Building, which is, you’d think, monumentally huge enough for any 100 dignitaries. But according to the Senate Historical Office website, “With the steady growth of legislative business… Congress has constantly struggled to create sufficient workspace.”

Construction of the Russell Building began in 1906 during the “Progressive” Era. Until 1972 it was called simply The Senate Office Building – SOB for short. Then the SOB was named for one, Sen. Richard Russell, who represented Georgia from 1933 until 1971 and was notable mostly for support of segregation.

I said to Sen. Paul, “I don’t know if what I need is an interview or a socio-political therapy session. Libertarian political principles must be applicable to practical politics or what are political principals for? But I’m not feeling it. I’m deeply conflicted. Although I know you’re not that kind of doctor.”

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read more:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/article...rand-paul.html

[RonZeplin]

Republicans are traditional. But tradition can be boring. Libertarianism spices things up. Republicans have to either adapt, evolve, or die. They either have to water [down] their message -- or extend liberty.”I walked back to my hotel in a cheerful mood. And the longer the mood lasted the more it alarmed me. Did I want an exorcism? I’ve been politically engaged, as they call it, for 50 years – since I went with high school friends to picket Barry Goldwater for fear he’d get us into a war in Southeast Asia or something.

An LBJ yute, who could have guessed?

[specsaregood]

Gonna have to reuse this one as well:

“If I try to be a pretty good libertarian I get attacked by the left, by the right, and by the libertarians.” --Sen. Paul
http://www.thedailybeast.com/article...rand-paul.html

[Inkblots]

Gonna have to reuse this one as well:

“If I try to be a pretty good libertarian I get attacked by the left, by the right, and by the libertarians.” --Sen. Paul
http://www.thedailybeast.com/article...rand-paul.html

It's funny because it's true!

[CaptUSA]

This should get more views...

One of my favorite contemporary writers and Rand Paul. Good times.

Sen. Paul has been getting a dunking in the media for his flip-flops on foreign policy. To my mind this is nothing compared to the flip-flops done lately by foreigners. (Foreigners being something foreign policy has to take into account.) NATO ally Turkey has flipped – opposing us against ISIS. Iran has flopped – opposing ISIS against us. Assad, the Syrians who hate him, and Iraqi Sunni tribesmen are all flipping and flopping. Our foreign policy canoe is filled to the gunnels with catch-and-release trout armed with AK-47s. I’m not surprised a senator – or even a president – has changed his mind about giving these fishy characters a whack on the head with the paddle.