Posted on 05/22/2010 6:29:05 AM PDT by Walter Scott Hudson
Kentucky Senate candidate Rand Paul has generated controversy over remarks regarding the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The drama culminated during an appearance on Rachel Maddow's show on MSNBC where Paul stated, had he been in office at the time, he would have worked to change Title II of the bill, the part which entitles all persons to "full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, and accommodations of any place of public accommodation... without discrimination on the ground of race, color, religion, or national origin." Paul expressed his belief that Title II is an encroachment upon private ownership rights.
The resulting hubbub has included Paul canceling a scheduled appearance on "Meet the Press" this Sunday. "I think [Paul] just had a long week and seems to not want to talk any more or keep his commitment," NBC executive producer Betsy Fischer told the Huffington Post.
In a statement released since the Maddow appearance, Paul states:
I believe we should work to end all racism in American society and staunchly defend the inherent rights of every person. I have clearly stated in prior interviews that I abhor racial discrimination and would have worked to end segregation. Even though this matter was settled when I was 2, and no serious people are seeking to revisit it except to score cheap political points, I unequivocally state that I will not support any efforts to repeal the Civil Rights Act of 1964.Let me be clear: I support the Civil Rights Act because I overwhelmingly agree with the intent of the legislation, which was to stop discrimination in the public sphere and halt the abhorrent practice of segregation and Jim Crow laws.
Paul would have been well-advised to make his appearance on "Meet the Press" and defend his position. Paul went out of his way on Maddow's show to unequivocally state his opposition to racism and institutional discrimination. Those comments have been ignored in favor of leveraging his libertarian stance to paint him as a reactionary bigot. Paul should not let that stand.
The appearance on "Meet the Press" would provide further opportunity to advocate a sober view of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as opposed to the sacrosanct space it currently occupies. Despite its necessity, the Civil Rights Act was a tragedy. It demonstrated the failure of many people to self-govern. Liberty requires self-governance, the ability to restrain one's self from violating the inalienable rights of others. There is a direct relationship between a people's ability to self-govern and their ability to retain liberty. This is why John Quincy Adams said, "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." In the absence of moral behavior, external government will fill the void; and external government never does the job as well as the internal variety.
Paul could easily make this argument, which is essentially the synthesis of his comments on record. As his campaign proceeds, hopefully he will keep in mind that it is not necessary to win over the antagonistic liberal media, only the plurality of Kentucky voters.
If you own a business or whatever, isn’t it your prerogative to choose who and who not you serve? I don’t get how the federal government thinks it has the authority to tell someone what to do with their private property.
Well, it didn’t take this candidate long to lose the race.
Absolutely he should stand his ground BUT we have to stand behind him. Just like with AZ.
Much as he has a point, look for the inevitable MSM pile on. He needs to get on message and put the regime on defensive. Unfortunately this is an argument he’ll lose in the court of public opinion, simply because the public has been brainwashed for so long into believing the Fed has a right to tell you who you must serve. Rand needs to make his case for abolishing the Dept of Ed , sound monetary policy and libertarian/conservative principles. Stay on message and don’t let the MSM make this statement the defining issue.
Interesting piece, more ‘gotcha’ politics and I think this doesn’t go anywhere but he has to wise up and get his arguments tethered or they will make mince meat out of him.
They will want to paint him as a ‘racist’ and Paul should attack the overuse of this hideously false accusation. What we have learned since the election of Obama, the only Western power to ever elect a black man, is the accusation of “racist” has been made more times then in the entire history of the country. I would submit to a Lexisnexis search but when Chris Matthews calls the Hillary Clinton campaign “racist” I think my point is proved. It is a horrible attack, but to use it in a mendacious and ugly manner that diminishes a true human rights struggle is a sad tragedy. The Left has found it useful to make the accusation a political bludgeon, in a day when America, unlike any power on Earth, elected a black man that this term has to come to the fore to silence any debate is shameful. I am tired of it and it is time that people fight back.
Well then, why should he go on the Sunday's? Nobody watches that crap but true believer liberals and pundits. The more you talk about it the more they talk about it.
Rand Paul is racist because the communists in big media want to kill the Tea Party movement. You can't change their minds or reason with them, you have to defeat them. They are our mortal enemies.
There was a case in NM where a couple of photographers were successfully sued because they didn’t want to photograph a homosexual ‘marriage’. I think that is the approach he should take - just asking “Where does it stop? Why do we have states if everything falls under federal control? Why do we have local school boards if the Dept of Education can run everything?”
But I’m well to the right of most people, so maybe my political advice isn’t the best.
...lose the race....
No, it didn’t take long for the MSM to find a topic to bash this candidate with.
Paul is right: certain parts of those acts passed in the 60s are unconstitutional. Did you know that 11 specified states were singled out and placed under federal supervision when the other 39 were not? That sound like ‘fair and equal’ treatment to you?
Want to take a guess on which 11 states those are?
If you guessed the ‘former Confederacy’, you’d be right. If two local school districts want to re-draw their boundaries in any of these 11 states, they have to first obtain federal approval.
Think about it. Civil Rights went way too far in the ‘60s, and it is way past time for the balance to return.
I wonder if he's ever gone into a truck stop for a meal? There's usually a counter or seating are for truckers only and another for the rest.
By the strict interpretation of the 60's lunch counter, isn't this illegal?
And it didn’t take long for people to start making comments like that. Thanks for helping the drive-by media.
Paul, not being a professional political hack, makes political mistakes. If we say we are fed up with professional politicians (and I am) then we need to be prepared to cut the non professionals some slack.
I didn’t support him in the first place, so take your DBM comments and shove ‘em where the sun doesn’t shine.
“I didn’t support him in the first place, so take your DBM comments and shove ‘em where the sun doesn’t shine.”
Very classy comment./s
I’ll just let your level of class and the tone of your contribution to the debate speak for itself.
Exactly. a case in point is the anti-smoking laws that tell business owners what they may permit on their own property.
All of that is well and good, and totally beside the point. The point is that Paul gave the DBM the ammunition it needed to sink him. WTF was he thinking would happen when he makes a statement like that on RACHEL MADDOW’S show, for God’s sake? Paul might just deserve an award for being one of the stupidest pubs ever.......unless it was deliberate. Anyway, it’ll cost him the race either way. Consider this his “maccac” moment. Why any of you thought he’d be less of a ditz than his father is beyond me. Buncha fools.
KY senate seat buh-bye.
Rand Paul is up by 25 points over his democrat opponent. That gap will widen in the coming months, not shrink. This is Kentucky afterall, not Minnesota.
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