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Paul fires back: Sens. McCain, Graham think 'whole world is a battlefield'
The Hill ^ | March 7, 2013 | Daniel Strauss

Posted on 03/07/2013 12:51:49 PM PST by jazusamo

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) blasted fellow GOP Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Thursday, saying the two “think the whole world is a battlefield.”

Paul criticized the hawkish senators for thinking the laws of war should take precedence over the Bill of Rights. The two had criticized Paul’s statements about drone policy during the Kentucky Republican’s 13-hour filibuster on Thursday.

“They think the whole world is a battlefield including America and that the laws of war should apply,” Paul said in an interview on Fox News about McCain and Graham, who had described Paul’s comments about drones as “ridiculous.”

“The laws of war don't involve due process so when they ask you for an attorney you tell them to shut up. That's not my understanding of the way America works,” Paul told Fox. “I don't think the laws of war apply to America, I think the Bill of Rights do and I think it's a disservice to our soldiers that our senators up there arguing that the Bill of Rights aren't important.

Paul said whether drones can be used against U.S. citizens on U.S. soil is a “very serious question” and was at the root of Wednesday’s filibuster, which delayed a final confirmation vote on John Brennan, President Obama’s nominee to lead the CIA.

“This was a very serious question. It was a question that took a month and a half to get an answer to and I so I would argue and I think a lot of the public would agree with me, both on the right and the left, that what we ask was a very serious question and it's a question that we finally got an answer to,” Paul said.

Attorney General Eric Holder on Thursday responded to Paul in a letter that said the U.S. does not have the authority to conduct a drone attack against a U.S. citizen on American soil.

“Hooray, for 13 hours yesterday we asked them that question. And so there is a result and a victory,” Paul said after the letter was read to him during the Fox interview. “Under duress and under public humiliation the White House will respond and do the right thing.”

The answer just took a filibuster that lasted almost half a day, Paul added.

“So now, after 13 hours of filibuster, we're proud to announce that the president is not going to kill unarmed Americans on American soil,” Paul continued. “My next question is why did it take so long, why is it so hard and why would a president so jealously guard power that they were afraid to say this but I am glad and I think that the answer does answer my question.”


TOPICS: Breaking News; Constitution/Conservatism; Government; News/Current Events; US: Arizona; US: Kentucky; US: South Carolina; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: arizona; battlefield; billofrights; collaborator; ericholder; graham; johnmccain; kentucky; lindseygraham; mccain; randpaul; randpaulfilibuster; randpaulinterview; randsconcerntrolls; rino; southcarolina; standwithrand; waronterror
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McCain and Graham have to go, they're both kissing Obama's behind.
1 posted on 03/07/2013 12:51:52 PM PST by jazusamo
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To: jazusamo

Graham and McCain are getting trashed on twitter and facebook. Demolished!


2 posted on 03/07/2013 12:55:07 PM PST by isthisnickcool (Sharia? No thanks!)
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To: jazusamo
Attorney General Eric Holder on Thursday responded to Paul in a letter that said the U.S. does not have the authority to conduct a drone attack against a U.S. citizen on American soil

They'll just have to keep killing U.S. citizens on American soil by less spectacularly visible methods.

3 posted on 03/07/2013 12:55:46 PM PST by Pan_Yan
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To: jazusamo
According to Pat Benatar LOVE is a battlefield. ;)
4 posted on 03/07/2013 12:56:04 PM PST by allmendream (Tea Party did not send GOP to D.C. to negotiate the terms of our surrender to socialism)
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To: jazusamo
“They think the whole world is a battlefield including America and that the laws of war should apply,”

Well, Paul, when the second Civil War begins, the whole of America WILL be a battlefield, and the laws of war WILL Apply. Becareful how you word your statements. The problem isn't one of the entire world being a battlefield, but one where this Pres__ent believes he can order the death of Americans on his word alone.

5 posted on 03/07/2013 12:57:11 PM PST by SoldierDad (Proud dad of an Army Soldier who has survived 24 months of Combat deployment.)
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To: jazusamo
“They think the whole world is a battlefield including America and that the laws of war should apply,”

He's absolutely correct and I'll even go further and say that America and the world would be better off with both of them retired. They've never seen a war they didn't like and we need some Reaganesque restraint when it comes to war.
6 posted on 03/07/2013 12:57:18 PM PST by cripplecreek (REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)
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To: jazusamo
“So now, after 13 hours of filibuster, we're proud to announce that the president is not going to kill unarmed Americans on American soil,” Paul continued. “My next question is why did it take so long, why is it so hard and why would a president so jealously guard power that they were afraid to say this but I am glad and I think that the answer does answer my question.”

It takes time to draw up the (classified, natch.) E.O. to form the office of dissident elimination and pick out another czar...

Of course Obama won't do it. One of his pet underlings will.

7 posted on 03/07/2013 1:00:18 PM PST by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing)
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To: isthisnickcool

Good!


8 posted on 03/07/2013 1:00:18 PM PST by jazusamo ("Mercy to the guilty is cruelty to the innocent." -- Adam Smith)
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To: Pan_Yan

Yeah - I would have widened out the subject. They did talk about it during the fillibuster, but it needs to be set in writing. Although it probably doesn’t matter. Some piece of paper isn’t going to stop them. Heck - the Constitution doesn’t stop them.


9 posted on 03/07/2013 1:01:01 PM PST by 21twelve ("We've got the guns, and we got the numbers" adapted and revised from Jim M.)
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To: cripplecreek

...Globalist world view. We are all suspects, that need to be monitored


10 posted on 03/07/2013 1:02:33 PM PST by opentalk
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To: opentalk

One great thing about the old style filibuster is the fact that it wasn’t tied to one tiny part of one issue like standard floor debate.

Paul spoke primarily about the ability to kill at will. The senator from Wyoming talked about the privacy issues at length. Ted Cruz spoke a lot about states rights vs federal rights.


11 posted on 03/07/2013 1:07:48 PM PST by cripplecreek (REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)
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To: jazusamo

Graham and McCain both suffer from the same liberal blindspot of the assumption of benevolence of government officials.


12 posted on 03/07/2013 1:09:08 PM PST by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
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To: jazusamo
Winners: Paul, Cruz, Rubio, TEA Party

Losers: MeCain, Graham, Rove, RINOS

13 posted on 03/07/2013 1:10:56 PM PST by TexasCajun
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To: Pan_Yan
Holder actually said something quite different from what the article says. Here's what Holder's letter to Paul actually said:

"It has come to my attention that you have now asked an additional question: 'Does the President have the authority to use a weaponized drone to kill an American not engaged in combat on American soil?' The answer to that question is no." (Bolding added.)

The caveat "not engaged in combat" is a loophole big enough to fly a formation of drones through.
14 posted on 03/07/2013 1:11:10 PM PST by USFRIENDINVICTORIA
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To: jazusamo

The Great War for the Heart and Soul of the GOP has begun!


15 posted on 03/07/2013 1:12:41 PM PST by dfwgator
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To: cripplecreek

I am heartened to see the perpetual-war-everywhere mindset starting to die out on Free Republic.


16 posted on 03/07/2013 1:15:25 PM PST by Notary Sojac (Ut veniant omnes)
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To: jazusamo
While the Old Bulls Went Out to Dinner, the New Kids in Town Threw a Filibuster Party

-Rush Limbaugh-

17 posted on 03/07/2013 1:16:02 PM PST by TexasCajun
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To: jazusamo

There was just nothing wrong with what Rand Paul did it’s offensive that McCain is trying to score points with some nonexistent constituency at the expense of another senator. Why even do this? McCain’s ego is preposterous. Does he think the citizens of Kentucky sent him to the senate?


18 posted on 03/07/2013 1:16:13 PM PST by Andrei Bulba (No Obama, no way)
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To: jazusamo

I have not been a big follower of the Senate on Cspan recently. I’ve been watching it today and the Dems make me ill. Global warming, etc.

We would be much better if if they all left Washington and went home.


19 posted on 03/07/2013 1:20:09 PM PST by isthisnickcool (Sharia? No thanks!)
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To: Notary Sojac

I’m not anti war by any means but I see no reason to spend decades at war and no reason at all to be involved in other nations internal conflicts.

War is an expensive business.


20 posted on 03/07/2013 1:20:19 PM PST by cripplecreek (REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)
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