Just when you thought this Drone debate couldn’t take any more twist and turns, you haven’t been paying attention to your United States Congress lately.
For 13-hours, Sen. Rand Paul babbled on and on about the Obama Administrations position on the Drone Program and its possible effects on the American citizens rights. Sen. Paul even placed actress Jane Fonda into the mix by stating Obama could even target her, given the fact that she once spoke out against the United States in the 1960’s during the Vietnam War. His publicity stunt was received glowingly by many of his Republican brothers and has been on every television news outlet, both cable and local.
But two of his colleagues were not amused.
Sen. John McCain and his tag team partner, Sen. Lindsey Graham weighed in on their fellow Senator’s Filibustering act in their session today, with not so flattering and outright disapproval of Paul’s ranting. Sen. McCain said;
“If Mr. Paul wants to be taken seriously, he needs to do more than pull political stunts that fire up impressionable libertarian kids in college dorms.”
McCain even called Paul’s assertions of the Drone Program, “unfounded”. Continuing, McCain added;
“To somehow say that someone who disagrees with American policy and even may demonstrate against it, is somehow a member of an organization which makes that individual an enemy combatant is simply false.”
Jane Fonda is now off the hit list. (Sign of relief from Ms. Fonda).
As Sen. McCain yielded to his partner, Sen. Graham took on Sen. Paul with an awesome display of, well, let’s just say, verbal corporal punishment. He began his speech with the normal rhetoric of downing the Presidents agendas including Obamacare but then, he did a complete 180 degree turn, comparing of all people, President Bush’s drone program in taking out the ‘enemy’. He stated that President Obama’s approach is completely parallel to his predecessor. Graham politely challenged the room by stating, “To my Republican colleagues, I don’t remember any of you coming down here suggesting that President Bush was going to kill anybody with a drone, do you?” Graham said. “They had a drone program back then, all of a sudden this drone program has gotten every Republican so spun up. What are we up to here?”
Ok, after I picked myself up from off the floor, shook my head to get the cobwebs out and did a double-take to make sure I wasn’t dreaming, I actually applauded Sen. Graham for his boldness in setting Paul and the rest of his Party straight. For a brief moment, we actually witnessed bipartisanship and it was beautiful.
Senator Paul has been on Fox News often, spreading so much far-right wing stench, that it was nauseating. And yesterday, for 13-hours, I believe he thought he was going to score party points and justify his ‘position’ in the Grand Old Party. Well this time, it may have backfired. It was great to see Senior Senators of his party stand up in support of the President for once, and gave Paul a Public Butt Kicking.
Well deserved, well said and long overdue. Oh, and Sen. Paul, this Too will be Televised.
Stand by Ted Cruz. After Paul shellacking, you’re on notice.
