Saturday, November 6, 2010

How Rand Paul Plans to Storm the Senate

He tells WSJ's Matthew Kaminski:

'I don't plan on being bashful," says the next junior senator from Kentucky with an ever-so-mild drawl. "I'm not someone who's sort of still trying to figure out what I believe in. I don't think I'm really open to having Washington change me."...

His first speech on the floor, he promises, will be on "the out-of-control deficit." But since, "as Mark Twain said about the weather, that everybody is talking about it and nobody is doing anything about it," Mr. Paul plans in his first legislative act to introduce a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced federal budget. And, he adds, he'll force a vote on it, too: "People don't like to vote against something that's so incredibly popular." He also wants to look hard at steep cuts in defense and entitlements, the largest chunks of federal outlays, and in one swoop antagonize many Democratic and Republican lawmakers.

Next on his docket are term limits. He jokes that the Soviet Politburo saw more turnover than Capitol Hill. He also wants to "sunset" all regulations until approved by Congress. "Let them write all the regulations they want," he says. "They do anyway, but in two years they're gone unless they get voted on by Congress."

Another tea party favorite is the Read the Bills Act, which he's keen to move on. He wants a "one-day waiting period for every 20 pages" of a proposed bill. I must betray a smile. "People laugh," he says. "But they need smaller bills and they need time to read bills." This is supposed to be an incentive.

He says that the public stands behind this reformist agenda. Tuesday's Republican sweep, he says, reflects "concerns about the debt and . . . an out-of-touch Washington."
The full interview is here.

1 comment:

  1. "I'm not someone who's sort of still trying to figure out what I believe in. I don't think I'm really open to having Washington change me."

    Haha, this guy is so naive. So, I am sure he hasn't had to compromise his principles, not even once, already just to get where he's gotten?

    He sounds like some presidential candidate on the campaign trail: "When I get into office, no one will stop me, I will be a dictator, a dictator for the good, and I will singlehandedly reform everything and not be corrupted!"

    Can't wait to watch this innocence get lost. Question is, will the deluded Rand Paul supporters come to terms with reality when Rand Paul does? Or will they try to keep the hope alive, the hope that something good, voluntary and pure can come out of something so evil, involuntary and corrupt as government, whatever it's form?

    ReplyDelete