Sen. Rand Paul is scheduled to ride aboard Air Force One with President Barack Obama during the president's trip to Cincinnati.
Speaking on Laura Ingraham's radio show Thursday morning, Paul said he hopes to speak with Obama on the plane ride and discuss legislation he hopes to introduce that would provide money to mend the nation's ailing bridges,according to the Courier-Journal.
Paul has called Obama's American Jobs Act a "partisan campaign jobs bill" and said he doubts it has a chance of passing Congress.
Paul said, according to CJ, he believes his proposal would shift money from other projects and could attract bipartisan support.
"We can pass this bill within three weeks' time and we can start fixing the nation’s bridges if he truly wants to work with me," Paul said.
Paging Walter Block.
Is he being seduced by the power?
ReplyDeleteRand is doing his best not to be confused with Ron ... sigh
ReplyDeleteI'm still curious to see how Rand Paul's presence in the Senate plays out. I would love to be in that plane to overhear the conversation... as Rand has been calling for the resignation of some of Barack's favorites.
ReplyDeleteThis is pretty sad. I knew Rand wasn't his father, but this sounds like it's typical neocon.
ReplyDeleteThis is a confusing move by Rand.
ReplyDeleteI doubt Rand will do anything to jeopardize his father's campaign. Are Ron's principles thicker than blood? Time will tell. At least Rand is being proactive and offering constructive (no pun intended) alternatives.
ReplyDeleteI think it's hilarious that Obummer has to condescend to allowing Rand to join him on Air Force One. Nice opportunity to steal the limelight.
ReplyDeleteHe is good on some things like the Patriot Act and the 2nd amendment, but horrible on this issue.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure how confusing it truly is if you have been paying attention all along. I had his number called during the campaign.
ReplyDeleteSad, but what are you going to do?
I think he wants to taste the rainbow.
ReplyDeleteRand is playing the political game, and in Kentucky we just had a major bridge shut down on the Indiana-Kentucky border. I personally think its a good move (as far as the political game goes), in line with his fathers proposals to cut overseas to shore up welfare programs at home. Ultimately this is a reduction in spending rather than an increase, that also appeals to the voters at home who want that bridge fixed.
ReplyDeleteNote that in Louisville, this bridge shutdown is being used as a political football to justify the building on another unnecessary bridge at taxpayer expense. If Rand can head that off, I think it is a net positive.
Read what he says.
ReplyDelete"[The emergency fund would be created by diverting about 10 percent of current highway funding, or about $4 billion annually, away from low-priority projects like landscaping and beautification. Projects would be selected from a nationwide priority list, Paul said.
Such a shift would not require new spending, the senator said.
"Let’s fix the bridges that most need it," he said.]"
No, he's not advocating for privatization of roads. That's a shame but unsurprising given the way he's conducted business thus far. He's suggesting that instead of spending more, the government prioritize spending. In doing so, he helps defuse the infrastructure issue by pointing out the govt spends wastefully and that instead of spending more money, we can deal with these things by prioritizing.
He could be selling out but again, this statement doesn't indicate that. Ron Paul advocates diverting money from the wars to pay down social security and medicare. He does not advocate an outright abolition of both programs. This is the same prioritizing argument. Both Pauls are politicians. Don't forget that. Thus far, it just happens that Rand is being far more judicious in choosing his battles.