Rand Paul's Political Suicide

By Douglas V. Gibbs

I have been a big fan of Rand Paul since he first emerged on the political scene.  Rarely do we find ourselves in the company of politicians that understand the original intent of the United States Constitution.  All but once, Rand Paul has voted in a manner that shows his political prowess regarding the Constitution.  Then, all of a sudden, he has committed a cardinal sin, and has teamed up with those calling for amnesty.  If the GOP, or any members of the Republican Party, surrender and give up on the illegal alien issue, it is political suicide for those people, and the party.

Senator Rand Paul's announcement to join a lobby effort by the establishment to "reform" immigration laws and our immigration system is an attempt to wade into waters that have proved perilous to many of his republican colleagues.  The announcement followed Paul's participation in a telephone conference call with members of a pro-immigration reform group and reporters in an effort brokered by anti-tax activist Grover Norquist.

Rand Paul's possible bid for President in 2016 could now be in jeopardy, and this decision to toy with the concept of immigration reform comes only one day after House Majority Leader Eric Cantor was beaten in the Virginia Republican primary in favor of a little-known college professor specifically over the illegal alien issue.

Mr. Cantor was the second high-profile Republican to suffer political damage by stepping forward on the immigration issue. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, another potential presidential contender, lost the support of his tea party base when he advocated a plan for immigration that some argued created a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants.

Rand Paul's staff insists that the Senator does not support amnesty.

“He has never advocated for amnesty in any other forum,” said spokesman Brian Darling. “As a matter of fact, Sen. Paul offered an amendment on the immigration bill last year to strengthen border security by forcing annual votes in Congress before any benefits from the bill were authorized.”

Paul's push to the middle on the issue is very unpopular with the Tea Party, who fear the current efforts in Congress to compromise on the issue will only lead to de facto amnesty for illegal immigrants.

A part of the argument to defend Paul's decision is that he is infiltrating the establishment, working to influence the republican drive for capitulation to the liberal left amnesty supporters, but many conservatives views his association with people like Norquist as him being an establishment sympathizer that has turned against the Tea Party that has supported him for so long.

Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, another Tea Party favorite, has made it clear that he plans to make Republicans uncomfortable if they gravitate toward amnesty.

Mr. Cruz said on Wednesday that the Virginia election that resulted in the ouster of Eric Cantor was a wake-up call to any elected official who goes against their constituencies’ wishes.

“That election is a lesson to every elected official that if we don’t listen to the people who elected us, our tenure here is limited,” the freshman Republican said.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary

Rand Paul throws weight behind immigration reform effort - Washington Times