By Douglas V. Gibbs
The Republican Party in California is having their convention this weekend, and among the speakers tonight was Rand Paul. On stage, the U.S. Senator, and son of former presidential republican candidate, Ron Paul, immediately targeted the anti-constitutional posture of President Barack Obama.
In Article II, Section 3 of the United States Constitution the President of the United States is tasked with taking "Care that the Laws be faithfully executed."
In the final clause of Article II, Section 1 the oath of office the President is required to recite reads, "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States."
Rand Paul, a presidential hopeful for the Republican Party in 2016, says that President Obama fails to follow those constitutional requirements, and is a lawless president. As a featured speaker at the California Republican convention, Paul blasted President Obama and potential Democratic nominee Hillary Rodham Clinton as insufficient present or future commanders-in-chief.
He accused Obama of confounding the Constitution when he expanded Obamacare, moved against overseas targets without specific congressional authorization, and announced plans — since delayed until after the midterm elections in an obvious political move (while blaming Murrieta supposed protesters' partisan actions as the reason he had to delay his unconstitutional executive actions) — to use executive action to change the nation’s immigration laws.
“It is a terrible tragedy, it is a danger to us as a country, and we need to do everything we can to stop him from abusing our laws,” Paul said. He said later, "We have a president who basically has created a lawless atmosphere in Washington.”
Speaking about Clinton, he used her famous 2008 primary ad, to argue that she, like Obama, failed answering a national security phone call about a middle-of-the-night crisis:
“I think she had a 3 a.m. moment. She didn’t answer the phone, and I think it absolutely should preclude her from being [president],” he said after detailing what he termed her failings leading up to the 2012 attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya.
Paul also argued the GOP needs to broaden, the party needs to look more like America. The writer at the L.A. Times took that to mean he was saying that the Republican should pander to various groups, but that is not what he meant. Ronald Reagan taught us that you don't broaden the appeal of the Republican Party by targeting or pandering to groups, but by producing an American message that appeals to all Americans, regardless of any group they may be a member of.
In other words, conservatism wins.
Rand Paul then targeted specific issues, such as the NSA’s mining of data from cell phones.
“What you say or do on your cell phone is none of the government’s damn business,” he said.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
RAND PAUL BLISTERS OBAMA AND CLINTON - Los Angeles Times
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