Stand With Rand! (UPDATED)
The country is still abuzz this morning with talk of Senator Rand Paul’s historic nearly 13-hour filibuster. We’ll be talking more about it throughout the day, sharing headlines and commentary, as well as posting hour-by-hour (unofficial) transcripts of Senator Paul’s speech.While you’re here, sign your “Stand with Rand” petition and take a moment to contact your senators to urge them to both “Stand with Rand” and oppose John Brennan’s nomination until the administration answers Senator Paul’s question of whether or not the administration can use lethal force on American citizens on U.S. soil.
The cause picked up a lot of momentum yesterday, as #StandWithRand at one point was the top trending topic worldwide on twitter. Now it’s up to us to keep it going!
Also worth noting, of the Senators who dined with Obama yesterday, several found their way back to the Senate floor to stand with Rand, including Sens. Toomey (PA), and Johnson (WI). Notably absent from the floor, however, was Senators Graham and McCain who instead decided to bash Senator Paul’s filibuster and vehemently spoke out against him on the Senate floor this morning.
Speech Transcripts and Video: (Thanks to Senator Paul’s staff for compiling the transcript and video footage – additional footage and transcripts will be added once available.)
Hour 1: Transcript, Video
Hour 2: Transcript, Video
Hour 3: Transcript, Video
Hour 4: Transcript, Video
Hour 5: Transcript, Video
Hour 6: Transcript, Video
Hour 7: Transcript, Video
Hour 8: Transcript, Video
Hour 9: Transcript, Video
Hour 10: Transcript, Video
Hour 11: Transcript, Video
Hour 12: Transcript, Video
If you don’t have time to sift through the entire filibuster and you missed it live yesterday, The Atlantic‘s Conor Friedersdorf (whom Rand cited repeatedly on the floor yesterday) compiled a great “cliff notes” edition to hit on the main points.
UPDATE: Rand’s heroic stand yesterday finally got the response it deserved from AG Eric Holder. In a brief letter, posted below, Holder said “No,” the President doesn’t have authority to kill an American on U.S. soil.
http://www.campaignforliberty.org/national-blog/stand-with-rand/
Published on Mar 7, 2013
US Senator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky)
began a filibuster on the floor of the US Capitol Building on Wednesday
with the intention of halting President Barack Obama's nominee for the
position of CIA director. Sen. Paul took the floor just shy of 12 noon
and told colleagues that he would speak out against the president's pick
for as long as he had to in order to prevent the appointment from being
finalized. He continued for thirteen hours, gaining support from
members of both major political parties. Sen. Paul said that the use of
unmanned aerial vehicles to execute US citizens without a trial — was
one that was so polarizing that lawmakers from both sides of the aisle
couldn't help but align on his team.
