cross-posted at Huffington Post
Today on “Hardball,” Jack Conway charged that Rand Paul wanted to do away with the Civil Rights Act. In fact, Rand Paul’s words to the Courier-Journal, in their editorial board interview, were even more extreme than the paper’s editorial reveal.
The interview that reveals Rand Paul’s views on civil rights was done in April. People have linked to the editorial, but the transcript has not been circulated.
Conway’s charge today on “Hardball” sent me searching. Below is a transcript (the piece below is at the very end of the interview):
Question: Would you have voted for the Civil Rights Act of 1964?
Rand Paul: I like the Civil Rights Act in the sense that it ended discrimination in all public domains and I’m all in favor of that.
Questioner: But…?
Rand Paul: (nervous laugh) You had to ask me the “but.” um.. I don’t like the idea of telling private business owners – I abhor racism – I think it’s a bad business decision to ever exclude anybody from your restaurant. But at the same time I do believe in private ownership. But I think there should be absolutely no discrimination on anything that gets any public funding and that’s most of what the Civil Rights Act was about to my mind.
Questioner: And then it was extended by most to most localities to include all… Would you be in favor of just local–
Rand Paul: On a local basis it might be a little different. The thing is I would speak out in favor of it. (pause) I mean, I look at the speeches of Martin Luther King, and I tell you I become emotional watching the speeches of Martin Luther King. I love it because he was a transformational figure… [...] (goes on to talk about Martin Luther King for a few moments)
Questioner: But under your philosophy it would be okay for Dr. King to not be served at the counter at Woolworths?
Rand Paul: I would not go to that Woolworth’s, and I would stand up in my community and say it’s abhorrent. um… But the hard part, and this is the hard part about believing in freedom is, if you believe in the First Amendment, for example, you to, for example– most good defenders will believe in abhorrent groups standing up and saying awful things, and we’re here at the bastion of newspaperdom (sic) and I’m sure you believe in the First Amendment, so I’m sure you understand people can say bad things. It’s the same way with other behaviors. In a free society we will tolerate boorish people who have abhorrent behavior, but if we’re civilized people we publicly criticize that and don’t belong to those groups or associate with those people.
Questioner: But it’s different with race, certainly a hundred years, discrimination based on race was codified under federal law.
Rand Paul: Exactly, it was institutionalize and that’s why we had to end all of the institutional racism in um.. I was in favor of completely of that …
It’s just stunning.
The current playbook being used by Rand Paul was first used in Virginia by Bob McDonnell, regardless of whether they know each other or not. It’s simply how ultra conservative candidates are running their races, focusing on economic issues, while hiding their extreme views on social issues, including women’s right, but now also on civil rights where Rand Paul is concerned.
There is an undercurrent of opinion dogging the Tea Party that posits they are racist. It has also dogged the Republican Party since their Southern strategy was implemented, of which the Tea Party is an extreme element.
From the Louisville Courier-Journal editorial board, after their interview with Rand Paul, an article entitled “In Republican Senate race, a dismal choice,” slammed the Republicans in the race. That judgment was an understatement where Rand Paul is concerned.
The trouble with Dr. Paul is that despite his independent thinking, much of what he stands for is repulsive to people in the mainstream. For instance, he holds an unacceptable view of civil rights, saying that while the federal government can enforce integration of government jobs and facilities, private business people should be able to decide whether they want to serve black people, or gays, or any other minority group.
He quickly emphasizes that he personally would not agree with any form of discrimination, but he just doesn’t think it should be legislated.
His perspectives — like Mr. Grayson’s — are repellent to those who believe in a woman’s right to choose whether to have an abortion. Indeed, Dr. Paul wouldn’t even permit exceptions in the case of rape or incest. He says the mother and the unborn zygote have equal rights.
If you still care, considering Paul’s civil rights views, on Sarah Palin being qualified to be president he says “absolutely,” also saying he feels “a kinship with her,” because of her Alaska outsider status that catapulted her to power. “She also has something you can’t buy and that’s likability,” he said of Palin. But it’s Rand Paul’s view on women’s rights, but especially civil rights that is so hair raising.
But it’s the nakedness and naïveté of Mr. Paul’s views civil rights laws, that legislation should not impact businesses, that is not only evidence that he’s unfit for Congress, but that he’s actually dangerous. To think that the United States would no longer require laws to protect minorities is just ignorant and lacking in experience in the real world. That he’s from Kentucky makes this even more amazing. As a Missourian, I shiver to think what would have continued without the Civil Rights Act.
As for his anti-women’s rights views, especially on individual freedoms, it’s absolutely discriminatory against women. It’s appalling in this day and age that a doctor would believe that women should be forced to carry a pregnancy to term against her will. The editorial board found his views “repellent” and they are correct. To say that the unborn has “equal” rights to the woman is simply wrong.
As for DADT, Mr. Paul danced around it, but came down on a “non-fraternization” policy for everyone.
Oh, but Rand Paul doesn’t think Barack Obama is the anti-Christ. He just doesn’t believe a private business should have to serve the President of the United States if they don’t want to.
…
Pretty typical rightwingnut Libertarian insanity.
The Reasonable Mr. Paul obviously thinks that his demeanor will fool the masses.
If you ever read Ayn Rand “objectivism,” his views are exactly that.
Ahhhh, the Commerce Clause, the last refuge of racists.
How will a libertarian view of foreign policy gel with the Tea Party’s love of military intervention and violation of civil liberties in the name of security? Or is he not going to talk about that and just keep talking about big government and free markets?
I thought that libertarians, including his father Ron Paul, were much less socially conservative on the issue of gay rights, abortion etc. I thought libertarianism would demand no government interference in those decisions. I guess I was wrong. Ayn Rand certainly didn’t buy the “zygote has equal rights” argument. Just sayin’
Yes, I think you’re right about Ann Rand and zygote. She probably wouldn’t.
But I do think I’ve heard Ron Paul inveigh against scampering off to impose American values on other countries.
Bingo. That pesky Commerce Clause.
On Rachel’s show, Paul had the audacity to warn about when we “blur the distinction between public and private.”
on ed schultz they showed rand paul saying the ada was “wrong” and also paul saing the feds have no right to reg seat belts in cars! what the f-ck! im glad we got conway. he is sharp and has mined this dude’s record. a perfect contrast- in poverty stricken ky with a large number of folks on medicaid rand paul says people need to learn to live without govt. conway says govt can be good etc.. this will be a marquee race to watch.
I was emailing with a frmr polisci prof yesterday on the elections and he doesnt think its a 94 but is now wondering if the gop may cause a 98 senario. why? bc of rand paul and his cohorts running across the country. if the gop is too extreme- and boy is it ever- it may mobilize dems who are enthused about their party but are terrified of the rand pauls getting in our govt. in 98 gingrich freaked out many with his impeachement talks and his part lost 8 seats. is the gop so tea party now that their actions may wind up giving the dems a better yr than ever thought? hell with rand paul on maddow etc questioning ada and civil rts laws..
Actually, Rand is taking his passionate belief in the limitations of the Federal Government to the uncomfortable extremes (or ultimately, the unrealistic extremes) by saying that our freedoms involve the cost of legally allowing some practices and speech that most of us would find repulsive. That’s all well and good, in theory. But some things will simply not be able to stand up to the moral or ethical implications of allowing some private businesses the choice of reserving the right to not hire, or not do business with, certain groups of people currently protected under Federal law.
In fairness, I don’t think it has been made clear enough in Taylor’s post that Rand is also saying that any Government entity, publically-funded organization, or private company/business that does business with the Government, would have to follow anti-discrimination laws.
I really don’t believe that Rand himself is a racist. He is just ultimately a true believer in the limits of Federal power in people’s lives.
To a fault.
What I can’t belive is that this information (which has been kicked around the internet for many months) was never used against him in the primary race. Trey Grayson’s consultant team should be completely ashamed and embarrassed at this epic fail in exploiting this political opportunity.
It will be interesting to see the Tea Party’s reaction to this bombshell on their endorsee. And also Sarah Palin’s reaction.
Whatever is not made clear enough in the post, at least to your satisfaction, Craig, is on Rand Paul.
His words are revealed, so what isn’t offered from him, as also available thru the video. is by way his own purposeful omission.
It’s absolutely political malpractice that all involved opposing him didn’t take the time to do what I did.
The transcript hasn’t been offered before.
Taylor:
In Rand Paul’s mind he is being very reasonable – its just the rest of us that have a problem……..
What you are seeing is a real, hard core libertarian. While its an interesting idea its a philosophy that not “workable” in today’s society – we just have too many people in too small a space that require too many things to live a 21st century lifestyle. I know several libertarians and a few of them will actually admit that it might have worked in the 1700′s but in 2010 Rand Paul’s world can’t exist.
Frankly the more the gentle folks of Kentucky discover about him the more they are gonna freak. With Rand Paul the Republicans may truly be headed toward snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
im pretty sure rand paul is no full bore libertarian ie raped women must not be permitted abortion. he, from what ive read, is more social conservative than libertarian. i expect more social conservative positions from this dude going forward. this sen eelction will be verry close in ky -history shows ky sen races to be tight affairs.
kudos to conway for taking to the media how extreme this dude’s views are. im sure conway has done his homework and will attempt to so damage paul he wont recover this summer. msm has picked it up- its so stunning in 2010 to read about such stands as his.
Conway dropped this into “Hardball” like a hand grenade. It took a while to get through the interview and finally find the nut, because it hadn’t been written out fully, but it is quite stunning when you read it out in full.
” It took a while to get through the interview and finally find the nut,”
Yeah, and that Nut’s name is Rand Paul.
Anyone see the Fox News spin on this one? http://liveshots.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/05/20/rand-paul-reacts-to-criticism/
I love how my comments asking for the rest of the interview were not posted.