Rand Paul tries to court evangelicals while keeping live-and-let-live libertarian base

Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, running for president on a platform of keeping the government out of people’s business, took a deep breath when asked at a recent stop in Philadelphia whether he’d make addressing abortion a part of his campaign.

“I didn’t run for office because of the social issues,” Paul answered. “It wasn’t what got me to leave my practice. I ran for office mainly because I became concerned that we’re going to destroy the country with debt.”

The libertarianism that launched Paul’s political career can be a tough fit with the religious right, which plays an outsized role in the primary elections to select the Republican nominee for president. In the latest Fox News poll, Paul ranked seventh in the Republican field in support among white evangelical voters, with 7 percent of them saying they’d back him.

Winning over Christian evangelicals is a dilemma for Paul as he struggles to grow his support beyond libertarian-minded voters, of whom there aren’t enough to make him a contender.

Polling during the 2012 presidential election found half the voters in the early Republican primary and caucus states identified themselves as evangelical or born-again. Paul is running against evangelical favorites such as Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, Scott Walker and Mike Huckabee.

Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2015/06/17/270254/rand-paul-struggling-in-his-presidential.html#storylink=cpy

GOP presidential hopeful Rand Paul's wife stops in Bluffton

Kelley Paul said Wednesday she’s not afraid to be out on the front lines while on the presidential campaign trail stumping for her husband, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky.

“I enjoy it. I tell people sometimes it’s actually easier to be out in front of the camera and speaking and engaging one-on-one with people,” said Paul, whose husband is one of 12 current Republican hopefuls vying for the party’s 2016 nomination.

Paul was in Bluffton Wednesday for an event at Okatie’s Mi Tierrita restaurant hosted by the Republicans of Sun City and Hilton Head to promote her recent book, “True and Constant Friends,” and to field questions from a group of about 25 people about the presidential race.

She said her husband’s willingness to engage voters and other politicians openly was a key reason he should be the GOP’s nominee next year.

“After only a year or two in the Senate and being very new to politics, he was one of the most well-known faces,” Paul said of the freshman senator. “He tries to enlarge the debate, tries to include more people in the debate and tries to talk about things that perhaps we haven’t talked about before.

More...http://www.blufftontoday.com/bluffton-news/2015-06-17/gop-presidential-hopeful-rand-pauls-wife-stops-bluffton#.VYJYaPlViko

She definitely is his secret weapon.

Thank you for the intelligentsia and views to my Rand Paul for President thread, much appreciated and full of substance.

Donation link - https://secure.randpaul.com/

Neil Peart: Rand Paul ‘hates women and brown people’
Rush’s famously Ayn Rand-inspired drummer/lyricist will only vote Democrat, because health care and compassion

The Canadian prog-rock trio Rush has always held a special place in many libertarian hearts, largely due to drummer/lyricist Neil Peart's fondness for individualist themes (the band had an early song called "Anthem," fer chrissakes). FreedomWorks honcho Matt Kibbe became a libertarian after hearing Rush's Ayn Rand-inspired 2112. You can read a Scott Bullock (of Institute for Justice fame) interview with Peart in this 1997 edition of Liberty. The magazine whose website you are reading ran an effusive and nerdy letter praising the band—"Rush is a living example of what a group of people can do if they continually apply and uphold the principles that they believe in"—back in 1986.

So I imagine that some fans may be distressed to learn that, according to this excellent new Rolling Stone profile of the band, Peart's self-described "bleeding-heart libertarian" tendencies include automatically voting Democrat, and sending cease-and-desist letters to an allegedly racist Rand Paul:

More:  http://reason.com/blog/2015/06/16/neil-peart-rand-paul-hates-women-and-bro

Interesting that I turned down tix to Rush's concert in Detroit last Sunday night, now this.

EXCLUSIVE — RAND PAUL: OBAMATRADE TAX HIKES ON SMALL BUSINESSES MEAN REPUBLICANS SHOULD OPPOSE REVIVAL EFFORTS

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) is calling on Republicans in the House—and the grassroots nationwide—to oppose efforts by House Ways and Means Committee chairman Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI)58%
 to revive Obamatrade via a tax increase hidden inside the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) portion of the deal.

Paul said when asked to react to an article from Breitbart News from late Sunday evening exposing the tax increase in the deal:

You know typically to pass these kinds of things, the establishment will try to buy off Democrats by sprinkling money so they have some money in there. To get the money, under our budget rules, we have to pay for it—so they want to pay for it with a fine on small businesses. But I thought a point that was made in the article which was pretty good is this is similar to the fines they wanted to do in Obamacare with 1099s and there was such an outcry it’s the only part of Obamacare we ever repealed. So I think when people discover they’re sticking a tax increase in there I think people will be even more unhappy.

Paul said he recommends all Republicans vote against TAA when Ryan and House GOP leadership bring it back up on Tuesday for an attempt to revive it after it embarrassingly failed 302-126 when they tried to pass TAA last week in the House. To send Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) to President Obama’s desk, TPA and TAA have to pass as a package. A bipartisan coalition formed to take down TAA last week, therefore temporarily killing Obamatrade as a whole—but House GOP leadership, at Ryan’s insistence, is going to try to change the game and pass TAA again on Tuesday despite the fact it raises taxes on small business.

...

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/06/15/exclusive-rand-paul-obamatrade-tax-hikes-on-small-businesses-mean-republicans-should-oppose-revival-efforts/

Rand Paul, struggling in his presidential bid, works to court evangelicals

Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, running for president on a platform of keeping the government out of people’s business, took a deep breath when asked at a recent stop in Philadelphia whether he’d make addressing abortion a part of his campaign.

“I didn’t run for office because of the social issues,” Paul answered. “It wasn’t what got me to leave my practice. I ran for office mainly because I became concerned that we’re going to destroy the country with debt.”

The libertarianism that launched Paul’s political career can be a tough fit with the religious right, which plays an outsized role in the primary elections to select the Republican nominee for president. In the latest Fox News poll, Paul ranked seventh in the Republican field in support among white evangelical voters, with 7 percent of them saying they’d back him.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/news/government-politics/article24796168.html#storylink=cpy

Hit piece but the picture shows him greeting a family in a diner in NH where evangelicals aren't much of a voting block at all. All to talk about some event in DC this week. Hence my no linky.

Rand's WSJ Op-Ed: Blow Up the Tax Code and Start Over
Apply a 14.5% flat tax to personal income and to businesses. Cut deductions. Watch the economy roar.

Some of my fellow Republican candidates for the presidency have proposed plans to fix the tax system. These proposals are a step in the right direction, but the tax code has grown so corrupt, complicated, intrusive and antigrowth that I’ve concluded the system isn’t fixable.

So on Thursday I am announcing an over $2 trillion tax cut that would repeal the entire IRS tax code—more than 70,000 pages—and replace it with a low, broad-based tax of 14.5% on individuals and businesses. I would eliminate nearly every special-interest loophole. The plan also eliminates the payroll tax on workers and several federal taxes outright, including gift and estate taxes, telephone taxes, and all duties and tariffs. I call this “The Fair and Flat Tax.”

President Obama talks about “middle-class economics,” but his redistribution policies have led to rising income inequality and negative income gains for families. Here’s what I propose for the middle class: The Fair and Flat Tax eliminates payroll taxes, which are seized by the IRS from a worker’s paychecks before a family ever sees the money. This will boost the incentive for employers to hire more workers, and raise after-tax income by at least 15% over 10 years.

Here’s why we have to start over with the tax code. From 2001 until 2010, there were at least 4,430 changes to tax laws—an average of one “fix” a day—always promising more fairness, more simplicity or more growth stimulants. And every year the Internal Revenue Code grows absurdly more incomprehensible, as if it were designed as a jobs program for accountants, IRS agents and tax attorneys.

Polls show that “fairness” is a top goal for Americans in our tax system. I envision a traditionally All-American solution: Everyone plays by the same rules. This means no one of privilege, wealth or with an arsenal of lobbyists can game the system to pay a lower rate than working Americans.

More...http://www.wsj.com/articles/blow-up-the-tax-code-and-start-over-1434582592

Trump vows to press Ford to cancel Mexican plant

Republican presidential candidate and billionaire Donald Trump threatened Ford Motor Co. with punitive taxes if the Dearborn automaker proceeds with a new $2.5 billion Mexican plant that will “take away thousands” of U.S. jobs.Trump, who announced his plans to run at an appearance in New York on Tuesday, vowed to impose 35 percent taxes on imported Ford vehicles and parts coming from the new Mexican plant.

Trump said he would call Ford CEO Mark Fields — whom he identified only as “the head of Ford” — to explain the “bad news.”

“Let me give you the bad news: every car, every truck and every part manufactured in this plant that comes across the border, we’re going to charge you a 35 percent tax — OK? — and that tax is going to be paid simultaneously with the transaction,” Trump said. “They are going to take away thousands of jobs.”

In April, Ford said it would add 3,800 jobs in Mexico as part of a $2.5 billion investment — on top of the 11,300 Ford already employs in Mexico. The investment will include a new engine plant and new transmission plant allowing for exports of engines to the United States and elsewhere.

Trump has been pitching the proposal to tax Ford in a series of speeches in Iowa, North Carolina and around the country since May.

Trump said Ford would try to get donors and lobbyists to pressure him not to act. But Trump said he would not listen. He said the automaker would decide against the plant: “They’ll say, ‘Mr. President we’ve decided to move the plant back to the United States — we’re not going to build it in Mexico.’ That’s it. They have no choice.”

He said Ford was a good company and that he knew the head of Ford personally.

Asked about Trump’s criticism, Ford spokeswoman Christin Baker pointed to the Dearborn automaker’s U.S. investments.

More...http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/elections/2015/06/16/trump-press-ford-cancel-mexican-plant/28816173/

Another poll to vote for Rand in for fun.

Scroll down a little ways, its on the right hand side of the page.

http://www.kwtx.com/

Quinnipiac: Paul +1 vs Clinton in PA, Tied OH

http://www.quinnipiac.edu/images/polling/sw/ps06172015_S63hvd.pdf

Looks like Florida has gone blue, with the only people remotely contesting it being state darlings Rubio -3 and Bush -4. Paul down by 7. Ohio and Pennsylvania are solidly purple, at least for Paul. Performs best in these two states against Clinton among GOP field, though they aren't too far behind, with a 45-44 showing in PA(Rubio 44-43) and tie in Ohio(43-43) with Kasich having the obvious win there (47-40).

In general, Rubio is doing second best. Jeb still has a way to go.

If I were to analyze this data general election data, I would say the top tier is Rubio, Paul and Bush.
Of course summaries of the data simply say that Rubio is now a frontrunner.

Because this forum has a running loop hole for the likes of trollypop to continue to be a pest, most of these newb accounts are from NLC.

“Rent a Crowd” Company Admits Politicians Are Using Their Service

Did you listen to Jeb Bush make his announcement yesterday? Did you hear loud cheers from a crowd that seemed excited at the prospect that there could be another Bush as President? Was I the only one confused? I don’t know one person who doesn’t threaten to leave the Country if it’s Bush vs Clinton for President again. Can’t imagine folks actually excited and cheering for Jeb.

It got me wondering, would someone like Jeb, or another candidate that’s been struggling like he has, hire a crowd? Pay people to attend their rallies to make them seem like their gaining in popularity? We have seen Hillary Clinton stage appearances, knowing ahead of time the people she’d interact with. Would a staged rally be out of the question for a struggling GOP candidate? According to “Crowds On Demand”, not at all.

Crowds on Demand is an American publicity firm. It claims to be the only “rent a crowd” service, providing its clients with the ability to hire actors to pose as fans. I decided to contact them, pretending to be an employee of a GOP candidate running for office. Their Founder/CEO, Adam Swart, responded. Here is our exchange…

More...http://www.libertychat.com/2015/06/rent-a-crowd-company-admits-politicians-are-using-their-service/

Hillary Recounts FDR's Four Freedoms

Hillary Clinton held her first big presidential rally in New York City over the weekend. Her supporters gathered on Roosevelt Island’s Four Freedoms Park for the event, and the location tied directly into the content of the speech. While Hillary embraced the progressive freedoms that defined FDR’s presidency as an example of government’s power to help the people, Glenn explained the real effect “freedom from want” can have on a people.

“You know, President Roosevelt’s four freedoms are a testament to our nation’s unmatched aspirations and a reminder of our unfinished work at home and abroad. His legacy lifted up a nation and inspired presidents who followed,” Hillary said during the speech.

“No,” Glenn corrected. “It’s called the Great Depression here in the United States. It’s only called the depression worldwide. Because it lasted longer here because of the progressive policies of Franklin Roosevelt.” “The four freedoms take us and reverse the Constitution. It makes it from a charter of negative liberties to a charter of positive liberties. The things the government must do. And that, by the way, is exactly the charter of positive liberties that you would find enshrined in the communist constitution of the former Soviet Union,” Glenn said.

“[The Four Freedoms were] FDR’s way of completely reversing the Constitution. He said, you have the freedom of speech. The freedom of worship. The freedom from fear. And the freedom from want. The last two don’t exist. You cannot have freedom from fear,” Glenn said.

“It would be nice if none of us were afraid. But no government couldn’t make it so that you’re not afraid. Because if they’re big enough to make you not afraid of anything, they’re big enough to make you afraid of something, usually them,” Glenn said.

“Freedom from want. There will always be the poor among us. How do you get rid of the freedom from want? In the nicest utopian society, the Pilgrims tried to do this – it ended in cannibalism. The Pilgrims tried to share. They tried to live the Gospel principles. It cannot be done by man alone. It must be done by God. And the Pilgrims came over and they tried to do it. It didn’t work. They gave up. Because what the Pilgrims found out was, there was even in such a morally steadfast group as the Pilgrims, once everybody put their stuff in a pile and took according to their needs, once that happened, they realized there are people in society that it just won’t work. So the whole thing fell apart. The same thing was tried down in Virginia. In Jamestown. The Indians actually fenced those guys in and said you’re a disease. They were so screwed up. But they started with this idea that we’re all going to share. We’ll take according to our needs. So they tried the socialist thing. It ended in cannibalism,” Glenn continued.

More...http://www.glennbeck.com/2015/06/15/hillary-totally-hearts-fdrs-four-freedoms-dont-buy-into-it/

Sen. Rand Paul: Privacy Is A Real Concern For Most Americans

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Senator Rand Paul told Talk Radio 1210 WPHT midday host Dom Giordano that most of America agrees with him when it comes to privacy concerns.

“Inside the Beltway, I’m very unpopular. I’m maybe the least popular person in Washington right now, but once I leave the Beltway and I get out and I visit voters in New Hampshire, or Kentucky or Iowa or wherever I go, South Carolina, we have hundreds of people who show up to every event and to a person, they think the government has gone too far. They don’t trust the President with their information and frankly, they don’t trust any president. If you interview people under 40, 83% of them in a recent survey said that the government has gone too far in collecting our records.”

He feels that at least half of the other Republican candidates for president disagree with the 83% of people in that survey, and they are in turn “out of touch.”

“They’re welcome to have that opinion. They’re welcome to viciously attack me, but in the end, I think the position that I’ve taken is the correct one with regards to the 4th Amendment, but I think it’s also the one that ultimately, the American people will rally around.”

More...http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2015/06/16/sen-rand-paul-privacy-is-a-real-concern-for-most-americans/

Stephen Moore: Rand Paul to Reveal Ambitious Flat Tax Plan

Sen. Rand Paul will debut his plan for a flat federal income tax Thursday as he outlines a key platform of his 2016 bid for the Republican presidential nomination, Stephen Moore, chief economist for The Heritage Foundation, has revealed to Newsmax TV.

"This thing is going to be really exciting. It's got really low rates, it clears out all the pollution in the tax system," Moore said Monday on "The Steve Malzberg Show."

"Rand calls this the biggest reform to the income tax system since 1916. So you know when you talk about who is bold, that's going to be the standard by which all other plans are."
Moore said the Kentucky Republican's plan is "really simple" and "really fair" because every American will pay the same federal tax rate.

"If you make 10 times more than I do you pay 10 times more tax. It gets rid of a lot of the special interest provisions and loopholes in the code," Moore said.

"So that's all pretty cool stuff. I'll be interested to see, by the way, what Jeb Bush has to say … Jeb hasn't really put out firm policy positions yet and that's going to be critical to him, to his success."

More...http://www.newsmax.com/Newsmax-Tv/Stephen-Moore-Rand-Paul-Flat-Tax-fair/2015/06/15/id/650602/

Mitch McConnell, Rand Paul: Clean water rule just more outrageous government overreach

By now it should be clear to all that the Obama administration's regulators at the EPA are no friends to Kentucky. They've already been waging a war on coal for years here, and now comes the latest salvo in the Environmental Protection Agency's assault: a rule known as Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) that would classify nearly all wetlands, including small ponds and ditches, as "navigable" waters and thus subject to interference from Washington.

If this rule is allowed to take effect, it would wreak havoc on the coal, agriculture, commercial development, real estate, construction and contracting industries statewide. It would hurt traditional farming practices. And it would trample upon many Kentuckians' private property rights.

Although the EPA claims the mandate of the Clean Water Act in promulgating this rule, it is really about controlling and putting limits on private land use. The rule would extend to any small pond or ditch that holds water, infiltrates groundwater or is used by animals, birds, or insects. In short, it is a colossal act of government overreach.

The rule will force landowners, homebuilders, farmers, mine operators, manufacturers, utility providers, state and local governments and a host of other property owners to seek permits from Washington bureaucrats before they can begin a wide range of development projects or activities, even activities as simple as building fences or spraying and pulling weeds.

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2015/06/16/3903605_mitch-mcconnell-rand-paul-clean.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy

Rand on Hannity last night (over 2 million USA viewers) and lays into Jeb Bush's Prez run like the putz he is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcu3H37l1RA

God speed and good luck on the fiat fundraise round. Thanks for the email updates, they're fantastic.

Looks like my buy back in wasn't foolish afterall. Damn, over $3 a coin seems unreal after seeing $1.70s for so long. This is gonna be gentleman.

Aww, trollypop deleted my comments from earlier. Quoting oneself out of the gate w/ another sock is bullish as fuck I say!