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Hillarysworld -> tea parties, Protest marches, and demostrations -> Tea Party Pick Causes Uproar on Civil Rights (NY Times 5/21/10)
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TOPIC: Tea Party Pick Causes Uproar on Civil Rights (NY Times 5/21/10)
Jen the Michigander


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Tea Party Pick Causes Uproar on Civil Rights (NY Times 5/21/10)
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http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/21/us/politics/21paul.html

Rand Paul, the Tea Party candidate who challenged the Republican establishment to win the party’s Senate nomination in Kentucky two days ago, criticized a landmark civil rights law on Thursday, landing himself in a potentially damaging dispute over civil rights and race.
In doing so, he provided Democrats an opportunity to portray him as extreme and renewed concern among Republicans that his views made him vulnerable in a general election.

Mr. Paul, in a series of television and radio interviews, suggested that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was too broad and should not apply to private businesses, such as luncheonettes. As his statements drew a swarm of attacks from his opponents, Mr. Paul issued a statement declaring that he would not support repealing the landmark 1964 statute and blaming political opponents for trying to distort his views by saying he favored repeal.

“Let me be clear: I support the Civil Rights Act because I overwhelmingly agree with the intent of the legislation, which was to stop discrimination in the public sphere and halt the abhorrent practice of segregation and Jim Crow laws,” he said. Later, in an interview on CNN, he said that if he had been in the Senate in 1964, he would have supported the act.

Democrats quickly mobilized to draw attention to what they cast as out-of-the-mainstream positions espoused by Mr. Paul — from raising the Social Security retirement age to 70 to questioning the legality of the Americans with Disabilities Act — as they sought to discredit what Jack Conway, the Democratic Senate candidate in Kentucky, described in an interview as Mr. Paul’s “narrow and rigid philosophy.”

The Tea Party phenomenon has provided a bolt of energy for the Republican Party. But the case of Mr. Paul also shows the risks that have emerged as new figures move to the forefront of conservative politics, as candidates with little experience and sometimes unorthodox policy positions face the kind of scrutiny and pressure that could trip up even the most experienced politicians.

Mr. Paul said in an interview with Rachel Maddow on MSNBC on Wednesday night that he supported the sections of the Civil Rights Act that applied to public accommodations but had concerns when it came to its applicability to private business; he raised similar concerns earlier in the day about the Americans with Disabilities Act in an interview on National Public Radio.

Asked by Ms. Maddow if a private business had the right to refuse to serve black people, Mr. Paul replied, “Yes.”

“I’m not in favor of any discrimination of any form,” Mr. Paul continued. “I would never belong to any club that excluded anybody for race. We still do have private clubs in America that can discriminate based on race. But I think what’s important about this debate is not written into any specific ‘gotcha’ on this, but asking the question: what about freedom of speech? Should we limit speech from people we find abhorrent? Should we limit racists from speaking?”

“I don’t want to be associated with those people,” he said, “but I also don’t want to limit their speech in any way in the sense that we tolerate boorish and uncivilized behavior because that’s one of the things freedom requires is that we allow people to be boorish and uncivilized, but that doesn’t mean we approve of it.”

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freespirit


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This author is correct, IMO, in pointing out that while the Tea Party may help Pubs in some cases, it can be risky putting forth candidates about whom little is known.

I really hate the fact that the Tea Party targeted Dem incumbent Blanche Lincoln in AR - strong Hillary supporter, endorsed by Bill Clinton, who has recently campaigned for her. The ultra-left Obamacrats, accusing her of not being lib enough, and not playing ball with Obama, Nancy and Harry also targeted her, spending a ton of money on negative ads.

Lincoln garnered the greatest number of votes in the Dem Primary, but as I recall, not enough. There will be a run-off election. Last I heard, she trailed all Pub challengers.

It would be an excellent testament to the growing strength of moderates in this country - over the Obamacrats, as well as a testament to Bill Clinton's clout.

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It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union.... Men, their rights and nothing more; women, their rights and nothing less.  ~Susan B. Anthony
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I hope we don't lose Blanche!

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Jen the Michigander


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It was the vote on the Obamacare bill that's hurting Blanche.

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