Rand Paul evasive on Civil Rights Act - "It's a bad business decision to exclude anybody..."

[jefferson_dem]

Run time: 02:42 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-a_VLOTzsk   Posted on YouTube: May 19, 2010 By YouTube Member: oliverwillis Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: May 19, 2010 By DU Member: jefferson_dem Views on DU: 1734

 
VIDEO: Rand Paul Says Govt Shouldn’t Be Involved In Private Discrimination
7:35 pm EST May 19th, 2010 Conservatives Republicans No Comments

Rand Paul is an idiot. He invokes the name of Martin Luther King, but tries to make the argument that the Civil Rights Act over reached when it involved itself in discrimination outside of the government. That’s just wrong and an abhorrent view. This is Paul talking to the editorial board of the Louisville Courier Journal:

http://www.oliverwillis.com/2010/05/19/video-rand-paul-says-govt-shouldnt-be-involved-in-private-discrimination/

[Tx4obama]

1. They said on the news he also wants to get rid of the Disabilities Act. n/t

[alstephenson]

2. And the Department of Education.

And the Federal Reserve. And the EPA and FDA. And...

[The Northerner]

4. Considering what the Federal Reserve has done over these years

I wouldn't shed a tear if it was somehow eliminated.

[The Northerner]

3. So, he said that govt-funded public institutions should be prohibited from discriminating...

but private-property owners should be allowed to do so within their own private properties--I think that's what he meant.

[Enthusiast]

18. That's exactly what he meant.

He does not believe in regulation on private enterprise. He is wrong wrong wrong.

[muntrv]

5. So why don't you, Rand, feel that way about disabled people?

[FailureToCommunicate]

14. He does. He has argued that the ADA should go away. What kind of medical person

is he that he doesn't SEE the obvious necessity of civil rights for ALL people, "able bodied" or not?

[jfkraus]

6. Is he named after Ayn Rand?

Just wondering.

[provis99]

15. yes. He's named after Ayn Rand.

He's a Randian nutcase just like his daddy Ron.

[baldguy]

7. Govt shouldn't be able to discriminate based on race - but businesses can.

If Rand Paul had his way, we'd still have segregated lunch counters and buses.

[Tx4obama]

8. Rand Paul was just on Rachel Maddow's show

he basically said that 'restaurants should have the right to decide who they allow into their businesses (whites/non-whites) because if they don't have that right then they will not have the right to tell people that they can/cannot bring guns into the restaurant!

Rand Paul is a nut!

It's time for Kentucky to have a new DEMOCRATIC senator ;)

[defendandprotect]

9. Rachel Matthews had this racist imbecile on tonight .. . . Wow!!

Absolutely refused to answer "yes" or "no" re whether private businesses

should be barred -- as they were in the Civil Rights Act -- from segregation!

She took him around 3 or 4 times on it --

Paul is looking for a wedge issue to attack the Civil Rights Act . . . guns

looks like it may be it for him? He asks, should restaurants be able to bar

guns?

This is a another racist Repug we have to keep out of Senate -- !!

[espaip95]

10. Named after an atheist too

It will be interesting to see how the religious right comes out for someone named after a notorious atheist.

[defendandprotect]

11. That's cute . . . Was going to ask if anyone from Kentucky here at DU . . . ?????

Cause Rand Paul is certainly directing this racism at his own state trying to

get something started and I'm wondering what's going on there?

If I recall correctly, Kentucky was considered part of the South, amazingly enough ...

Forget exactly how this went, but did they have large numbers of slaves fleeing in their

direction? And, later did they have freed slaves looking for land and peace and work

there? Been a while since I read about this --

But, obviously, father is very racist --

Anyway, I'd like to know what the situation is in Kentucky -- and why they're fooling

around with someone like Rand Paul!!

[elleng]

12. Too much confusion, here and there.

He should be, and will be asked what he thinks about effect of commerce clause on discrimination in public accommodations. These issues are CLOSED, folks.

He's not a racist, he's a conservative, wants govt out of most things. NOT difficult to understand. Lets not call names.

[madriver]

17. ooookaaaay....

And at what point in a discussion about someone who wants to essentially overturn the most important piece of civil rights legislation of the last century, do we call this person what they appear to be? Y'know, the legislation that had the deepest impact on...wait for it...BLACK PEOPLE?

You sound like one of those civil war apologists: "the war wasn't about race, it was about commerce and states' rights!" Sheesh...

Conservatives want government out of most things...like they were in the 19th century. No thank you.

[elleng]

21. First, thanks for labeling me, a civil war apologist.

Fortunately, we haven't met. Ad hominem attacks are well practiced by repugs, and are ill-placed here.

Yes, conservatives want government out of most things, that's correct, and most of us here don't share that inclination. Its not at all clear that Paul wants to overturn the Civil Rights Act now, tho he might want to discuss the Supremes' commerce clause decisions. That's the discussion I'd like to hear, but unfortunately wasn't done tonight.

[Enthusiast]

19. No, he's a racist.

He does not want to be known as a racist but he is a racist nonetheless.

[Ichingcarpenter]

20. The issue is not closed...'Rand Paul Aide Quits Over MySpace Racism'

After an investigation into Hightower’s MySpace racism, by Paul campaign manager David Adams, Hightower’s resignation was immediately accepted. Hightower denied that he had a MySpace page, casting himself as a victim of a political attack. Hightower said he was attacked because opponents can’t find “any dirt” on Paul.
But yesterday, Hightower managed to log on to the MySpace account that he didn’t have, to delete the offensive posts about his KKK mall outing, but he inexplicably left the lynching image on his wall. Hightower has since deleted his MySpace profile.
Paul issued a statement, saying that he never heard Hightower make racist comments, but accepted his resignation to prevent the controversy from overshadowing his campaign issues.

http://chattahbox.com/us/2009/12/18/rand-paul-aide-quits-over-myspace-racism-afro-americans-have-kkk-radar/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/18/rand-paul-spokesman-resig_n_396866.html


I call it latent racism, you call conservative..... bullshit.

[elleng]

22. My point: The commerce clause issue is closed.

I don't know anything about hightower.

'The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited places of “public accommodation” from discrimination based on customers' race, sex, color, religion, or national origin. The Heart of Atlanta Motel challenged the constitutionality of this provision and, after losing before a three-judge federal court, appealed to the Supreme Court.

The Court's Decision
The Supreme Court ruled that Congress had the power under the Commerce Clause to enact the prohibitions on discrimination contained in the public accommodations section of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Justice Thomas Clark wrote the opinion for a unanimous Court. He reviewed testimony presented at congressional hearings showing that Americans had become increasingly mobile, but that African Americans were discriminated against by hotels and motels, and often had to travel longer distances to get lodging or had to call on friends to put them up overnight.

Justice Clark noted that under the Interstate Commerce Act, “…the power of Congress to promote interstate commerce also includes the power to regulate the local incidents thereof, including local activities in both the States of origin and destination, which might have a substantial and harmful effect upon that commerce. One need only examine the evidence which we have discussed above to see that Congress may—as it has—prohibit racial discrimination by motels serving travelers, however 'local' their operations may appear.”

Justice Clark also found that the Act did not deprive the motel owner of liberty or property under the Fifth Amendment. Because Congress has the right to prohibit discrimination in accommodations under the Interstate Commerce Act, the motel “has no 'right' to select its guests as it sees fit, free from governmental regulation.”'

1964 Supreme Court decision

Myfoplease.com/us/supreme-court/cases/ar14.html

[Ichingcarpenter]

23. You accused people here ..... now you are changing the topic

His top aide had a racist website and resigned...... case closed....

Its like saying


' I don't know anything about his racist top aide but that doesn't mean Rand is racist, but now I want to talk about something else'

Give me and others on DU a break

[elleng]

24. Excuse me.

I accused no one here of anything, and I am NOT changing the topic. I began with this, and I end with the same point, Heart of Atlanta.

'Too much confusion, here and there.
He should be, and will be asked what he thinks about effect of commerce clause on discrimination in public accommodations. These issues are CLOSED, folks.'

I later said,

'Yes, conservatives want government out of most things, that's correct, and most of us here don't share that inclination. Its not at all clear that Paul wants to overturn the Civil Rights Act now, tho he might want to discuss the Supremes' commerce clause decisions. That's the discussion I'd like to hear, but unfortunately wasn't done tonight.'

[Ichingcarpenter]

25. 'He's not a racist, he's a conservative'..... your words

He's a racist and his top aide proved it

He also wants to discriminate by getting rid of the American Disabilities Act.....
even though he passes it off as a business decision... I guess you buy that too

[jefferson_dem]

26. Bottom line question: Can one oppose the CRA today and not be a racist?

My answer would be "not likely". And this fucker sure as hell doesn't deserve the benefit of the doubt. The burden is now on him. How do you know he is not a racist?

[elleng]

28. I don't call names.

Its foolish. NyaNyaNyaNyaNyaNya

How do you know he IS, and not in fact concerned about the power governments take upon themselves. IMO, libertarians make some points worthy of everyone's consideration, and thats why I pay attention.

I think assuming others, like ourselves, can determine his or anyone's motives for any action is at best foolish, and at worst, arrogant.

[Grassy Knoll]

13. CAUTION : NSFW....2 boobs....

[Enthusiast]

16. Sorry but this guy is

unfit to hold public office. He is a radical.

[booley]

27. and yet hundreds of companies did it

and they did it for decades.

In fact, from their POV it was bad business to not discriminate since it would probably lose them money from bigots.

This is called being a "non-prejudiced discriminator" . The business may want that money from minorities and may not even have a problem with minorities. But they discriminate all the same so it hardly matters what their personal feelings are.

This is why LIbertarianism seems better in theory. It's proponents never seem to account for reality.