Rand Paul has long history of controversial views

[ccharles000]

He ignited a furor with his explosive remarks that private business should have the right to discriminate -- and that President Barack Obama's administration sounded "un-American" in criticizing BP too harshly for the Gulf oil spill.

But Rand Paul, Kentucky's Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate, has a long history of making unconventional comments about social programs, housing discrimination, military spending and limiting the role of government.

A Courier-Journal review of two-dozen public appearances by the Bowling Green eye surgeon since 1998 shows that Paul has condemned Medicare as "socialism;" denounced seat-belt and anti-smoking laws as "Nanny-state" paternalism; called for voluntary, rather than mandatory, accommodation of people with disabilities; and suggested using satellites to monitor America's borders for illegal immigrants.

Zealously advocating for free-market economics, he also has criticized private health insurance, saying it keeps patents from negotiating lower prices with their doctors.

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20100621/NEWS0106/6210302/1008/Rand-Paul-has-long-history-of-controversial-views

[Blue-Jay]

1. He & his Pa have a long history of being fucking nuts.

This photo always cracks me up however.

[LiberalFighter]

7. What kind of shoes is he wearing?

[The_Commonist]

2. There's nothing wrong with controversial views...

It's just when those views make one look like an asshole, then there's a problem.

[Ter]

3. Well, he's right about anti-smoking and seat belt laws

n/t

[tledford]

4. Yeah, and anti-hate laws, and laws against rape and murder, and ... eom

[Ter]

5. No, just about anti-smoking and anti-seat belt laws, and maybe anti-helmet laws too

n/t

[democrat2thecore]

6. Just a different view. I can respect some of these Libertarians BECAUSE...

They are True Believers. They don't take sides on issues based on lobbyist money, etc. By and large, they truly believe what they believe. I feel they're misguided in many areas - but I can respect them. Their fingers aren't always in the air to see which way the wind blows.