By Susan Duclos
As most know by now, Rand Paul started an old fashioned talking filibuster on Wednesday, March 6, 2013, that lasted 13 hours, with Republican senators joining him and one Democratic Senator.
Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.),
Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas)
eventually helped Paul continue the filibuster, as did Sen. Ron Wyden (Ore.), the only Democrat to join last night.
The Atlantic points to one specific statement by Wyden calling it a "devastating challenge to Obama's leadership."
Mr. President, what it comes down to is every American has the right to know when their government believes that it is allowed to kill them.
All over the Obama administrations and Obama's refusal to state clearly they do not have the right to kill America non-combatants on America soil via drone attack.
Twitter exploded in support of Rand Paul with the hashtag #StandWithRand instantly and it is still trending Thursday morning.
The liberal publication, Huffington Post is asking today "Where are all the Democrats?-- referring to the lack of support for the demand on Obama to answer.
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) tweeted support, but otherwise progressives who might have assumed to have been supportive were absent, leaving members of the GOP as the sole defenders of civil liberties. The White House was equally silent.
Even far left liberal Dick Durbin, after asking Paul a question, said he stood with him on asking for answers:
As the filibuster crept toward its 13th hour, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) joined to ask Paul whether the U.S. government had the authority to take out the fourth plane on 9/11 before it crashed into the Capitol.
"I don't think this is such a clear and easy situation," Durbin said.
Paul called it a "red herring."
"We all agree that you can repel an imminent attack," Paul said. "None of us disagree with that. We are talking about a targeted drone program" against citizens who are "not actively engaged in combat. ... I don't think that standard can be used in the United States."
Durbin said he respected Paul's response. "I stand with the senator," Durbin said. "I think it is a legitimate question."
There are 70 pages of comments so far on that Huffington Post piece and below are some examples of readers of the liberal publication who are standing with Rand and the others who joined him. Some comments from self proclaimed progressive liberals.
The Dude67 36 minutes ago ( 9:52 AM) I don't know which is more sad - the fact we can't get a straight answer out of our President as to whether he believes he has the authority to summarily execute a U.S. citizen within the borders of the U.S. without a shred of due process or the empty-headed responses bleating on about Republican this and Tbgger that.
yukonsam
42 seconds ago (10:28 AM)
I find it absurd to contend that a President has the authority to execute anybody, anywhere, because of alleged ties to any organization, without judicial review and withholding all evidence on grounds of "national security".
Even if I were to utterly trust in the good will of the current administration to wield this power in a wise and responsible manner (and for the record, I do not so trust anybody), what happens when the authority is in the hands of a person less, shall we say, restrained. What would J. Edgar Hoover have done with that power? What would Senator Joseph McCarthy have done with it?
For the good of the nation, for the future of our Republic, we need to join together and nip this in the bud. No person should have the unquestioned authority to kill any other, President or pauper.
jazzman
2 minutes ago (10:27 AM) This will change. I, a progressive Democrat, blogged my support for Paul Rand's stance this morning and received many responses back from other progressives supporting what I said. Then I saw Van Jones on TV comparing Rand's stance to the kind of ethical stance MLK took.
We progressives need to call our Senators and tell them that we stand with Paul on this so that more Democrats will live up to their ideals and stop just going along with our President on this.
It's not 'my President right or wrong.' It's stand with him when he's right and oppose him when he's wrong. That's the proper way to support anyone. mdsman
2 minutes ago (10:26 AM) Let me see if I understand....
Capture a terrorist or enemy combatant, in a foreign land, and bring him to Gitmo is bad.
Using a military tribunal on this individual is bad.
Putting a convicted multiple muder to death is bad
Letting a group of faceless bureaucrats decide an american citizen is a terrorist about to cause harm so, hit them with a drone strike is good.
That about it?
Good. Got it.
So, let's ensure all those on deathrow are citizens, release them and pretend they are terrorists about to cause harm. Then we can hit them with a drone....$50k per convict saved. Helps the sequester.
Then, give citizenship to all the gitmo folks and bring them to america. We have already called them terrorists so, hit them with a drone. Close gitmo and more sequester saves.
Takes care of everything and Holder and PBO said it is cool!
Nixon and Hoover would be so proud!
HUFFPOST SUPER USER justamessenger 2 minutes ago (10:26 AM) It is a source of national shame that this cause has not been taken up by every Senator and Representative in Washington, DC.
It is an even deeper source of shame that the federal government has killed three US citizens abroad, abrogating their Constitutional liberties and rights.
We, as a nation, should not *need* to have this issue as a source of debate. It should not even be a part of the national dialog. The Executive Branch has assumed powers that are not only unconstitutional in their scope, but has doubled down and refused Congressional, judicial, or public oversight.
Whether the persons involved have a D or an R next to their names is irrelevant. This is a matter that should motivate citizens to inundate their representatives with cries for oversight, for restriction, and for control.
Let go of the partisan politics and see the issue of the erosion of our rights more objectively, I beg of you! Between the Patriot Act (signed by a Republican and reauthorized by a Democrat), the NDAA indefinite detention provisions (signed by a Democrat, passed by both houses of Congress), or the issue of drone strikes, let the scales of party politics fall from your eyes!
agenda21 2 minutes ago (10:26 AM) All Freedom and Liberty loving Senators should have been there with Rand Paul last night. Now we know where most stand now. The Congress, Obama and team are attacking our precious Constitution people better stand up to them now before it is too late.
The Brennan fellow is a daddy Bush protegee do we really want some like that running the CIA, really?
We are losing our country, our civil rights people. Time to wake up before it is too late.
Those were taken from just one of the 70 pages of comments.
Paul did exactly what he set out to accomplish, which was to bring attention to this issue and from the reactions seen last night and today, there is support from the right, the left and the middle, in demanding answers from the Obama administration.
To end this before it became such a huge issue, all the Obama administration had to do was state that it does not have the power to carry out a drone strike on an American citizen, in the United States, who is not an immediate threat to carry out an attack on the country.
As of now, they are still refusing to do so.
Last quote goes to Paul from the beginning of his filibuster:
“I will not sit quietly and let [Obama] shred the Constitution,” Paul said on the floor early in the filibuster.”No person will be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process,” he said, quoting the Fifth Amendment.