Rand Paul: Like Father, Like Son

Following the announcement earlier this month that incumbent and fellow Republican Jim Bunning is not going to seek reelection, Rand Paul officially declared his candidacy for the U.S. Senate representing Kentucky.

Paul, a 40-something opthalmologist from Bowling Green, has never held political office but he has gained quite a bit of campaign experience from helping his father, Texas Congressman Ron Paul, and name recognition through his leadership of the Kentucky Taxpayers United, an activist organization affiliated with the National Taxpayers Union. He said he would go to Washington as a true citizen legislator.

Like his father, Rand is a supporter of Congressional term limits. In a recent interview with the Liberty Maven blog, he was asked if he supported term limits and whether he was willing to term limit himself. Paul was clear: "I support both a Constitutional amendment and/or legislation if it could be done Constitutionally. Voluntary term limits have not worked because the good Congressmen kept the pledge and went home and the creeps broke their pledges and stayed. Also, only a very small percentage, maybe ten to fifteen, ever were elected with a voluntary pledge." Fair enough.

He is currently leading with this popular message in his stump speeches. Early polling show Paul to be a contender and his fundraising has been phenomenal so far, bringing in over $740,000 in just a few months, including a Kentucky record of $430,000 in one day.

Last year another committed term limits supporter -- Florida's Rep. Tom Rooney -- snuck into Congress. Maybe we'll see another, perhaps many others, in 2010. After all, polls show popular support for term limits at an all-time high and incumbents at a low.

Let's pop this question to all Congressional candidates during the next election cycle: Do you support Congressional term limits?

Florida sends 'citizen legislator' to Congress

NOV. 4, 2008 -- After two consecutive reps left office disgraced, Florida’s Congressional District 16 is fed up with arrogance and scandal under both Republicans and Democrats. This seat, still referred to in political circles as “Mark Foley’s old seat,” has now been handed by voters to Rep. Tom Rooney.

The voters’ decision was contrary to that of most local media endorsements, which cited Rooney’s alleged lack of experience. This is a ludicrous assertion, as Rooney is a former U.S. Army JAG, a criminal prosecutor for the State of Florida and taught Constitutional and Criminal Law at West Point. Currently, he practices law in Stuart, Florida.

What they mean by “lack of experience” is that he never held any elected office. But Rooney sees this as a plus:

“While it is true the three candidates running in the GOP primary are similar on many issues, the quality I believe gives me the advantage is that I am the only non-politician, someone who will truly be a citizen-legislator who is ready to lead,” Rooney told the Stuart News. “I am the only candidate that favors term limits.”

In fact, term limits was a regular theme in his stump speeches, one of which I attended early in the campaign.

To the Town-Crier, another local publication, Rooney said: “I don’t subscribe to the philosophy that I’m going to do anything to get myself elected the next two years,” he said. “I’m not tempted by what special interests can offer you. I favor term limits.”

Congratulations, Tom!