Rand Paul

Beginning now until election day on November 2nd I'll will be featuring posts of various political candidates nationwide running for the U.S. Senate.  I will be featuring new candidates running for the Senate; not incumbents.  I will briefly mention about the background of the candidate, then I'll list their stated, yes stated positions on the issues.  That doesn't mean that those are the issues they'll fight for if they win the November 2nd election.  I'm just listing what their supposed stance is on the issues.  You have to decide for yourself whether you think the positions they uphold are valid in determining whether or not you vote for the candidate.  I'm going to begin featuring both of the Senate candidates that are vying for the seat of retiring U.S. Senator Jim Bunning (R-KY).  Since I live in Kentucky, I'll be featuring both Rand Paul and Jack Conway the next couple of days.  Today I'll begin with Rand Paul.

Rand Paul resides in Bowling Green, KY with his wife and three sons.  Randal Howad Paul was born on January 7, 1963 to both Ron and Carol Paul.  Ron Paul is the Congressman from Texas who was a presidential candidate in 2008.  Paul was born in Pennsylvania. He is one of four siblings.  He lived in Pennsylvania until 1965 when his parents moved to San Antonio, Texas.  Upon graduation from high school, Paul attended Baylor University in 1981.  Later he attended Duke Medical School where he received his Doctor of Medicine in 1988.  He finished his internship in 1993.  He married in 1990 and established his practice in Bowling Green.  He's an ophthalmologist.  He's the Republican candidate running for U.S. Senate.  He's considered a libertarian in some of his views.  He beat Trey Grayson in the primary.  As of present the polls show Conway and Paul in a close race.  They both had a debate in Louisville on Sunday October 3rd and yesterday they had a debate at Northern Kentucky University.  Paul drew some controversy immediately following the Kentucky primary when he stated he disagreed with one of the sections of the 1964 Civil Rights Act concerning private business.  Paul states that he abhors racism.  Here's a list of some of the issues concerning the stance of Rand Paul.  The list of issues was obtained from Rand Paul's campaign website.

1.  Bailouts - Dr. Paul opposes all federal bailouts of private industry.  America is the land of opportunity to succeed and to fail.  It's time our government starts promoting responsibility.

2.  National Defense - Defending our country is the most important function of the federal government.  When we are threatened, it is the obligation of our representatives to unleash the full arsenal of power that is granted by and derived from free men and women.

3.  Inflation - And every dollar we print to service our debt, reduces the value of the money in your pocket.  Rand will fight to strengthen the value of our dollar so our purchasing power is not destroyed by the sneakiest tax of all: inflation.

4.  Taxes and Debt - Lowering taxes gives working men and women the ability to take control of their own lives.  It allows business owners to invest in their companies, pay their employees, and create new jobs.  Lower taxes encourages spending, saving, and investing--all necessary for a healthy economy.

5.  Term Limits - Long term incumbency leads to politicians who seem to care more about what is best for their career than what is best for their country.

6.  Privacy and Liberty - The Federal government must return to the constitutionally enumerated powers and restore our inalienable rights.  America can prosper, preserve personal liberty, and repel national security threats without intruding into the personal lives of its citizens.

7.  Sovereignty - Let's not give up our rights to those who don't share the same respect for our history and our freedoms.  The U.S. government must answer only to the Constitution and the citizens protected by it.

8.  Veterans - The men and women of our armed services deserve to be treated like the heroes that they are.  No other group of federal employees is subject to such unfair treatment as our service men and women; and no other deserves the best.

9.  Homeschooling- Rand proposes to restore the parental right to be responsible in educating children.  He supports reduced taxes so that parents can allocate more of their own funds to homeschooling, if they so desire. 

10.  Guns and Politicians - How many politicians claim they are supporters of the 2nd amendment and then vote to restrict handguns?  We need to send people to Washington that not only understand the 2nd amendment but the entire Bill of Rights.

11.  Energy Innovation - If we leave our energy policy to the special interests in Washington, we will never solve our energy problems.  Our energy crisis stems from too much government intervention.  The solution requires allowing businesses and ideas to compete.

12.  Federal Reserve - Given this incredible power to a semi-private institution, one wonders why we don't hear more about the Fed and its actions from the Congress.  As Senator I would make sure that the Federal Reserve is held accountable and restore transparency to our monetary system. 

13.  Health Care - As a doctor I have had first-hand experience with the vast problems facing health care in America.  Like other areas of the economy where the federal government wields its heavy hand, health care is over-regulated and in need of serious market reforms.  As Senator, I would ensure that real free market principles are applied to fix this problem.

14.  Campaign Finance Reform - Last year, over 15,000 individuals worked for organizations whose sole goal was to rip you off.  No, not the mafia or Goldman Sachs, but another distinctly criminal class--Washington lobbyists.  In 2008, corporations and unions spent over $3 billion to bribe officials who claim to work for you.

15.  Abortion - Dr. Paul believes life begins at conception.  He recognizes the most basic function of government is to protect life.  It is unconscionable that government would facilitate the taking of innocent life.  Dr. Paul opposes any federal funding for abortion.

16.  Illegal Immigration - Dr. Paul does not support amnesty.  Those who come her should respect our laws.  Dr. Paul supports legal immigration and recognizes that the country has been enriched by those who seek freedom to make a life for themselves.