Lunch Break Read: Rand Against the Machine
Will this presidential election be the most important in American history?
While you are taking your lunch break today, be sure to check out my latest commentary on Conservative Review, titled, “Rand Against the Machine.”
Presidential candidate Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) leveraged his successful effort that delayed the controversial Patriot Act provision that allowed the National Security Agency (NSA) to collect bulk phone records data on all Americans to solidify his libertarian based brand and separate himself from his political competitors.
Paul grabbed the news cycle the day after Section 215 of the Patriot Act expired by leading the headlines in the major newspapers, by appearing on television and authoring an op-ed in USA Today. He is also capitalizing on the momentum from his hardline stance to fundraise for his presidential campaign.
In his op-ed, Paul said the bulk collection of phone records was a violation of the Fourth Amendment and called the expiration of the program as “ … a victory for defenders of privacy.”
He also emphasized the program was not effective since it did not stop a single terrorist plot, and his filibuster was successful citing that “20 Republicans changed their vote to support ending the bulk collection of phone records.”
Read the rest of my commentary on Conservative Review here.