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| Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) |
On March 6th, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) led a filibuster to delay the confirmation of President Obama’s CIA nominee John Brennan, a move that drew much public interest in the work of the United States’ upper legislative chamber. The filibuster, which lasted 13 hours, was meant to draw attention to the potential use of drone strikes against US citizens on US soil. Ultimately, Attorney General Eric Holder would give Sen. Paul what he asked for: A declaration that the executive branch would never use a drone strike against a US citizen of American soil, a declaration they had previously been unwilling to make.
What I found most interesting in this case is the widespread support from the American public Sen. Paul received. On Twitter, the hashtag “#standwithRand” was the number one trending worldwide, liberal groups such as Code Pink, celebrities like Jon Stewart and John Cusack, and even an Al Jazeera TV personality all supported Paul in his efforts. Of course, in the American Political Culture, the question may be asked why everyone did not support Senator Paul. If we are to take partisans at their word, then Republicans should be fans of “small government” and “constitutional constructionism” and Democrats are supposed to be the stalwart protectors of “civil liberties and civil rights.” However, American lawmakers did not, for the most part, “stand with Rand.” In fact, only 15 lawmakers were there in support of his filibuster. There were 14 Republicans, most notably Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Tx), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and Marco Rubio (R-FL), while 32 of their “small government” colleauges steered clear of the event. Only one Democrat, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), showed up to support Paul in his fight for American civil liberties.
On the face of the issue, it would appear that the Democrats may have been the bigger hypocrites. It seems that they abandoned all their convictions regarding civil rights and liberties in order to protect their fearless leaders in the Obama administration. If Americans are to believe the Democratic rhetoric, we should be sickened by this sell-out. Barack Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize. He has proceeded to use drones in the Middle East more than even his predecessor, George W. Bush, and his administration hesitated to provide reassurance that drones would not be used against Americans on US soil. However, Democrats are not the only guilty “party” on Capitol Hill. There were 32 Republican professors of small government ideology not on hand to support the filibuster. How does a party that actively campaigns against “Big Government” justify not fighting tooth and nail to gain assurance that the executive branch does not have the power to act as judge jury and executioner? Moreover, how do two of its senior statesmen, Lindsey Grahmn (R-SC) and John McCain (R-AZ), dismiss and criticize those who supported the filibuster? Senator McCain even called Sens. Paul and Cruz “Wacko-Birds.” The Republican Party, with the exception of the 15 supporting the filibuster, seems to have neglected its duty and disappointed its values as well.
At the end of the day, the so called “Drone Issue” should be important to American citizens. It touches the heart of our civil liberties guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. As Americans, we have the right to a trial of our peers, to legal counsel, and protection from cruel and unusual punishment. The government does not have the right to act as judge, jury, and executioner in one fell swoop. If one thinks that the use of drones against American citizens could never happen, it already has, albeit not on US soil. In 2011, the Obama Administration authorized drone strikes against three Americans suspected of terrorist activities in Yemen. The problem is that these men were not given the trial they were entitled to; they were not brought before a court of law; the executive branch acted as judge, jury, and executioner. US drone attacks have also been responsible for the injury or death of 100 children in Pakistan, the wiping out of terrorism suspects at a funeral, and the destruction of a Pakistani elementary school. It is time for American citizens to start questioning the government on its use of drones. Sen. Paul made a dramatic and brave stand to protect civil liberties and draw attention to the issue. I hope that over time, the question of drone use against foreign nationals and Americans not on U.S. soil will also receive attention. At the end of the day, I stand with Rand. I am deeply disappointed in the hypocrites on both sides of aisle who did not.
Sam Whittaker, of Paducah, Ky., is a sophomore McConnell Scholar at the University of Louisville. He is studying history and political science.