On Senator-Elect Rand Paul

I’m a Black Democrat mainly because it has been the party of my generation that has most represented diversity, attacked inequity and has seemed to be most passionate about creating the American vision that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. forced our country to embrace. Unfortunately, the Democratic Party has illustrated an inability to effectively propose and pass legislation that takes us in that direction – locally, on the state level and in DC – partly because they have not been able to lead in being fiscally responsible. I argue Democrats are just as guilty as the Bush administration in boosting the national debt.

During the latest campaign cycle, I was frustrated with the Democratic candidates to whom for some reason I felt beholden to support. They appeared arrogant, uninformed, weak and politically inept. Jack Conway seemed to wear these characteristics in high fashion and as we all know was badly beaten by Rand Paul. I was not surprised. I am, however, surprised to be in agreement with much of what Senator-elect Paul has had to say after the elections about what he wants to accomplish as part of Kentucky’s delegation to Washington.

This morning on ABC’s This Week, he focused his discussion on cutting the national debt by forcing legislators to develop a balanced budget through an amendment. He said both defense budgets and domestic programs have to be cut. He suggested cutting back the number of US soldiers and forcing other countries the US assists to pay more for their own defense. Paul would like to get rid of all earmarks and implement an across the board cut on entitlement funding. In criticizing earmarks he used the Department of Transportation as an example of how projects get funded without much regard to what’s available while being fiscally irresponsible. That may mean that with a Paul Senate, the controversial Ohio River Bridges Project may just sit on the shelf as a dream deferred. He said he would not vote to raise the debt ceiling and wants to repeal the healthcare bill. Except for the latter and cutting entitlement funding (which I do think should be in play in cutting the deficit but not to the extent that Paul wants), I agreed with much of what he had to say. He at the very least seems diplomatic and is set on creating rules for Congress in efforts to bring some order to how our federal government works. For that, I commend him. It is weird to say out loud, but my opinion of his social positions do not seem as relevant as does his passion to force legislators “out of campaign mode” and to work to change how Washington does business. If my ability to give Rand Paul a fair chance to represent Kentucky illustrates anything, I hope it shows the chance that Congress can let go of party politics and do the work to make us a prosperous America again… Plus, he can’t be half as bad as Jim Bunning!