Not sure what the folks in the crowd think they’re getting with Rand Paul (he’s certainly no Libertarian, but “a standard-issue right wing extremist with a few opinions outside the GOP norm on military issues“), but here are his Project Vote Smart ratings:
ANTI-CHOICE
*National Right to Life Committee – Positions (June 4, 2014) 100%
*Planned Parenthood Action Fund – Positions captured January 9, 2014 (reflect past 6 years’ voting record) 0%
*NARAL Pro-Choice America – Positions 0%
ANTI-ANIMALS, ENVIRONMENT
*Animal Welfare Institute – Compassion Index 0%
*Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund – Positions 0%
ANTI-LGBT
*Human Rights Campaign – Positions on Marriage 0%
*FRC Action – Positions 100% (note: the Family Research Council has been designated as a “hate group” by the Southern Poverty Law Center)
PRO-CORPORATE-TAKEOVER OF OUR DEMOCRACY
*Americans for Prosperity – Positions (Jan. 7, 2014) 100% (note: this is the Koch brothers’ group)
ANTI-PUBLIC EDUCATION
*National Education Association – Positions 0%
PRO-GUN
*Gun Owners of America – Positions 100%
ANTI-IMMIGRANT
*Federation for American Immigration Reform – Positions 100% (note: FAIR has been designated a “hate group” by the Southern Poverty Law Center)
ANTI-WORKER
*American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) – Positions 0%
ANTI-SANITY
*The John Birch Society – Lifetime Score 94%
ANTI-VETERAN
*Disabled American Veterans – Positions (Senate only) 0%
ANTI-CIVIL LIBERTIES
*American Civil Liberties Union – Positions (captured June 17, 2014) 27%
And a couple more, as if all that’s not bad enough:
*Arab American Institute – Positions on Arab-American Issues 6%
*National Journal – Conservative on Foreign Policy 79%
Also check out these Rand Paul quotes, including that the “fundamental reason why Medicare is failing is why the Soviet Union failed — socialism doesn’t work” and “if you think you have the right to health care, you are saying basically that I am your slave.” What a guy.