Over the weekend, January 25, 20114, the NY Times published an article by Sam Tanenhaus and Jim Rutenberg titled, Rand Paul’s Mixed Inheritance.
The article is a survey kind of piece, fact light and certainly not a candidate for any prizes in investigative journalism.
Lew
Rockwell, of Mises Institute and LewRockwell.com, was mentioned three
times, mostly to identify him. No link to the original article by
Tanenhaus and Rutenberg was included in the response bylined and
featured by Lew, titled, We Win the NY Times Prize.
The
response by Lew is of interest because he positions the article as an
attack on himself and the Mises Institute, which it is not.
The
repositioning aspect of the piece, which appears to be its primary
focus, is Rand Paul who is presently testing the waters for a
presidential run of his own in 2016. The piece points to facts on the
backgrounds of both Pauls, father and son, and those around them. High
up in the article Rand Paul is credited for his 13 hour fillibuster on
the use of drones on American soil.
The authors then ask the valid question, having quoted Mitt Romney saying, “Senator
Paul is a credible national candidate. He has tapped into the
growing sentiment that government has become too large and too
intrusive.”
The
article then cites an email from Mr. Romney which noted the potential
for attracting "votes and dollars," from his father’s supporters as
them, Mr. Romney says, "could help make him “a
serious contender for the Republican nomination.”
The authors then ask, how fully he (Rand) embraces some
libertarian precepts.
Senator
Paul attended a conference of Liberty Political Action Conference last
September 19 - 22 in Chantilly, Virginia, leaving early to attend
another conference, this one held at an exclusive resort on Mackinac
Island, Mich., for "Republican stalwarts." Karl Rove was also in
attendance, this being an opportunity to check out potential candidates.
It
is natural that the authors would present the ideas of freedom, and the
Constitution as marginal. They work for the establishment and this is
their job. But it is time for people of all parties to consider their
options as well.
What
has been accomplished with the money donated, and time spent by
activists, to return America to a Constitutional Republic? The silence
is deafening and deep.
Many questions should be asked, and soon.