What you do on your cell phone is none of their damned business!: Rand Paul thrills libertarians and unites CPAC with anti-NSA stemwinder A sustained noise that could best be called a hoot and holler greeted Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul at the mention of his name, before he took the stage at Fridays Conservative Political Action Conference and declared that cell phone records sought by government agencies were none of their damned business! By the time he launched into his blue streak against the National Security Agency and quoted Pink Floyd to criticize President Barack Obama, the overflow crowd of thousands sounded like Beyonce concertgoers who had stumbled into the wrong ballroom. The crowd simultaneously drank it in and shouted it out, making Paul the star of the Conservative Political Action Conferences second day and giving him – by far – the events loudest applause. If you have a cell phone, you are under surveillance from the federal government, Paul warned in his biggest moment. I believe what you do on your cell phone is none of their damned business! One group of partisans shouted President Paul! President Paul! as he spoke. Kentucky Republican U.S. Senator Rand Paul delivered the most enthusiastically received speech of the week at CPAC, targeting President Barack Obama for running roughshod over civil liberties Sen. Rand Paul has been a consensus favorite at the Conservative Political Action Conference, dominating hallways with I Stand With Rand posters and creating a horde of giddy young acolytes Paul spoke at CPAC, signed books and collected groupies all day Friday, telling conservatives that libertarian ideals should inform their politics I dont question President Obamas motives, Paul told an overflow crowd, but history will record his timid defense of liberty Chris Christie stole Thursdays show with a comeback that shook the dust of Bridgegate from his shoes. Rand Paul tapped into the libertarian undercurrent that has percolated throughout CPAC – and found its voice Friday afternoon. Imagine a time when the White House is once again occupied by a friend of liberty, he said. You might think Im talking about electing Republicans. Im not: Im talking about electing lovers of liberty. It isnt good enough to pick the lesser of two evils, he said, jabbing at both Democrats and establishment Republicans. Stand up and be heard, he told the crowd during one stemwinder about anti-terror cases involving indefinite detention. We must defend our rights. Paul put his concerns about the NSA on front pages with a class-action lawsuit last month – on behalf, he said, of hundreds of millions of Americans who have telephones. The federal government, the lawsuit alleges, has taken the idea of an individual search warrant and expanded it to apply to massive groups of citizens at the same time. CPAC attendees hold a straw poll this week to show potential presidential candidates where conservative voters stand, and Rand Paul may figure prominently in the results CPAC attendees hold a straw poll this week to show potential presidential candidates where conservative voters stand, and Rand Paul may figure prominently in the results Tea party groups, likely to wield huge influence in 2016 GOP presidential politics, have connected mostly with Sens. Rand Paul and Ted Cruz during the three-day event near Washington, D.C. Rand Paul placards have been a hot commodity, pleasing his campaign staff despite a ban on politicking at CPAC Who said bumper stickers are for progressives? This tea partiers Mazda minivan is a monument to right-wing causes -- and a portable parade unto itself. I believe this is a fundamental constitutional question: Can a single warrant be applied to millions of Americans? he asked. No! replied some in the audience. I took a stand, he said. I sued the president. Jabbing the White House, Paul asked his audience, How will history remember Barack Obaam? Cult hero: Students Dragana Bozic (L) of New York City and Pi Praveen of Durham, NC, pose for a photograph with a life-size cutout photo of Sen. Rand Paul in the CPAC exhibit hall I dont question President Obamas motives, he said after the chuckles subsided, but history will record his timid defense of liberty. Obama has sought to expand the National Security Agencys authority to collect and keep broad swaths of telephone call metadata – information including callers and recipients, dates and times, and call durations. Libertarians like Paul believe the government isnt entitled to indiscriminately snoop on citizens who are not already the targets of criminal investigations. The Obama administration has taken the position that phone records dont belong to individual Americans, but to the telecommunications providers who own the phone networks – clearing the way for a single search warrant to cover millions at once. Mr. President, he yelled in mid-crescendo at an imaginary Obama, we will not let you run roughshod over our rights. We will challenge you in the courts. We will battle you at the ballot box. Mr. President, we will not let you shred our Constitution! The CPAC event continues through Saturday. Former Alaska Governor and 2008 vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin will end the conference, and attendees will also hear from Dr. Ben Carson, an African-American surgeon who is the subject of a draft effort for the 2016 presidential race. Read more: dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2575923/What-cell-phone-none-damned-business-Rand-Paul-thrills-libertarians-unites-CPAC-anti-NSA-stemwinder.html#ixzz2vQ3ynlvn Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
Posted on: Sun, 09 Mar 2014 00:08:37 +0000
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