This video frame grab provided by Senate Television shows Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. speaking on the floor of the Senate on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, March 6, 2013. Senate Democrats pushed Wednesday for speedy confirmation of John Brennan's nomination to be CIA director but ran into a snag after a Paul began a lengthy speech over the legality of potential drone strikes on U.S. soil. But Paul stalled the chamber to start what he called a filibuster of Brennan's nomination. Paul's remarks were centered on what he said was the Obama administration's refusal to rule out the possibility of drone strikes inside the United States against American citizens. Credit: AP
A passionate Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) conducted an old-fashioned filibuster on the Senate floor Wednesday to halt the nomination of President Barack Obama's CIA director nominee John Brennan. But really, his filibuster was about the constitutional concerns surrounding potential drone strikes on Americans on U.S. soil.
Paul began his filibuster by informing the Senate he would filibuster all day if he had to, saying "I will speak until I can no longer speak." He said he would gladly end the filibuster when Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder clarify that they will not use drone strikes on non-combatants in the U.S.
But the Kentucky Senator had several other memorable quotes throughout the day. Here are some of his best lines from Wednesday's filibuster, which finally came to a close at around 12:30 a.m. -- nearly 13 hours after it began.
On vague wording of drone strike criteria: "Are you going to just drop a hellfire missile on Jane Fonda? Are you going to drop a missile on Kent State?" He later added, "That's gobbledygook."On Obama's civil liberties flip-flop: "I think its also safe to say that Barack Obama of 2007 would be right down here with me arguing against this drone-strike program if he were in the Senate."
On John Brennan: "I have hounded and hounded and hounded him... Only after yanking his chain... does he say he's going to obey the law. We should be alarmed by that."
On the Constitution and the law: "I'm not saying that anyone is Hitler, don't misunderstand me. But what I am saying that is…when a democracy gets it wrong, you want the law to be in place.”
Taking a stand: “I have allowed the president to pick his political appointees...But I will not sit quietly and let him shred the Constitution."
On his colleagues in the Senate: "If there were an ounce of courage in this body I would be joined by other senators... saying they will not tolerate this."
On White House "kill list": "The people on the list might be me."
On Obama: "He was elected by a majority, but the majority doesn't get to decide who we execute."
On making a point: "This will be a blip in his nomination process. But I hope people will see it as an argument for how important our rights are."
On Congress: "Nothing ever happens around here."
At around 8:09 p.m. ET, Paul asked Americans, "Are you so afraid that you are willing to trade your freedom for security?"
Featured image via Getty
