Trey Grayson's website randpaulstrangeideas.com has been taken offline right after he lost the primary to Rand Paul. Here I copied over some of the materials (quotes of Rand Paul, videos, and other factoids) from that website. These are valuable materials thanks to Grayson campaign.
Summary: Rand Paul is anti-Kentucky, racist, flip-flops on coal, thinks 9/11 attack was "blowback", thinks Iran doesn't pose a threat, wants to cut and run from Afghanistan, wants to release terrorists back to Afghanistan, and wants to be an ineffective legislator.
Anti-Kentucky:
Kentucky’s Priorities Are Not Rand Paul’s Priorities ...
Rand Paul Would Vote for New York and California ...
"If he makes it to the Senate and votes in D.C., he’ll vote for people in New York and in California. His vote matters that much." (USA Today’s "OnPolitics," 8/5/2009)
Rand Paul Announced His Campaign in New York City and held his first fundraisers there and in Texas ...
Rand Paul’s Kickoff Fundraiser Was Held In New York City. "The announcement, which culminates with a kickoff fundraiser in New York City tonight, isn’t a surprise. The younger Paul has said he would enter the race if Bunning exited, which the two-term senator did last week." ("Rand Paul Joins Race, Fundraises In NYC," USA Today’s On Politics Blog, blogs.usatoday.com/onpolitics, Posted 8/5/09)
Rand Paul Was Criticized For Announcing His Candidacy In New York Instead Of Kentucky. "Paul is taking some heat for officially launching his Senate bid Wednesday during a live interview on Fox News in New York rather than making a traditional announcement in Kentucky. Candidates for statewide office often announce in their home town, in Frankfort or in the state’s population centers, including Northern Kentucky. In a Thursday morning conference call with Kentucky political reporters, Paul said he chose to announce during an interview with Neal Cavuto of Fox News to take advantage of the publicity a national television appearance affords." (Patrick Crowley, "Paul Defends TV Announcement," The Cincinnati [OH] Enquirer, 8/7/09)
Louisville GOP Strategist Scott Jennings: "Rand Paul Says He’s Running As An ‘Outsider.’ I Suppose That’s Exactly What You Are When You Announce Your Campaign In New York City And Your First Several Fundraisers Are In Texas." (Patrick Crowley, "Paul Defends TV Announcement," The Cincinnati [OH] Enquirer, 8/7/09)
In Early August, Paul Announced Several Fundraisers In Texas. "Paul thinks he can raise $2 million for an effective primary campaign . . . . He said he has four fundraisers planned in Texas, three of which will be attended by his father who raised significant money online in his quest for the Republican presidential nomination." (Ronnie Ellis, "Paul All The Way In Senate Race," McCreary County [KY] Record, 8/7/09)
Rand Paul said, "We hope the people of Texas will try to get us a new U.S. Senator in Kentucky." ...
On A Talk Radio Show, Rand Paul Said "We Hope The People Of Texas Will Try To Get Us A New U.S. Senator In Kentucky." "RAND PAUL: And I think that’s sort of the question, and some of it will be shown by what we can raise through the exploratory committee. I was telling you earlier we plan on going to several different states. I’m working on coming to Texas in August, and we’re hoping to actually get down to your neck of the woods, to Austin. And we know we have a lot of friends in the Austin area – the Austin area was one of the biggest meet-up groups in the country. And we hope the people of Texas will try to get us a new U.S. Senator in Kentucky." (Prisonplanet.tv, "The Alex Jones Show," www.youtube.com, 5/21/09)
Rand Paul’s Campaign Is Funded By His Father’s Out-of-State Libertarian Supporters ...
WHAS In October 2009: "The Libertarian-Leaning Paul’s Republican Bona Fides Are Often Questioned, With The Vast Majority Of His Online Donations Coming From A Network Of Likeminded Conservatives Who Also Back His Father, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX). (Joe Arnold, " ‘I Too Am A Kentuckian......’ No You’re Not," ABC Affiliate WHAS11’s Political Blog, www.whas11.com, Posted 10/23/09)
Rand Paul Claimed He Could Not Have Run For The Senate If It Had Not Been For His Father’s Presidential Run. "For example, I couldn’t of done this in 2006 because you know my father’s campaign hadn’t grown to a national level, I hadn’t gone out and helped him in many different states, and become well known to some people in the movement. So no I couldn’t of done this in 2006 in a state wide race, but it does allow me now to run a state wide race and be treated as a credible candidate." (AntiWar.com’s"Antiwar Radio With Scott Horton," www.youtube.com, 5/15/09)
77% of Rand Paul’s Campaign Funds Have Come From Out-of-State, Non-Kentucky Interests ...
http://www.opensecrets.org/...
Attacked Congressman Hal Rogers: "In our state, I live in Kentucky, our Congressman got an anti-terrorism center built in Somerset, Kentucky – $5 million ... Who’s gonna attack Kentucky? I like Kentucky but no terrorist is gonna attack Kentucky." (Rand Paul Speaking to Ron Paul Supporters at the New Hampshire Straw Poll, 7/7/07)
Rand Paul Refuses to Support Mitch McConnell as Senate GOP Leader ...
When Asked Again If He Would Support Mitch McConnell Or Jim DeMint, Paul Again Opted To Not Answer. "It’s the question that drew fire in Kentucky’s Republican primary for U.S. Senate, when I asked Rand Paul last weekend if the vote for Republican Leader in the Senate came down to Kentucky’s Mitch McConnell or South Carolina conservative Jim DeMint, who would he support? . . . Rival candidate Trey Grayson blasted Paul for his non-committal answer. And when I went back to Paul on Thursday to ask him again, he opted not to choose one or the other, again." (Joe Arnold, "Paul/McConnell Part Deux," ABC Affiliate WHAS11’s Political Blog, www.whas11.com, Posted 11/15/09)
Rand Paul for Senate? Are you kidding?
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Paid for by Friends of Trey Grayson
Refused to Denounce Racist, Anti-Christian Views of His Campaign Employees:
Chris Hightower, Paul’s Former Spokesman, Had A New List Of Controversies Attached To His Name, On Top Of Allegations Related To A Video Likening Trey Grayson To Hitler. "A liberal blog in Kentucky has unearthed a series of potentially damaging writings and materials related to a spokesman for GOP Senate candidate Rand Paul. Chris Hightower, who made news recently for promoting a video likening primary opponent Trey Grayson to Hitler, now has a new series of controversies attached to his name." (Aaron Blake, "Rand Paul Spokesman Resigns As Controversy Swirls Over Writings," The Hill’s Blog Briefing Room, thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room, Posted 12/17/09)
Former Paul Spokesman Christopher Hightower’s Personal Website Spoke Against "Christian Lies," Contained A Video Denouncing Southern Baptists, And Included Footage From A "Death-Metal" Band He Sang For, Which Contained "Satanic-Style Lyrics." "Hightower’s personal site contained explicitly racist language, poetry ranting about ‘Christian lies’ and a video of him denouncing Southern Baptists. It also featured footage from a death-metal bang [sic] he sang for, replete with Satanic-style lyrics." (Josh Kraushaar, "Red Alert For Rand Paul," Politico’s The Scorecard Blog, www.politico.com, Posted 12/18/09)
Christopher Hightower Resigned From His Position As Rand Paul’s Spokesman After The Campaign Acknowledged Hightower Maintained A Website That Included Racists Remarks And Suggested The United States Government Bore Some Responsibility For September 11th. "The spokesman [Christopher Hightower] for U.S. Senate candidate Rand Paul resigned Thursday after the campaign acknowledged that he maintained a page on a Web site that included racist remarks and suggested the government bore some responsibility for the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001." (Joseph Gerth, "Paul Spokesman Quits Over Web Remarks," The [Louisville, KY] Courier-Journal, 12/18/09)
* "The Page In Question At MySpace, A Social Networking Site, Used A Derogatory Word To Refer To African Americans In A Poem. ‘I won’t be your n—–. I won’t be your slave,’ the poem reads in part." (Joseph Gerth, "Paul Spokesman Quits Over Web Remarks," The [Louisville, KY] Courier-Journal, 12/18/09)
* Hightower Initially Denied Responsibility For The Content. "Christopher Hightower’s resignation came five hours after he told The Courier-Journal that he had never been a member of the Web site, myspace.com, and that none of the things attributed to him on the site were his." (Joseph Gerth, "Paul Spokesman Quits Over Web Remarks," The [Louisville, KY] Courier-Journal, 12/18/09)
* Hightower Served As Both Paul’s Campaign Treasurer And Spokesman. "Hightower, 37, who also was Paul’s campaign treasurer, did not respond to a phone call seeking comment after his resignation. Paul’s campaign paid Hightower $10,000 for his work during the 3rd quarter of 2009, which ended Sept. 30." (Joseph Gerth, "Paul Spokesman Quits Over Web Remarks," The [Louisville, KY] Courier-Journal, 12/18/09)
Hightower Had Previously "Reacted Approvingly" To A Video Using "English Subtitles That Suggested The Hitler Character Was Actually Grayson." "Hightower attracted bloggers’ interest recently after he reacted approvingly to a video made by a Paul backer that used part of an old movie with a ranting Adolf Hitler as the basis for an anti-Grayson Internet ad. It used English subtitles that suggested the Hitler character was actually Grayson." (Joseph Gerth, "Paul Spokesman Quits Over Web Remarks," The [Louisville, KY] Courier-Journal, 12/18/09)
Rand Paul for Senate? Are you kidding?
Photography by Gage Skidmore. © Some rights reserved
Paid for by Friends of Trey Grayson
Thinks 9/11 was "blowback":
Thinks Iran doesn't pose a threat:
Against Kentucky Coal before for it:
Rand Paul: "Coal Is A Very Dirty Form Of Energy. You May Have Coal Around Here That Needs To Be Mined, But I Mean The Thing Is That It’s Probably One Of The Least Favorable Forms Of Energy." (Rand Paul, Remarks To Ron Paul for President Supporters, Chattanooga, TN, video.google.com, 2/2/08)
Rand Paul for Senate? Are you kidding?
Photography by Gage Skidmore. © Some rights reserved
Paid for by Friends of Trey Grayson
Then turns 180 degrees:
The Obama Environmental Protection Agency’s War on Coal, based on junk science, should help focus Kentuckians’ attention on the damage planned for us by Washington D.C. Democrats.
Rand Paul opposes Obama’s cap and trade taxes and the EPA’s "endangerment" finding on carbon dioxide because they will devastate our economy.
These destructive environmental policies of the Obama Administration need more strong opposition in Congress. Rand Paul very strongly opposes Obama’s War on Coal.
Which one is his real position?
Wants to free terrorists:
" ... it’s kind of unclear whether these people are guilty, not guilty ... So I really think deportation or sending them back to their country of origin might be the best way to go. And none of it’s fair, because some of them have been held years and years ..." – Alex Jones Show, 5/21/09.
Rand Paul "couldn’t agree more" with those who believe Guantanamo has "significantly damaged the reputation of the United States" and who want to "see it shut down." – Rand Paul website post, 5/25/09.
QUESTION: Do you oppose the release of Gitmo detainees on American Soil?
RAND PAUL: Yeah, that’s a tough one. I don’t know what you do with them. I think they should mostly be sent back to their country of origin. Or to tell you the truth I’d drop them back off into battle. If you’re not going to convict them, and you can’t convict them, and you’re unclear, drop ‘em off back into Afghanistan, it’ll take them awhile to get back over here. But you drop them back off here in the country and I think that’s a problem. It’s complicated though. I read something the other day, of 779 people at Gitmo, 90% were capture by foreign fighters not by us. So some of them are turned in, you know, Afghanistan has had rival warlord for hundreds of years. One guy was a governor, and was under Karzai, and he was a fan of the US he’s now in Gitmo he’s been there for a couple years, but he was turned in by a rival clan who said he was corrupt and working for the Taliban. But I don’t know what do you believe, you know? It’s sort of, I don’t know what you do, I don’t know exactly what you do. I’m not really for bringing them back here because some of them are bad people. I think dropping them back off, a lot of countries don’t want them, most of the other countries don’t want them, but they were found in Afghanistan drop ‘em off there. We also found them in a lot of different places. There have been people arrested willy-nilly around the world who had nothing to do with terrorism, and can prove that they had nothing to do with terrorism and were scooped up. So that’s why you really need to have an orderly process, that’s why in our country the very least for you and I we need to have a Bill of Rights that we obey for all of us. Then there is some question about people capture on the battlefield what you do. (Rand Paul speaking in Paducah, KY, 5/8/09)
Alex Jones: "Because if they don’t get a trial we’re not gonna get a trial. We know Dr. Paul they are using the Patriot Act against non-terror related cases. They’ve set the precedent. All of this is gonna come back on us."
Rand Paul: "Oh I agree with you. And then ultimately though if you cannot figure how to have a trial and cannot have enough evidence to do this I think deportation is the only acceptable way and I think you deport them to where they were captured. Now they say oh these countries won’t take them back. Well I think we have enough military force in Afghanistan that they can be taken back to Afghanistan at the very least and I think that would be acceptable to the vast majority of people. It gets rid of the idea of having to try them. And then you know a lot us aren’t going to be too happy if you take people who are potentially violent, and we don’t know this, but are potentially violent, and put them on the streets of Austin. You know I think sending them back to where we captured them is probably the best thing." Alex Jones Show, YouTube video, 5/21/09.
"They’re going to remember Abu Ghraib for 500 years, I mean they really literally will ... But really that whole prison was being run like Guantanamo. They were giving them free reign to do whatever they want." – Rand Paul speaking in Burlington, VT, 10/1/2007, video.
Rand Paul for Senate? Are you kidding?
Photography by Gage Skidmore. © Some rights reserved
Paid for by Friends of Trey Grayson
Doesn't want to be an effective legislator:
How Effective Would Ron Paul’s Son Be In The Senate? "A lot of the things I’m for are not going to get passed, necessarily," said Paul, the son of 2008 presidential candidate and Texas Republican congressman Ron Paul. (Amanda Van Benschoten, "Rand Paul: Let Market Fix Health Care," The Kentucky Enquirer, 9/26/2009)
Ron Paul’s Son Would Not Be Effective For Kentucky. "I personally have made the pledge that I will not vote for any budget that’s not balanced, republican or democrat. Some people say, that’s impractical, you won’t be an effective legislator. I don’t want to be an effective legislator." (Rand Paul Speaking to a Group in Harlan, KY, 9/28/2009)
What kind of Votes Would Ron Paul’s Son Make? David Adams, campaign manager, in a blog post wrote, "Rand Paul is running for the U.S. Senate to help move us out of the mainstream." (Rand Paul for Senate Web Site, 10/27/2009)
Rand Paul for Senate? Are you kidding?
Photography by Gage Skidmore. © Some rights reserved
Paid for by Friends of Trey Grayson
Wants to cut and run from Afghanistan:
Paul Failed To Say Whether He Supported Obama’s Troop Increase In Afghanistan, Claiming "It Is Not The Responsibility For Congress To Micromanage The Orchestration Of War . . . ." Even Though He Would Demand Immediate Withdrawal from Iraq . "‘It is not the responsibility for Congress to micromanage the orchestration of war,’ he said. The statement, issued at the request of the Herald-Leader, did not say whether he agrees with Obama’s decision to send an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan in coming months." (Jack Brammer, "Rand Paul Is Opaque On Afghan Buildup," The Lexington [KY] Herald-Leader, 12/4/09)
Paul Questions Whether Afghanistan Poses A Threat to the U.S.
"Paul’s statement went on to ask several questions about Afghanistan without offering any answers. He asked whether America’s national security still is being threatened by terrorist training camps, whether America is in Afghanistan because of a security threat or to build a nation and why the people of Afghanistan haven’t provided their own security." (Jack Brammer, "Rand Paul Is Opaque On Afghan Buildup," The Lexington [KY] Herald-Leader, 12/4/09)
"[Paul] Said He Has Heard Concerns From Soldiers In Afghanistan About Money Paid To U.S. Contractors Being Funneled To The Taliban To Pay Them Not To Attack Civilian Contractors." (Jack Brammer, "Rand Paul Is Opaque On Afghan Buildup," The Lexington [KY] Herald-Leader, 12/4/09)
Rand Paul for Senate? Are you kidding?
Photography by Gage Skidmore. © Some rights reserved
Paid for by Friends of Trey Grayson