How does Rand Paul fill the time not spent calling any criticism of BP un-American? Why making sure that when Kentucky voters tire of looking at disasters in the Gulf, they have their very own ecological disasters to cherish.
INTERVIEWER: What about mountaintop removal?
PAUL: I think whoever owns the property can do with the property as they wish, and if the coal company buys it from a private property owner and they want to do it, fine. The other thing I think is that I think coal gets a bad name, because I think a lot of the land apparently is quite desirable once it’s been flattened out. As I came over here from Harlan, you’ve got quite a few hills. I don’t think anybody’s going to be missing a hill or two here and there.
Hey, those mountains are only half a billion years old and harbor the richest, most diverse ecosystem in North America. It's only land that people farm, hunt, and hike. It's only places where people have built families, lived and dreamed. We're only talking about a few hundred mountains and a few thousand miles of clear flowing rivers wiped out forever. Who cares about giving up any hope of money that could be made through tourism, sustainable harvest of wood, or wind? If you have passing ownership of something that's been around since before life crawled out onto land, it's absolutely in your rights to ruin it for all eternity.
Boy, that sure does look highly desirable. Back in Bowling Green, KY where Rand Paul lives, the sports teams at Western Kentucky University call themselves the "Hilltoppers." I don't suppose anyone would mind if they became the "LumpyToxicRubbleToppers," so long as there was a profit to be made.