For the credit where credit is due file, GOP Rep. Connie Mack called out Kentucky Senate candidate Rand Paul for his plan to strip the citizenship of children born in the U.S. to undocumented parents. Via Think Progress, the Tampa Bay Times reports Mack's statement:
“Late last week, Dr. Rand Paul, a candidate for the U.S. Senate in Kentucky, said, 'We’re the only country I know that allows people to come in illegally, have a baby, and then that baby becomes a citizen ... And I think that should stop also.'
“Certainly, it is Dr. Paul’s and others’ right to express their opinion, but as a candidate who strongly believes in the Constitution, Dr. Paul is wrong on this issue.
"As we all know, the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution explicitly states, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States ...
The Constitution was created to limit government, protect liberty, and safeguard individual rights. Ignoring the plain meaning and written word of the Fourteenth Amendment – and indeed, the entire Constitution – disrespects the Constitution itself and discredits the candidate.”
Too bad he didn't speak up back when it was Bush and Cheney were disrespecting the Constitution, but hey, better late than never. Connie Mack joins the GOP-led Kentucky State Senate in rebuking Paul for his statements on the Civil Rights Act.
It might be too much to wish for, but Rand Paul could help hasten the inevitable fracturing of the Republican party. Connie Mack and Kentucky Republicans can't be the only ones who see where his party is headed in its relentless pursuit of the crazy base and doesn't like it.