Rand Paul (R-KY) is currently filibustering the nomination of John Brennan to be CIA director. He began his effort about 11:45 EST and has promised to speak as long as he can, though he concedes that he will eventually lose a cloture vote.
Many on the left are snapping to the knee jerk reaction of attacking Paul and the GOP for this effort but the things Paul is saying are posing some rather awkward questions. His point is not that he wants to block Brennan but that we need to have the President answer questions about the recent drone memos which basically argued the President can kill anyone he wants anywhere he wants as long as he decides they are a terrorist.
Paul is speaking in support of the 4th amendment and the right of US citizens to be free from such attacks. He points out that President Obama has refused to say straight out that he would not kill non combatant US citizens in the US. Paul has made it clear he has no problem with taking on terrorists, he merely wants things to be presented to a judge (kind of like that Constitution thing requires). He also is fine with exigent circumstances that would require fast action.
Seems a pretty simple thing for the President to promise to me. Indeed if this were a President Bush or Romney I suspect many liberal senators would be outraged at the memo but they have for the most part been oddly silent on Obama.
Of course there are the exceptions both in DC and here on TMV and I applaud those who put principle above party.
I do think a cloture vote should and will take place but I think we need to listen to Senator Paul for a while and ask ourselves (and the administration) a few important questions.