JACKSON, Miss. – Kentucky Senator Rand Paul made an appearance in Mississippi Monday as a keynote speaker for a Mississippi Republican Party Fundraiser in Jackson at the Old Capital Inn.
“The reason we wanted Senator Paul here, the governor and I talked about this months ago, is because he represents something that is very important to us – at the same time being able to stand on principal and expand the party,” said Mississippi Republican Party Chairman Joe Nosef.
Paul told reporters before the fundraiser that he hoped to talk about whether or not lawmakers are obeying the constitution, saying “power corrupts,” and that too much power has been accumulated in the hands of the presidency over the past one hundred years.
When asked about Mississippi’s recent Senate race against U.S. Senator Thad Cochran and State Senator Chris McDaniel, Paul said he believes there were several “spirited” primaries across the country. He said believes the Republican Party continues to be unified because the difference between Democrats and Republicans is still far greater than the difference between Republicans on different sides of the spectrum.
Paul also said he believes that something needs to be changed on a national level about police using excessive force.
“I think we could start out by no longer dispensing bayonets to local police forces. FEMA gave out 12,000 bayonets last year. Alright, that’s just stupid. We are giving out mine resistant ambush protection vehicles, 20 ton vehicles. Dundee Michigan, a town of 3,000 has a 20 ton mine resistant ambush protection vehicle. That’s ridiculous. And we right in the rules that it’s not supposed to be used for riot control and yet that is what it’s being used for. It’s supposed to be for terrorism. Try to explain to me when terrorist are supposed to attack Dundee Michigan or Fargo, North Dakota.”
Paul blames the war on drugs for excessive police force, and that it has “gone a little overboard.” He believes drugs need to be treated as a health problem instead of a long term incarceration problem.
