Seems that this isn’t the first time 1) Paul’s views have caused a bit of consternation, 2) people in the Paul’s campaign has had some “racial issues”, but 3)…

Rand Paul's New "Hoodie" - Same as the Old "Hoodie"...
It’s the first time there has been a calculated backpedal – which is one of those things Politicians tend to do when they get their cajones in a wringer… LIE.
Number 1 –
Rand Paul Made Same Racial Comments in 2002
Rand Paul’s appearance last evening on Rachel Maddow wasn’t the first time he made comments about racial discrimination.
In a May 30, 2002 letter to the editor of the Bowling Green Daily News about the Federal Fair Housing Act, Rand Paul made his beliefs about legalized discrimination quite clear.
Here are some excerpts from his letter headlined “Distinction blurred between private, public property”:
A recent Daily News editorial supported the Federal Fair Housing Act. At first glance, who could object to preventing discrimination in housing? Most citizens would agree that it is wrong to deny taxpayer-financed, “public” housing to anyone based on the color of their skin or the number of children in the household.
But the Daily News ignores, as does the Fair Housing Act, the distinction between private and public property. Should it be prohibited for public, taxpayer-financed institutions such as schools to reject someone based on an individual’s beliefs or attributes? Most certainly. Should it be prohibited for private entities such as a church, bed and breakfast or retirement neighborhood that doesn’t want noisy children? Absolutely not.
Decisions concerning private property and associations should in a free society be unhindered. As a consequence, some associations will discriminate.
-SNIP-
A free society will abide unofficial, private discrimination – even when that means allowing hate-filled groups to exclude people based on the color of their skin.
Number 2 – As to that “racial thing” – it seems Rand Paul’s Spokesman had to step down in January over some comments made on his MySpace –
FLASHBACK: Paul Campaign Spokesman Resigned Over Racism On Myspace Page
Controversy is swirling over Rand Paul’s doctrinaire libertarian take on the civil rights legislation of the 1960s. But this is not the first time the Kentucky Republican’s campaign has hit a bump in racially sensitive territory.
In December, Chris Hightower, the spokesman for Paul’s senate campaign, was forced to resignafter a liberal Kentucky blog discovered that his MySpace page had a comment posted around Martin Luther King Day that read: “HAPPY N***ER DAY!!!” above what appears to be a historical photo of the lynching of a black man…
Hightower, who was also the frontman of a local Megadeth-style metal band called Commander, wrote a MySpace post referring to “Afro-Americans” titled “Blacks don’t like my Napalm Death hoodie”:
So, I was in Rivergate Mall today in line to get some pizza and I noticed a group of Afro-Americans were looking at me with hate and whispering stuff. I was wondering WTF and procceeded to sit facing them and give them the “what the fuck are you looking at look”. Anyway after a few snarls they quit looking at me. I was like do these fuckers think I am someone else or what? Anyway I finished my food and went to find some new shoes. About 10 minutes later, another group of Afro-Americans are giving me the same looks, it then dawns on me, there has to be something on this hoodie that is pissing off the Afro-Americans. And sure enough when I get outside the mall I look and bingo. KKK …. LOL!”
And now Number 3 – The lie calculated to calm the storm –
REVERSAL: Paul Now Backs Ban On Discrimination By Businesses
The Rand Paul camp has issued a new statement (via Greg Sargent) saying that Paul does in fact support the power of the federal government “to insure that private businesses don’t discriminate based on race.”
That appears to be a full reversal from Paul’scomment on Rachel Maddow Wednesday night that, referring to the section of the 1964 Civil Rights Act that bars private institutions from race-based discrimination, “had I been around, I would have tried to modify that.”
Said Paul spokesman Jesse Benton (who, by the way, was also a spokesman for Ron Paul’s 2008 presidential campaign):
“Civil Rights legislation that has been affirmed by our courts gives the Federal government the right to insure that private businesses don’t discriminate based on race. Dr. Paul supports those powers.”
That goes further than the statement from Rand Paul himself earlier today that endorsed the Civil Rights Act because of its “intent” but fell short of supporting the power of the government to ban racial discrimination by private businesses.
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