Ask most folks who's the fiercest advocate for minority rights in Congress, and I imagine the most common response would be Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), who has devoted his career to the cause of civil rights.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) would prefer that you think of someone else. Specifically, himself.
In an interview with Yahoo News in Iowa, where Paul spoke to a gathering of Christian pastors and church leaders last week, the possible presidential contender acknowledged that stories about the aide could set back his efforts, but he defended his commitment to bringing more black and Hispanic voters into the Republican Party."I'm not easily dissuaded, so it's not something that makes me shrink away, it makes me come out even stronger to say that I don't think there's anyone in Congress who has a stronger belief in minority rights than I do," Paul told Yahoo News.
Seriously? He doesn't think there's anyone in Congress with a stronger belief in minority rights?
This is the same Rand Paul who hired a neo-Confederate to write his book and work in his Senate office.
This is also the same Rand Paul who's on record opposing the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act, and the Fair Housing Act.
And this is also the same Rand Paul who opposes equal rights for gay Americans, voting against ENDA and rejecting marriage equality. Indeed, after the Supreme Court's DOMA ruling, the senator chatted with Glenn Beck and appeared to equate same-sex marriage with cross-species marriage.
Let's put it this way: if there's literally no one else in the entire Congress with a stronger belief in minority rights than the junior senator from Kentucky, we're all in a lot of trouble.