(Editor’s Note: We are happy to carry Dr. Paul’s response to the Courier-Journal’s latest attack on his policy re: the federal budget and national debt.   We have carefully weighed, sifted and inquired personally as to Rand’s stance on these and other key issues and found his platform the only one that we can unreservedly endorse, in large part because of this statement at the end of paragraph two–”restoring limitations on government functions to within the boundaries explicitly imposed by the U.S. Constitution.”)

Rand Paul’s credibility as a government reformer has taken on a life of its own, growing with each new establishment-inspired smear. Today, Louisville Courier Journal columnist John David Dyche swings and misses at Rand’s solid position on balanced budgets:

“Dr. Rand Paul says he will not vote for any budget that is not balanced. Secretary of State Trey Grayson rightly responded that Paul’s position “is not practical” and explained why. Now Paul is airing an ad attacking Grayson as if Grayson is altogether opposed to balancing the budget.”
“Paul has neither outlined a balanced budget nor detailed how he would eliminate this year’s projected $1.5 trillion federal deficit in one fell swoop. Any combination of spending cuts and tax increases doing that would choke even the most highly caffeinated tea partiers.”

Actually, Rand Paul has discussed deficit elimination many times and with more-than-sufficient specificity. He has suggested passing an old federal budget from a prior year, but one that matches current revenues. Also, he has discussed closing multiple government agencies and — this is the important part going over some well-educated heads — restoring limitations on government functions to within the boundaries explicitly imposed by the U.S. Constitution.

Even more fundamental to the question at hand, though, is the value of a “no” vote even if it is the only one for a while. “Practical” Republicans talk about “spending less” and may even give lip service to a balanced budget ideal, but recoil in horror at the practical realities involved in actually cutting even a single well-intentioned but wasteful government program. Rand Paul’s campaign has succeeded in exposing this feel-good phoniness that has wrecked our nation’s finances with bipartisan back-slapping. Establishment politicians and scribes have staked out their positions yet again in opposition to basic common sense.

Rand Paul will withstand this latest attack because too many Kentucky Republicans appreciate reality enough to seriously consider the hard choices that lie ahead of us.  (David Adams)

www.randpaul2010.com

Election day in Kentucky is May 18.