Rand Paul bestiality comment 'sarcasm,' office says
(CNN) – Sen. Rand Paul's criticism of Wednesday's same-sex marriage ruling, which included a rhetorical question about bestiality eventually being made legal, was sarcasm, the Kentucky Republican's office says.
Speaking to conservative radio host Glenn Beck, Paul delved into the question of whether or not lawmakers should imbue legislation with their own morals. Beck set up the statement by wondering whether the court's ruling – which found a key provision of the federal Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional – could logically lead to polygamy becoming legal.
"If you change one variable – man and a woman – to a man and a man and a woman and a woman, you cannot tell me then that you can't logically change the other variable," Beck said. "One man, three women. One woman, four men. Who are you to say that if I am a devout Muslim and I come over here and I have three wives, who are you to say if I am an American citizen that I can't have multiple marriages?"
Paul, a potential 2016 presidential candidate whose supporters include a large number of libertarian-leaning conservatives, said Beck was getting at a larger question of whether laws can include moral designations.
"This is a conundrum, and it gets back to what you were saying …whether or not churches should decide this," Paul said. "And it is difficult, because if we have no laws on this, people take it to one extension further. Does it have to be humans?"
That remark, his office said, wasn't meant to be taken seriously.
"Sarcasm sometimes doesn't translate adequately from radio conversation," his communications director Moira Bagley said. "Sen. Paul did not suggest that striking down DOMA could lead to unusual marriage arrangements. What he was discussing was that having the state recognize marriage without definition could lead to marriages with no basis in reality."
Later in the interview, Paul stressed the economic importance of stable marriages for children.
"I also see that economically, if you don't look at it with any moral periscope, and you say, 'What is it that is the leading cause of poverty in our country?' It's having kids without marriage," Paul said. "That stability of the marriage unit is enormous, and we should not say we're punting on it and marriage can be anything."
Later, in an interview with ABC News, Paul said he thought the Supreme Court ruling on DOMA was appropriate and said the issue should be one left to the states.
As for the growing divide among Republicans on same-sex marriage, Paul said "the party is going to have to agree to disagree on some of these issues."
CNN's Kevin Liptak and Ashley Killough contributed to this report.
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Anything resembling intelligence in Mr. Rand is sarcasm.
"Speaking to conservative radio host Glenn Beck, Paul delved into the question of whether or not lawmakers should imbue legislation with their own morals."
Rand Paul and Glenn Beck. A marriage made in ... well, not in heaven anyway.
Sarcasm or not, it's still an utter ridiculous remark. It's the slippery slope argument. Bestiality just happens to be the same argument that was made against interracial marriages. Coincidence? Nope. It shows that the mind set has not changed.
Because Rand Paul is so libertarian and lacks the understanding that is needed for the real world, he is going to stick his foot in his mouth more than others.
He said what he meant and meant what he said!
Mr. Rand is just another in a long line of Republicans who doesn't believe in equal rights, civil rights, voter's rights, and really prefers that there always be an underclass- the poor, the sick with no access to medicine, the minority with no voting rights. It is how the GOP defines itself- "we're better than THOSE people".
The Republican Party is a bad joke right now. It is not sarcasm.
Sorry lite paul, but the fact that people and animals together is the first thing that comes into that dirty mind of yours seems to be a problem you have with s e x in general.
Your "sarcasm" is another rethug saying what's on your mind then backpedaling like the fool you are.
Thanks though. We won't forget come 2016 if you even come close to the WH.
Cuchimamma was talking nonsense on polygamy about the same ruling. You understand where you rethugs immediately go? Down and dirty!
Tough to defend an indefensible position.
You're going to see a lot of this from the GOP: ugly remarks, later characterized as "jokes", followed by hurried and tepid acceptance of the ruling AS LONG AS gay marriage is "left up to the states" - another indefensible position, in the context of civil rights. You can't be married in California and not be married in Alabama.
You lost, bigots. Let it go.
Sorry lite paul, but the fact that people and animals together is the first thing that comes into that dirty mind of yours seems to be a problem you have with s e x in general.
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Well, as you mention it, it would seem our bretheran in the GOP have a very strange and sick fascination with the female reproductive process. Not enough to actually understand it's real biological workings mind you but enough that they wish to legislate its function and existance. I think of it as legislative rape.
But hey, they are a strange lot.....
BTW mop top. Anything to say about the SCOTUS decision since you, by your own admission, would have not voted for the civil rights act in the 60s? What about the oops governor and his stance on abortion, which leaves many women without healthcare?
You want to run for president? You need to answer, not that we already don't know what you think, the hard questions. Good luck NOT.
Rand why not consult your father before you lip out anything. We understand your father was a nut as you are, BUT still he was holding backwards sometimes. If you go this path Rand the boy, you will not reach anywhere. Talk to you father first, if at you have to do so from your way of thinking!
"You're going to see a lot of this from the GOP: ugly remarks, later characterized as "jokes", "
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Well, what else do they have" Their candidates almost to the individual are reprehensible (like Mr. Paul); they have no functioning policy anymore; they are driven in a reactionary fashion by and extreme faction within their party that pines for a time when taking away voters' rights, denying civil rights, and being prejudiced was cool. Worse, they really just see the rich- everyone else is a problem they don't want to deal with, and those folks are meant to be kept under their heel in any event.
They lost alright, and they aren't bright enough to stop digging!
Marie MD:
You have hit the nail on the head...The moron and his buddy Beck should not be allowed to talk. And the media (CNN) should not cover it.
What Paul meant was beast or animals knows better than the current activist aka judges of supreme Obama. If sodomy is okay why not beashtiality or polygamy . If jones wants his/ her horse turn to the horse lobbyists who in turn will oil the activists and the horse affair will be endorsed as pursuit for happiness and its good for the children because they can ride it during the day before neighing with it at bed time. Shame shame time to limit these activist time in Supreme Court and how they are hand picked. Otherwise the rule of the law has lost it's true meaning when everything turns out to be for sale.
Did Beck make drawings on his chart?
Mr. Paul needs to join the comedian/talk show circuit. Demagogues like him have no place in high public office.
Beck should have asked the same question about the Voting Rights legislation. Would have loved to have seen Paul's response to that. He is too far right to be president.
Chalk up another "walk back" for Mr. Rand Paul. Someone needs to start a web site about his walk backs, similar to the one named "bushims". Is he really named after Ayn Rand?
@rs,
Yep. Digging their own graves as a NATIONAL party, that's for sure. They've lost:
Minorities
Women
Gays
There are only so many angry elderly people in the USA. If the GOP doesn't moderate right quick, they'll find that they've become a geographically unconnected aggregate of gerrymandered Congressional districts, and nothing more.
One of the best, if not the best reason to never vote for a republican ever again.
If Senator Paul or others wish to marry an animal and have it recognized by Federal law and can find an animal that can sign a legal document stating he/she is of sound mind and is willfully signing, then they have my full support and well wishes.
But if they want to be able to claim their spouse on taxes then they need to deal with the hurdle of getting their spouse a Social Security number.
Warren
Marie MD:
You have hit the nail on the head...The moron and his buddy Beck should not be allowed to talk. And the media (CNN) should not cover it.
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Why should they not be allowed to talk its a free country, first amendment, or are you a loony liberals that believes no one has a right to talk if they do not agree with your views. After all we have to listen to Obama, Pelosi,Reid and other idoits.
when are the republicans going to go after the job shippers,who put half of america on the poverty list
Apparently all of the marriages of Beck and Boss Hogg weren't made in heaven either.