<\/a>There are some outside the Republican camp who want to believe that Rand Paul may be a little bit of fresh air from a party that is considered to be either stodgy or extreme. With his father, Ron, being the best known Libertarian in the United States, Rand is seen by some as a respecter and protector of individual liberties. But do not be confused: The rights that he wants to protect are those of the gun owner who wants to carry weapons most anywhere. He also favors the rights of the business owner who wants to withhold his goods and services from people he doesn\u2019t like, such as LGBTs. He certainly is nowhere close to championing the rights of women to control their reproductive decisions, or helping the poor with programs to redistribute income.<\/p>\n Rand Paul did something that no other Republican did; he came to Ferguson, Missouri, scene of the August 9, 2014 shooting of unarmed Michael Brown by Officer Darren Wilson and the subsequent protests and riots. Paul did more than gawk; he met with protestors and actually tried to listen to their grievances.<\/p>\n But we all know that money talks, and that is where Paul\u2019s ideas are a non-starter. As the Washington Post reported<\/a> on April 10 following Paul\u2019s presidential announcement:<\/p>\n The first policy proposal\u00a0Rand\u00a0Paul announced in\u00a0his big speech declaring\u00a0his presidential campaign this week\u00a0was an old-fashioned plan\u00a0for the federal budget. The Republican senator\u00a0from Kentucky wants\u00a0to amend the Constitution to\u00a0require a balanced federal budget every year.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n