Richard Viguerie: Rand Paul Fight Is First in a Long Battle

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul's stand on the Senate floor to block renewal of the Patriot Act is the first skirmish in a long battle between the American people and their political leaders, Richard A. Viguerie, chairman of ConservativeHQ.com, tells Newsmax TV.

Appearing Monday on "Newsmax Prime," Viguerie was critical of Republicans, including Paul's fellow Republican Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham, for saying Paul was acting only to aid his presidential ambitions.

"What we've got is almost a complete disconnect between our country's leaders and the typical American," he said, "The average America just doesn't have any confidence or trust in our country's leaders, and they certainly don't trust them with their private email, phone conversations."

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Ari Rabin-Havt, a liberal radio host and former aide to Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell bears the real blame for letting the Patriot Act expire. After Paul succeeded in using procedural moves to keep it from being renewed before the Senate went into a weeklong break, he should have called on the Senate to remain in session, he said.

Viguerie agreed, saying, "It's Mitch McConnell's Senate and he has a responsibility, and he thought he had a clever game plan and he has egg on his face, quite frankly."

The two also agreed that Graham's foray into the presidential election is ill-fated.

"I don't see Lindsey Graham as even a reasonable candidate. He won't make the Republican debates," Rabin-Havt said. "He seems to be running because he's angry at Rand Paul and wants to respond to that, and that doesn't seem to me like a winning platform."

Graham doesn't have much of a base, Viguerie said. "It looks to me like Lindsey Graham's base is about 42 national neo-cons."

The two agreed again on the 8-1 Supreme Court decision announced Monday that said clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch violated a Muslim woman's rights when it refused to hire her for wearing a hijab to her interview.

"It's encouraging if the Supreme Court recognizes that we still have religious liberties under the First Amendment," Viguerie said.

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