While many Senate Democrats said Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) raised legitimate concerns about the Obama administration\u2019s drone program during his epic filibuster of John Brennan\u2019s nomination as CIA director, most of them were unable to explain why they didn\u2019t join him on the Senate floor.<\/p>\n
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) was the only Democrat to join Paul and 14 other Republicans in a 13-hour filibuster Wednesday. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) also took to the floor twice, but mostly to defend the U.S. government\u2019s authority to target American citizens in \u201cextraordinary circumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know, there\u2019s a lot of debates I don\u2019t join that I agree \u2014 I\u2019ve got stuff to do and was doing a lot of other things,\u201d Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) told HuffPost when asked about his whereabouts the day before. \u201cI think the question should be answered. I think [Sen.] Paul was generally right on it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who in 2010 launched the most recent old-fashioned \u201ctalking\u201d filibuster before Paul\u2019s against the extension of the Bush-era tax cuts, said flatly that he never considered joining Paul\u2019s effort \u2014 but added that the absence of most Democrats was a \u201cgood question.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m working right now on many, many, other issues,\u201d Sanders said.<\/p>\n
\u201cPresumably you go down on the floor because you believe in something,\u201d he added, though he argued that the method Paul used to raise his questions and his timing weren\u2019t \u201cparticularly constructive.\u201d<\/p>\n
The White House responded to Paul\u2019s concerns Thursday, when Press Secretary Jay Carney read a letter Attorney General Eric Holder sent to Paul at the top of his daily briefing.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has come to my attention that you have now asked an additional question: \u2018Does the President have the authority to use a weaponized drone to kill an American not engaged in combat on American soil?\u2019\u201d Carney read. \u201cThe answer to that question is no.\u201d<\/p>\n
Paul embraced the response, calling it a \u201cvictory.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHooray!\u201d he told Fox News\u2019 Megyn Kelly after she read him Holder\u2019s letter for the first time on air. \u201cFor 13 hours yesterday, we asked him that question. So there is a result and a victory. Under duress, and under public humiliation, the White House will respond and do the right thing.\u201d<\/p>\n