‘Mad Men’ is pretty cool, isn’t it?“ – Rand Paul [Politico, 4/7/15]
The Mad Men era wasn’t “pretty cool” for women, but judging by his backwards policies, Rand Paul seems to think we should go back to it. He clearly has a problem with women asking tough questions, and his interactions with them would fit right into a Mad Men plotline.
Though Rand Paul’s campaign sells “cool” merch like the “Ladies Freedom Burnout Tee,” the policies behind the logo would be best represented by polyester plaid and the smell of stale cigarettes.
BACKGROUND:
NO MORE ROE V WADE
Wants to Send Us Back to Pre-Roe v Wade (Introduced Personhood Legislation). In March 2013, Paul attempted to codify “personhood” into federal law through his introduction of the Life at Conception Act. He said, “The Life at Conception Act legislatively declares what most Americans believe and what science has long known – that human life begins at the moment of conception, and therefore is entitled to legal protection from that point forward. The right to life is guaranteed to all Americans in the Declaration of Independence and ensuring this is upheld is the Constitutional duty of all Members of Congress.” [US News, 7/29/13]
REVERT TO DISCRIMINATION AGAINST LGBT
Said Same-Sex Marriage ‘Offends’ Him. ““I’m for traditional marriage […] I think marriage is between a man and a woman. Ultimately, we could have fixed this a long time ago if we just allowed contracts between adults. We didn’t have to call it marriage, which offends myself and a lot of people.” [Washington Blade, 3/07/15]
- Said He Doesn’t Believe in the Concept of “Gay Rights.” “Sen. Rand Paul said he doesn’t buy into the concept of gay rights because they are defined by a gay person’s lifestyle.b“I don’t think I’ve ever used the word gay rights, because I don’t really believe in rights based on your behavior,” the Kentucky Republican told reporters in a videotaped interview that has received little attention since it was recorded in 2013.” [Buzzfeed, 3/31/15]
LET BUSINESSES DISCRIMINATE
Took Issue with the 1964 Civil Rights Act – Said Its Non-Discrimination Policies Should Not Have Applied to Private Businesses. During an editorial board interview with the Courier-Journal in his 2010 Senate campaign, Paul said of the Civil Rights Act, “I don’t like the idea of telling private business owners — I abhor racism. I think it’s a bad business decision to exclude anybody from your restaurant — but, at the same time, I do believe in private ownership.” [Washington Post, 4/11/13]
ANTI-WOMAN
Opposes Equal Pay for Equal Work. “Kentucky’s two Republican senators yesterday helped their party block the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would have given women new tools to combat pay discrimination in the workforce. Kentucky women make just seventy seven cents to every dollar a man makes. The same holds true nationally… But Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul says the legislation would do more harm than good.” [WKMS, 6/06/12]
Proposed Ending Government Assistance for Single Mothers with Too Many Kids. According to Paul, “maybe we have to say ‘enough’s enough, you shouldn’t be having kids after a certain amount,’ to single mothers who receive government assistance. He argued that, at a certain point, assistance “needs to come from ministers and people in the community and parents and grandparents to convince our kids to do something different.” [Salon, 1/27/14]
Voted Against Reauthorizing The Violence Against Women Act. 22 Senate Republicans voted against reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act. [S. 47, Passage, Vote #113, 2/12/13]
ANTI-FAMILY
Believed the Minimum Wage to be a “Temporary Thing.” Responding to the Obama’s comments on wanting their daughters to work minimum wage jobs, Paul said that he believes the minimum wage to be a “temporary thing,” rather than a reality for many working Americans. According to Paul, minimum wage jobs are “ a chance to get started.” [Politico, 7/19/14]