Rand Paul (R-Ky.)

The plan worked. In May 2010, Paul used this anger to easily defeat Grayson in the primary and went on to defeat Jack Conway in the general election.

Federal Budget

From the moment he arrived in Washington, Paul set upon federal spending and announced he wanted to slash the federal budget by a mammoth $500 billion over one year, returning the federal budget to 2008 levels. While all departments would take hits, the Education Department would be eliminated and Commerce spending would be slashed by more than half to end "corporate welfare." Medicare and Social Security entitlements wouldn't be touched.

In his first Senate floor speech on Feb. 2, 2011, Paul extolled the virtues of refusing to compromise unlike his predecessor, former Kentucky Senator and slaveholder Henry Clay, at whose desk he'll sit as a first-term senator.

"One could argue that Clay's compromises ultimately cost him the presidency," Paul said. "We do face a fiscal nightmare, potentially a debt crisis in our country. Is the answer to compromise?" Paul asked. "Should we compromise by raising taxes and cutting spending. Is that the compromise by that will save us from financial ruin?

"Can the tea party compromise, work with others to find a solution? Of course there must be dialogue and ultimately compromise, but the compromise must occur on where we cut spending... The compromise that we as conservates must ackowledge is that we can cut some money from the military. The liberals must realize that we can cut some money from domestic spending."

But in the end, Paul said that compromise should not be be an end in itself. "As long as I sit at Henry Clay's desk, I will remember his lifelong desire to forge agreement, but I will also keep close to my heart the principled stand of his cousin, Cassius Clay, who refused to forsake the life of any human, simply to find agreement."

Libertarian Views

Paul grew up in the household of a libertarian leader, and his views do not differ much from his lawmaker father's. Paul favors states rights and advocates local funding and control over social issues.

Hearkening back to the conservative revolution of 1994, Paul has expressed a strong desire to eliminate the Department of Education (DOE). He's all for some of the measures that the DOE has on the books, but doesn't believe the federal government should be funding or implementing them. "I support state and local funding for all facets of education," said Paul.

Paul's also an ardent opponent of the Federal Reserve. Like his father, he supports congressional proposals to audit the Fed, and doesn't trust the organization's ability to properly control monetary policy. "The Fed misleads investors into embarking on projects that make no long-term sense," said Paul.

"Our current housing bubble was a direct result of the Fed's decision to keep interest rates artificially lower than the market could sustain. The Fed basically spiked the punch and is now acting surprised that the party got out of hand."

Paul also opposes abortion rights, all legislative earmarks and federal involvement in drug enforcement.

Civil Rights Act

In May 2010, the day after he won the Republican primary and was the focus of breathless national media attention, Paul expressed his opinion about the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which made employment discrimination by businesses illegal, among other things. Paul said he disagreed with measures of the bill that forced private businesses to desegregate.

"But I think what's important about this debate is not written into any specific 'gotcha' on this, but asking the question: What about freedom of speech," said Paul. "Should we limit speech from people we find abhorrent? Should we limit racists from speaking? . . . I don't want to be associated with those people, but I also don't want to limit their speech in any way in the sense that we tolerate boorish and uncivilized behavior because that's one of the things freedom requires."

This created a firestorm of criticism and detractors feared that Paul believed in repealing the landmark legislation. In the aftermath, Paul released a press release that said he doesn't believe in repealing the Civil Rights Act.

"Let me be clear: I support the Civil Rights Act because I overwhelmingly agree with the intent of the legislation, which was to stop discrimination in the public sphere and halt the abhorrent practice of segregation and Jim Crow laws," said Paul.

BP Oil Spill

In late April 2010, a deepwater oil rig burst in the Gulf of Mexico, with unquantifiable consequences for the waters and lands surrounding it. While the company that ran the rig, British Petroleum (BP), received widespread criticism for the mistake and inability to staunch the oil from spreading, Paul was a lone political voice defending BP and attacking the Obama administration's response.

Following the spill, the federal government tried to figure out how much liability BP would hold, even possibly increasing the highest limit the company would owe for damages from lawsuits (the May 2010 level is up to $75 million). Paul, on the other hand, defended the oil company against increased liability.

"I think it's part of this sort of blame-game society in the sense that it's always got to be somebody's fault instead of the fact that maybe sometimes accidents happen," said Paul.

Paul also criticized Obama for attacking BP. "What I don't like from the president's administration is this sort of, 'I'll put my boot heel on the throat of BP,'" said Rand. "I think that sounds really un-American in his criticism of business."

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