Rand Paul did not change drone position

Appearing on Fox Business Network’s Varney & Co. this morning, Judge Andrew Napolitano reported that he had spoken with Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and believes that the libertarian-leaning lawmaker “unequivocally” did not change his position on drone strikes, despite how many people interpreted his recent remarks on the network. His remarks, last night, were pounced on by Drudge and users on DailyPaul.com along with other libertarian sites.

It seems that, once again, many in the liberty movement are eager to believe the worst about their friends before asking for clarification. Ironically, the main point of Sen. Paul’s interview was that he opposed calling the bombing suspects ‘enemy combatants.’

Senator Paul also released a statement this morning:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Sen. Rand Paul released the following statement this evening following erroneous reports of a change in his position on the use of domestic drones.

“My comments last night left the mistaken impression that my position on drones had changed.

“Let me be clear: it has not. Armed drones should not be used in normal crime situations. They only may only be considered in extraordinary, lethal situations where there is an ongoing, imminent threat. I described that scenario previously during my Senate filibuster.

“Additionally, surveillance drones should only be used with warrants and specific targets.

“Fighting terrorism and capturing terrorists must be done while preserving our constitutional protections. This was demonstrated last week in Boston. As we all seek to prevent future tragedies, we must continue to bear this in mind.”