On Sunday’s broadcast of CNN’s “State of the Union,” junior Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul defended his role as the official “tea party response” to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address, which is scheduled for Tuesday night.
Paul, who will deliver the response at the National Press Club in Washington, said he wouldn’t necessarily disagree with anything Florida Sen. Marco Rubio will say in the Republican response.
“You know, I think to me I see it as an extra response. I don’t see it necessarily divisive,” Paul said. “You know I won’t say anything on there that necessarily is like, Marco Rubio is wrong. You know, I don’t always agree, but the thing is this isn’t about he and I, this is about the tea party, which is a grassroots movement — a real movement with millions of Americans who are still concerned about some of the deal-making that goes on in Washington, they’re still concerned about the fact that we are borrowing $50,000 a second.”
“None of the things I ran on as part of the tea party have been fixed,” he continued. “We’re still going down a hole as far as the debt crisis looming. And so we really have to still talk about spending, and we want to make sure there is still a voice for that.”
Viewers can listen to Paul deliver the address on the Tea Party Express website.
As for the potential of an Ashley Judd candidacy against his Kentucky senatorial colleague Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Paul was dismissive.
“You know, when I heard Ashley Judd might run for office, I thought maybe it was parliament, since she lives in Scotland half of the year,” Paul said. “But no, I think really that part of politics is making sure people know who you are running against. Ashley Judd is a famous actress, she’s an attractive woman, and presents herself well and from what I understand is articulate. But the thing is, she doesn’t really represent Kentucky. I mean, she was a representative for Tennessee last year. She lives in Tennessee.”.”