tea time

Updated: Rand Paul Does Damage Control

Rand Paul didn’t retract his opposition to the government telling private businesses that they can’t discriminate against black people — and he won’t; to him it’s a principled libertarian stand, and besides, he’s said it too many times now — but he did reiterate and emphasize today, in a radio interview and in a statement released by his campaign, that he does not support the repeal of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (bold move, that) and that he would have voted for it in 1964. [Corner/National Review]

Update: Well, we were wrong about that whole “principled libertarian stand that Paul has already repeated too many times now” thing. Paul’s spokesman tells the Washington Post’s Greg Sargent: “Civil Rights legislation that has been affirmed by our courts gives the Federal government the right to ensure that private businesses don’t discriminate based on race. Dr. Paul supports those powers.”

Updated: Rand Paul Does Damage Control