Meet Senator Ryan Paul (R-KY), our new tea-party overlord:
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) is upset that the federal government has squelched his right to own a super-toilet, leaving him with less freedom than women, who are still allowed to have abortions. It's an unusual comparison, but it's meant to underline his opposition to the executive branch's involvement in encouraging energy efficiency.That he uses this particular comparison tells us what the little world in his head looks like. In any case, he has more freedom about his toilets than women have about abortions. He can have one any time he wishes, for example. But note that he advocates freedom of choice for toilets but not for women's reproduction.
In a Senate hearing, Paul laid in to Kathleen Hogan, deputy assistant energy secretary for efficiency, for imposing restrictions and fines meant to encourage people to use environmentally friendly appliances.
"It's not that I'm against conservation -- I'm all for energy conservation," Paul admitted. "But I wish you would come here to extol me [sic], to cajole, to encourage, to try to convince me that it would be a good idea to conserve energy. But you come instead with fines, threats of jail. ... This is what your energy efficiency standards are."
It's a funny video, though.