Rand Pauluses and Minuses - Is "Audit the Fed" Rand's Make-or-Break Moment?

UPDATE: "Audit the Fed" failed to pass, missing the 60 vote mark required. Bernie Sanders did vote for the bill, however Ted Cruz missed the vote. Perhaps he's no "Snape in the Grass" after all.As I mention in the item below, pass or fail, this is still forward momentum for the issue. However, its failure removes what would have been a massive building block for Rand and a claim to relevance in the presidential race. He'll stick around until Iowa and is claiming major ground support there, but should the numbers not meet the campaign expectations, the Paul campaign may fold sooner rather than later. Add in the loss of his top campaign staffer, Elise Jordan, who is taking a job at MSNBC, and you can see the storm clouds gathering. Jordan has done a pathetic job, so presumably she'll provide expert commentary on running a campaign into the ground. Good riddance to her departure.Rand excluded from GOP DebateFox has announced it's "contenders" that will be included in the main debate Thursday and Rand isn't one of them. Unbelievably, John Kasich and Jeb Bush are still included, as well as Chris Christie. We live in a sad, sad world. Still, we'll be live blogging it and doing our always-enjoyable recap podcast. Skip the debate, stay for the podcast. - MINUSPaul says "hell no" to FOX JV debate In a bold - but correct - move, Rand has stated he won't participate in the undercard debate that features the likes of Huckabee, Fiorina and Santorum. This is absolutely the right thing to do. Accepting the demotion is essentially accepting the status of a non-contender or a longshot. It would degrade his candidacy. Meanwhile, by rejecting the debate he'll assure that he gets vastly more media attention and time to comment on the state of the election, his bills in the Senate and his plans moving forward into Iowa.- PAULUSWill Audit the Fed make or break Rand 2016? The vote on Rand's "Audit the Fed" bill, which boasts 24 co-sponsors but no Democrats (he needs at least 4 for it to pass even if every republican backs it) is synching up perfectly with the latest GOP debate. Rand is campaigning hard for this bill's passage, and it's failure to pass could spell doom for his Presidential campaign after the news that Paul missed the cut for the big boy debate.Clearly, a win in the Senate on a bill of this magnitude and over an issue that he and his father have both fought hard on for almost ten years now could give the Paul camp a huge boost going into Iowa. No one else on the dais can claim impactful legislation like this with such recency. I wouldn't be shocked if Fox altered the debate stage should he get a win Tuesday.Accordingly, Rand has been hitting the media hard, with a byline in TIME this past week. An excerpt:

The Fed is, indeed, a political, oligarchic force, and a key part of what looks and functions like a banking cartel. During the 2007-08 financial crisis, the Fed’s true nature was clear to anyone paying attention. As the Treasury began bailing out the investment banks from the consequences of their profligate risk-taking (and in some cases fraudulent schemes), the Fed moved in tandem, further purchasing the underwater assets of these institutions, as well as actually paying interest to the commercial banks (hemorrhaging from risky loans) for reserves they kept parked at the Fed.

You can also add in some heavy lobbying of Democrats who have been outspoken against big banking to co-sponsor the bill as well. Notably, Paul called on Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren to step up - so far neither has shown the backbone to do it.

"We've had a lot of Democrats who claim that they're concerned about big banks and big banks controlling things and a revolving door between Wall Street and big banks and the Federal Reserve," he told reporters during a conference call Monday. "We'll see if any of those loud voices — Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren — are they loud voices that really are for more oversight of the banking system?"

Whether this bill passes or fails, in the eyes of many in the liberty movement it's existence and continued support - vastly greater in this political cycle than initially under Ron Paul -  is uplifting. Pray for passage.- PAULUSTell it like it is, Rand: Paul tells seniors that Social Security has to change Rand recently spoke at a senior center in New Hampshire this past week and - much to the chagrin of his advisors - told it like it is. Social Security is utterly broken and can't continue to operate in the same fashion for the unforeseeable future.

When Paul gave the floor to residents, one challenged him on his Social Security position. “Why do you want to eliminate Social Security for future generations?” a woman asked him.Paul tried to calm her. “I don’t want to eliminate it. I want to change how it’s funded,” he said. Under Paul’s plan, he explained, current workers would have to stay in their jobs longer and wealthier Americans would draw fewer benefits. Also, Americans would pay Social Security taxes on their whole paycheck, as opposed to the current system, which taxes only the first $117,000 in wages and the rest goes untaxed.“I’m not gleefully jumping up and down about raising the age. It’s not very popular,” Paul said. But, he said, the current system is not tenable and an older retirement age could fix two-thirds of the funding crisis. “We’re all talking about the next generation,” Paul said.Asked after the event about the move, Paul said he didn’t want to pander. “I don’t know anything other than to tell the truth,” he said. “I’m not telling people here that they’re going to have a problem.”

That's refreshing to hear from a presidential candidate and anyone in politics for that matter. Lying to get votes or to convince everyone they can stay on the gravy train forever - as Bernie Sanders and so many others do - is a disease that has to be cured. Rand's a doctor and his prescription is for 50cc's of the truth.- PAULUSFighting the war on the 2nd amendmentAs discussed previously in this column, Paul has already introduced legislation that would put a hold on any executive action taken by the president impacting the 2nd Amendment rights of Americans until it received Congressional approval. He's been backing up that bill with outspoken commentary on gun rights, vowing to fight "tooth and nail" against added gun regulation and restriction in addition to setting certain people straight on what is or isn't an automatic weapon. This includes the daft harpies of "The View." Rand gets into it about 4:40 in.Whoopsie, Whoopi! Maybe you should have at least a small clue as to what you're talking about before you shoot your mouth off. The sad thing is, many, many Americans are under the same cloud of brazen ignorance as Goldberg. The silly applause she gets after saying for a SECOND TIME that she can't understand people having automatic weapons is evidence of that.On the bright side, Rand's TV persona is coming along nicely.- PAULUSRand "doesn't" talk pot with Steven ColbertSpeaking of his TV personality, Paul came across rather well on Colbert's late night show on CBS. As we know, old people watch CBS. And old people are the only ones who actually get called on land lines for political phone polls. If Rand can just book a guest spot on "The Big Bang Theory" (worst written show ever) or NCIS he'll shoot up 20 points overnight.- PAULUS2016 RPM Tally: 7 Pauluses / 2 MinusesRPM Total: 152 Pauluses / 46 Minuses / 11 PushDiscuss this and so much more in our private Facebook Group: The Lions of Liberty Forum!Be sure to check out our "Year in #RandyPants Podcast!"Download this episode (right click and save)Check out the full “Rand Pauluses and Minuses” Archive!The Lions of Liberty are on Twitter, Facebook & Google+Check out our YouTube Channel!Receive access to ALL of our EXCLUSIVE bonus audio content – including “Conspiracy Corner”, “Degenerate Gamblers” and the “League of Liberty Podcast” by joining the Lions of Liberty Pride and supporting us on Patreon!