Rand Paul's 'How to Perform a Backflip'

Today the DSCC issued this press release on Rand Paul:

Five months after running an insurgent campaign and knocking off Mitch McConnell’s handpicked candidate in the Republican primary, Rand Paul has performed so many flip-flops and backflips, he’s turned into the very worst kind of politician who can’t be trusted to represent the Kentucky’s families.

On primary night, Rand Paul bragged that he would not “weave and dodge,” he would not “become a moderate” or “give up” his Tea Party message. Yet since he made that pledge, Rand Paul has changed his position on at least 15 issues:

After…

• Receiving sustained criticism for his opposition to civil rights, Rand Paul is now claiming he supports them.
• Questioning the Federal Fair Housing Act, he now says he doesn’t want to repeal the law.
• Repeatedly opposing the Americans with Disabilities Act, Rand Paul now claims that never was the case.
• Defending BP’s disastrous behavior in the Gulf of Mexico by claiming “accidents happen,” Rand Paul now says we need more regulations for offshore oil drilling.
• Claiming he was a board certified Ophthalmologist, Rand Paul now acknowledges he isn’t board certified.
• Railing against government spending, Rand Paul says he won’t cut reimbursements for doctors.
• Pledging to not take money from the senators who backed the bailout, Rand Paul now claims that was only a primary pledge.
• Comparing a southern border fence to the Berlin Wall and repeatedly campaigning on building an “underground electric fence,” Rand Paul now supports building a physical fence along the U.S.-Mexican border, blaming his previous stance on “whoever is writing for our Web site.”
• Favoring abolishing the U.S. Department of Agriculture, he now claims he doesn’t favor eliminating the USDA.
• Opposing farm subsidies, Rand Paul now claims he doesn’t support eliminating all subsidies.
• After posting on his website he supported closing the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, he later said that was not his position and blamed the mistake on a staffer.
• Repeatedly opposing and arguing that Congress has no business regulating mines. Now he claims he just never said that.
• Advocating cutting veterans benefits, Rand Paul immediately claimed he never supported such a position.
• Repeatedly stating his opposition to federal government involvement in drug enforcement, Rand Paul now says he supports ongoing efforts.
• After signaling his support for the FairTax, Paul then claimed he never said he supported the FairTax, even though he was caught on tape professing support for the FairTax.

“Kentucky middle class families cannot trust Rand Paul to represent them in the U.S. Senate. After spending the last five months trying to run from his extreme record, Rand Paul has quickly turned into the very worst kind of politician,” said DSCC National Press Secretary Deirdre Murphy. “Far from endearing himself to Kentuckians, Paul’s backflips have reminded voters that no matter how hard he tries, he’ll never understand Kentucky.”