Michael Benjamin: "Rand Paul Is An Idiot"

Assemblyman Michael Benjamin is coming down hard on Republican Senate candidate Dr. Rand Paul, of Kentucky, for vague remarks he made recently about whether or not he supports the Civil Rights Act of 1964--the landmark law that outlawed racial segregation.

Identified with the burgeoning conservative "tea party" movement, Paul was on MSNBC's Rachel Maddow show last week when the host asked him if he supports the federal law that bans segregation in schools, the workplace and public facilities--to which Paul gave a less-than-straight answer.

In a press release sent after the show aired, Benjamin had these strong words to say about Paul's politics:

Dr. Rand proposes to "take our country back" by freeing corporations from obeying landmark federal civil rights law and important environmental protection regulations. He would take America back to the days of Jim Crow and Robber Barons.

His rhetoric is eerily reminiscent of the political rants of Adolph Hitler and Herman Gering. Sixty-five years ago this month, America and her Allies defeated the Nazis, liberated Jews, and set the stage for European prosperity. Rand Paul spits on the graves of our honored dead.

I urge the voters of Kentucky to repudiate Dr. Paul for his retrograde and dangerous political rhetoric. I urge them to elect a United States Senator who shares real American values.

Benjamin has made his own headlines recently after announcing he won't be running for re-election in the Assembly this fall, where he's been since 2003, and hinting that he might make a run for Jose E. Serrano's congressional seat instead.