Deep Left Field

Deadbeat Rancher Cliven Bundy: Rand Paul Will Make Nevada A ‘Sovereign State’ If Elected

Andrew Bradford

Rancher Cliven Bundy poses at his home in Bunkerville, Nevada, April 11, 2014. Armed U.S. rangers are rounding up cattle on federal land in Nevada in a rare showdown with Bundy, a rancher who has illegally grazed his herd on public lands for decades, as conflict over land use simmers in western states. The standoff with the Bureau of Land Management stems in part from Bundy's belief that their right to graze the land predates the federal government's management of it, and that the county and state should ultimately have authority over lands in their boundaries. REUTERS/Jim Urquhart (UNITED STATES - Tags: ANIMALS AGRICULTURE CRIME LAW ENVIRONMENT) - RTR3KXCV

2016 GOP Presidential contender Rand Paul may live to regret the trip he made to Nevada this week more than he can possibly imagine.

While he was in Nevada campaigning, Senator Paul also paid a visit to Cliven Bundy, the man who refuses to pay the federal grazing fees on the land he raises cattle on. At last tally, Bundy owed over $1 million to the government for grazing on federal lands, but he says the land and the rights to it belong to him.

Senator Paul spent an hour meeting in private with deadbeat rancher, and Bundy says he was impressed with Paul’s knowledge of the issues. According to Bundy, Paul also made some very interesting remarks about state sovereignty:

“He said, ‘One of your biggest problems is getting Nevada to recognize its sovereignty and to stand up for its sovereignty. He said he would turn over the jurisdiction authority and allow the state of Nevada to act like a sovereign state. He said it would be up to we the people to govern ourselves.”

Ah yes, the old sovereignty issue. There are even people in this country who say they are a sovereign nation unto themselves and can therefore ignore all laws they disagree with. In other words, as my grandfather used to say, they’re so full of crap that their eyes are brown.

Oddly, a spokesperson for Paul’s campaign said the candidate did not meet directly or privately with any one particular person. But Paul did comment at the campaign event that he believes all land issues – up to and  including endangered species protections – should be handled by the states and not the federal government. That, of course, is in direct violation of the United States Constitution which the Senator has sworn to “preserve, protect, and defend.”

Keep in mind this is the very same Cliven Bundy who once speculated out loud that African-Americans might have been happier when they were slaves because at least they had something to do.

Here’s some friendly advice for the Paul campaign: You were already on the outside looking in when it came to getting the nomination. But if you keep associating with nutjobs like Cliven Bundy, you will become the laughingstock of the 2016 race, a title you can share with Donald Trump.

This article was originally published by the same author at LiberalAmerica.org.