Courier-Journal
Joseph Gerth

Southern Poverty Law Center calls Rand Paul "extremist"

The list is largely populated by those affilliated with racist groups, anti-semitic organizations and those opposed to immigration.
The Southern Poverty Law Center has included Rand Paul on a list of "extremist" candidates in the 2010 elections.

http://www .splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/2011/spring/electoral-extremism-23-candidates-on-radical-right

The list is largely populated by those affilliated with racist groups, anti-semitic organizations and those opposed to immigration.

Paul is on the list because of his belief that businesses shouldn’t be forced to abide by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and his opposition to open housing laws intented to thwart discrimination.

Here’s what the group, founded by famed civil rights attorney Morris Dees, had to say about Paul:

"Paul rode Tea Party support to upset the Kentucky GOP’s preferred candidate.

During the campaign, many of Paul’s unorthodox political beliefs came to light, including his assertion that private businesses shouldn’t have been compelled to comply with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that barred discrimination.

In a 2002 letter to the Bowling Green Daily News, Paul also criticized the Fair Housing Act, explaining that ‘a free society will abide unofficial, private discrimination, even when that means allowing hate-filled groups to exclude people based on skin color.’

After winning the Republican primary and being subjected to national criticism, Paul issued a press release declaring ‘unequivocallyâ€