Rand Paul: I'll defeat Hillary in swing states

Council Bluffs – U.S. Sen. Rand Paul said Wednesday he stands out in a crowded field of Republican presidential candidates because of his ability to attract young, independent voters he believes will be needed to win the White House in November 2016.

The Kentucky lawmaker said he can beat likely Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton by winning key swing states such as Iowa, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Ohio and New Hampshire that were captured in the 2012 election by President Barack Obama.

"How do you win? I think it's by being boldly for what we are for: A balanced budget, smaller government, the Constitution, and figuring out what part of our message actually appeals to younger people and people who haven't been listening to us," Paul told a crowd of about 100 people at the Hilton Garden Inn in Council Bluffs.

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He noted he gave the same speech in defense of 4th Amendment privacy issues at Liberty University, a bastion of conservatism in Lynchburg, Va., and at Berkeley, Calif., home of the University of California and one of the nation's most liberal cities. It's a message that resonates with different audiences, he explained.

"We don't have to change what we stand for, but we do have to figure out how to take it to new people and bring them into our party. I am convinced we can do it," Paul said.

Patrick Tarr, 44, of Council Bluffs, who just graduated from law school after owning a small business, said he was impressed with Paul's speech.

"The main thing that I like is his stand for the entire Bill of Rights," Tarr said. "Republicans have traditionally been good on the 2nd Amendment and parts of the 1st Amendment, but we need someone who supports the entire Bill of Rights."

Paul took a strong stance against the bulk collection of phone records by the federal government, adding it's a big issue among many young people whose lives revolve around communicating with friends and others on their smartphones.

Meeting with reporters later after a speech at Morningside College in Sioux City, Paul described himself as a defender of the 10th Amendment, which says that powers not given to the federal government are left to the states and the people. That includes allowing states to legalize medical marijuana, he added.

"I think there is a great deal of hypocrisy, particularly among other candidates who say, oh well, they smoked pot in high school. They didn't get punished, but they still want to punish people, even for medical marijuana. I think the media needs to ask some of these people, 'Are you really going to put grandma in jail for taking medical marijuana for her multiple sclerosis?' "

In his Sioux City speech, Paul suggested that not every war is worth fighting and the United States' invasion of Iraq has resulted in a weakened country that has become a vassal of Iran. He described Libya as a "Jihadist wonderland," adding the U.S. is now in more danger of being attacked by Libya than when longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi led the country.