If there's anything that I distrust these days it's the increasing number of conservatives and Republicans that are describing themselves as "libertarian" in their thinking. See my previous post on Dave Elswick for an example. While I definitely think Ron Paul and Gary Johnson can lay valid claim to the word, I've never been so sure about Paul's son Rand.
Senate campaign interviews with him made it sound like he was watering down some of the more controversial (and some would say principled) views of his father. His recent stand against some items in the Patriot Act renewal made reconsider him briefly, but an interview with him referenced in this post from the Volokh Conspiracy makes me return to my original opinion of him.
In the interview comment Paul seems to support jailing people who attend radical speeches, by people who speak of violently overthrowing the government. Not people who say these things, just people who attend speeches by those who say these things. I'd be willing to hear some more context from the whole interview if anyone can provide it, but I have a hard time thinking it would shed any new light on Paul's comments.
The GOP only cares about liberty when it applies to the holster, the wallet, and the Good Book.
Here's a video of his comment from Think Progress:
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