Rand Paul visits North Idaho
<p>U.S. Sen. and Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul walks onto the stage at North Idaho College’s Schuler Performing Arts Center in front of a crowd of more than 500 Wednesday during a campaign stop in Coeur d’Alene.</p>
<p>U.S. Rep. Raul Labrador discusses his support for presidential candidate Rand Paul prior to introducing U.S. Sen. Paul.</p>
<p>Presidential candidate Rand Paul gestures toward the crowd while talking about his plan for a flat tax.</p>
<p>Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul speaks to more than 500 of all ages at a rally Wednesday at North Idaho College.</p>
<p>Vanja Handeen is held by her father Bjorn as U.S. Sen. Rand Paul speaks.</p>
<p>Republican presidential candidate and U.S. Sen. Rand Paul talks about foreign policy as it relates to military spending.</p>
<p>U.S. Sen. from Kentucky Rand Paul speaks about taxes, the military and shrinking government to more than 500 supporters.</p>
<p>Christy Poirier, a Washington State University student, has her photo taken with Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul on Wednesday at a rally at North Idaho College.</p>
<p>U.S. Rep Raul Labrador introduces presidential candidate Rand Paul during Wednesday’s event at North Idaho College.</p>
<p>Presidential hopeful Rand Paul delivers his views on taxes and military Wednesday at a rally at North Idaho College.</p>
COEUR d'ALENE - Rand Paul believes the western U.S. is populated by many independent-minded people who seek to escape big government.
It's a place that's fertile territory for Paul's political aspirations. Especially Idaho, a place that's home to his kind of people, he said.
More than 500 people turned out Wednesday night at North Idaho College's Schuler Performing Arts Center to see and hear the U.S. senator from Kentucky, Republican presidential candidate and physician.
"The tax code is chasing people away," Paul said. "Let's get rid of the whole thing."
His idea to replace the IRS tax code - with its more than 70,000 pages of complication - struck a chord with the North Idaho audience.
He favors a 14.5 percent flat-rate tax that applies to both individuals and business. He also wants to eliminate every special-interest loophole.
Small, limited government is his prescription.
"You're giving up your liberty when you pay taxes," he said.
His philosophy is that the people who earn the money spend it more wisely than bureaucrats.
"No matter how much you wish, no matter how much you hope that government will do a good job, that you'll elect good people, that they'll spend the money wisely - they're never going to," he told the crowd.
On foreign policy and national defense, he favors seeking congressional approval before taking military action. But that's only if there is no other course of action.
"If you want another war, if you want another half a million American young men and women over there, I'm not your guy," Paul said. "If you want more war in the Middle East there will always be a Bush or Clinton."
Recent history in the Middle East demonstrates that when the U.S. topples a secular "straw man" it's followed by chaos. The people of that country get angry "and people hate us even worse."
He said he wouldn't send America's sons and daughters to fight a war unless he would send his own kids.
Gail Thompson, of Hayden, said she came for a closer examination of Paul's ideas.
"I'm on the fence where my support will go," she said.
The registered Republican said she is concerned about the country's direction and she's looking for someone to step up and change it.
She's also not a fan of candidates who run on religion.
"I don't have a problem with Christianity, but I don't think it belongs in government," Thompson said.
Joseph Molloy, of Coeur d'Alene, said he is already on board for Paul.
"I feel like what we've experienced over the last century is a lot of status quo and throwing money at problems, which never seems to be the solution," he said.
He said Paul has a different approach than other Republicans and has a good chance to beat Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, if the two advance to the general election.
"He's put pen to paper like no other candidate has before, and he has a sound plan for the future as well as foreign policy," Molloy said.
Rand Paul's father, former Texas Congressman and presidential candidate Ron Paul got 18.1 percent of the vote in Idaho's 2012 Republican caucuses. That was enough for third place, behind Rick Santorum, who got 18.2 percent, and Mitt Romney who won with 61.6 percent.
Ron Paul was second to John McCain in 2008.
Rand Paul was introduced to the crowd Wednesday by Idaho Congressman Raul Labrador. The two are friends, and Paul named Labrador as his campaign's western states co-chairman.
"We both see things about how we get our country better in a similar fashion," Paul told The Press. "We're very lucky and happy to have his help."
Labrador said in an interview that Paul is the first presidential candidate this cycle to visit the entire state.
"He has four stops in the state," Labrador said. "He understands just how important Idaho is to whoever the next presidential nominee is going to be."
The congressman said Idaho leans libertarian, which will help Paul.
Warming up the crowd, Labrador said Paul always delivers the same message, whether speaking to conservatives, liberals or libertarians.
"He speaks in a tone that Americans will listen to," he said.
And that tone isn't anger.
"If you want to be president of the United States, you can't only speak to the angry people," Labrador said.