Is Rand Paul Waffling on Tea Party?

Rand Paul, Kentucky’s far-right GOP candidate for Senate, was put in an awkward position in a debate Sunday when asked who he would support for his party’s Senate leadership. Paul, who has benefited from the backing of Tea Party favorite Sen. Jim DeMint, eventually conceded that he would support the more established Mitch McConnell, also from Kentucky. Paul’s pickle demonstrates the compromises he would have to make as a senator, where his hard-line libertarian ideology would have a tough time translating into legislation. Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson attributed to the change to politics as usual: “He’s acting more like an incumbent,” Grayson said. “His tone is designed more for a general-election audience.”