Rand Paul News 2015: 'We Have Come to Take Our Country Back'

Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky formally announced on Tuesday that he is joining the 2016 U.S. presidential race, becoming the second major Republican candidate to officially announce his candidacy.

Senator Ted Cruz of Texas was the first Republican to announce his candidacy last month.

Paul launched his presidential campaign at a rally in Louisville, Kentucky, promising tax cuts, term limits for congressmen and an immediate end to "warrantless surveillance" by the National Security Agency as part of return to constitutional principles to "take our country back."

"I have a message, a message that is loud and clear and does not mince words. We have come to take our country back!" Paul told a crowd of supporters, using the same theme and language during his 2010 Senate run. "We have come to take our country back from the special interests that use Washington as their personal piggy bank, the special interests that are more concerned with their personal welfare than the general welfare," he said.

Paul spoke lengthily about inner-city poverty, promising to repeal "any law that disproportionately incarcerates people of color."

He was critical of both Republicans and Democrats, quoting Martin Luther King in one sentence and Ronald Reagan in the next.

His formal entry in the White House race heralds the beginning of what is being projected as the most congested presidential primaries for both the Democratic and Republican parties since 1976. On the Republican side, more than 10 presidential hopefuls are expected to contest their party's nomination, with no clear frontrunner.

Paul is the first of four leading Republican contenders in the early caucus and primary states to formally declare his candidacy. The others are former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and Florida Senator Marco Rubio. They are expected to announce their candidacy in the coming weeks.

In his first campaign speech on Tuesday, Paul underscored a message of inclusion and diversity in line with his strategic objective of expanding the traditional Republican base. "The message of liberty, opportunity and justice is for all Americans, whether you wear a suit, a uniform or overalls, whether you're white or black, rich or poor," Paul said.

"Many Americans, though, are being left behind. The reward of work seems beyond their grasp. Under the watch of both parties -- the poor seem to get poorer and the rich get richer," he said.

Paul is known as a fiercely independent conservative, often clashing with his party's leadership and introducing his own plan to overhaul the federal budget. In 2013, he conducted a nearly 13-hour filibuster in opposition to President Obama's drone policy and the nomination of John O. Brennan to head the C.I.A. This action made him a popular figure, especially among younger Republican voters seeking a fresh face and voice that best capture their sentiments.

Standing on a stage flanked by American flags, Paul frequently criticized his own Republican Party, accusing it of being part of the problem while calling for new, smaller-government policies to spur economic growth. "Too often when Republicans have won, we've squandered our victory by becoming part of the Washington machine. That's not who I am. That's not why I ran for office the first time just a few years ago," he said.

"It seems to me that both parties and the entire political system are to blame. Big government and debt doubled under a Republican administration. And it's now tripling under Barack Obama's watch," he said.

Paul is an ophthalmologist who still performs pro bono eye surgeries while serving in the U.S. Senate. A son of one of America's most famous libertarian families, Paul is expected to push his plan to revolutionize the tax system through his so-called "flat tax."

Paul plans to cut taxes and simplify the tax code by removing estate and gift taxes as well as investment levies.

"As President, I would promote a Fair and Flat Tax plan, known as the 'EZ Tax.' My tax plan would be the largest tax cut in American history, reforming individual, business, and worker taxes," he wrote on his new 2016 campaign Web site.

Under Paul's plan, the current income tax system operating in many rates will shift to a single rate. All but a few tax breaks will be dispatched. All investment income will be free of tax.

"Generally, the goal is to only tax money once: either when it's earned or when it's withdrawn after being deposited or invested," he said.