Who and what are on Rand Paul's Festivus list?
No one is safe from the Tweet-complaints of Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, as he airs his grievances with friends and rivals alike celebrate the annual tradition of Festivus.
The fake holiday was popularized by the sitcom "Seinfeld" in 1997, and Paul is certainly one of the most devoted observers. And this year, he's got his fellow Republicans (especially would-be 2016 rivals) in his sights.
Paul was especially fixated on fashion this year.
We all know having a fashion forward campaign is important to success, as @RickSantorum showed us in 2012 #Festivus pic.twitter.com/qAeGIp2wpo
— Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) December 23, 2014
No matter how many times I ask @Team_Mitch, he won't let me borrow this awesome sweater vest pic.twitter.com/VACHu6RdVY
— Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) December 23, 2014
Of course, everyone has to be themselves, and I have my own style. I think this will be a popular item this year pic.twitter.com/ejuPwOAb6E
— Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) December 23, 2014
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio got a shout out, although Paul noted that he has already given Rubio a fair amount of grief over his Cuba policies - which also took place on Twitter last week.
Tempting to air a grievance @marcorubio again, but we've done that enough for this week. Instead I will say an early Merry Christmas.
— Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) December 23, 2014
The ribbing was not limited to Republicans. Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey took some heat from Paul for insufficient Twitter engagement. But Paul did note that the pair worked together on hemp, medical marijuana, and criminal justice reform.
Last year in the spirit of #Festivus, I reached out to @CoryBooker complaining he didn't RT me enough. He still doesn't by the way. But...
— Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) December 23, 2014
The media got a poke as well, though Paul noted that more were coming. Early in the Festivus tweets he shared an unattributed quote:
But we get"politics is the art of looking 4 trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly&applying wrong remedies." #Festivus
— Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) December 23, 2014
And then followed it up with this:
That's a Groucho Marx quote by the way @BuzzFeedAndrew, you can stop googling #Festivus
— Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) December 23, 2014
He was referring to Andrew Kaczynski, the Buzzfeed reporter who has written about plagiarism in some of Paul's speeches.
Later in the day, Paul launched on a short rant about his hair, which is the subject of plenty of discussion on the internet. This section was addressed "to my friends in the media, since I know you like to focus on substantive, important, weighty ideas."
The hair is real & mine. Don't know why ur fascinated with it or compare it to alien life forms. #AiringOfGrievances pic.twitter.com/Vl5JvS2h2N
— Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) December 23, 2014
I mean it looks nothing like these things. #AiringOfGrievances pic.twitter.com/hjDqOaOMAl
— Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) December 23, 2014
I am also kinda mad that you seem to think @LyleLovett has better hair than me. #AiringOfGrievances
— Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) December 23, 2014
The next series of tweets were written in honor of retiring Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Oklahoma, who is one of the most outspoken lawmakers on the subject of government waste. Paul highlighted a number of projects he deemed wasteful, including "$387,000 of your money on Swedish massages for rabbits" and "$10,000 to watch grass grow."
Then he slipped in a note for soon-to-be Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada:
To my friend @SenatorReid , wishing you a long and fruitful tenure as minority leader #sorrynotsorry #AiringOfGrievances
— Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) December 23, 2014
...And one for the politician who failed to unseat the incoming majority leader, Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky.
I am still wondering who @Alison4KY voted for. #AiringOfGrievances
— Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) December 23, 2014
Alison Lundergan Grimes, the Kentucky Secretary of State, was criticized during her campaign against McConnell for refusing to say whether she voted for President Obama.
There were more grievances about government regulations, as well as some criticism for the Obama administration and those who support the president on issues of National Security Agency surveillance.
And grievances about less weighty issues, too.
Politics doesn't involve enough puppies. People like puppies. #AiringOfGrievances pic.twitter.com/vgOAa5Iqf9
— Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) December 23, 2014