Sen. Rand Paul on Wednesday took a swipe at critics of his lengthy filibuster, saying that he spoke for nearly 13 hours with young people in mind and calling on the GOP to take a more tolerant approach.

Last week, a Senate colleague of mine said that when I questioned whether or not the president could order a drone strike on American citizens on American soil, I was just catering to libertarian kids in their dorm rooms, Paul wrote in an op-ed posted at Policymic.com, referencing barbs he took from Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). Standing up for the Bill of Rights and the Fifth Amendment was not a political stunt designed to appeal to certain audiences. I took an oath to protect the Constitution and it is an oath I intend to keep.

But we do need a Republican Party that addresses the concerns of young people. We need a different kind of GOP, a party that speaks to the rising generation, who may have unique interests and concerns, Paul (R-Ky.) continued.

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Paul, the libertarian-leaning freshman, last week took to the Senate floor for hours, demanding answers from the administration about drone strikes that could target Americans on U.S. soil. In his Wednesday op-ed, titled I Filibustered to Defend Millennials, Paul turned to politics, saying the GOP should take a big-tent approach to woo younger voters.

I believe a Republican Party that is more tolerant and dedicated to keeping the government out of peoples lives as much as possible would be more appealing to the rising generation, he wrote. Most young people I encounter simply have no desire to tell other people what to do or how to live.

The Kentucky senator, considered a possible pick for a 2016 presidential run, said a hands-off approach to governing would appeal to young people, a demographic with which the GOP has struggled in the last several elections.

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There are blue parts of the country where Republicans havent fared well, and yes, a more libertarian-Republican might be able to start winning in those areas, he wrote. The youth vote could play an integral part in this.

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Paul stands up for ' libertarian kids'