Rand Paul v Barack Obama: A prelude to 2016

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Washington (CNN) -- Rand Paul v. Barack H. Obama.

That's the name of a lawsuit the Kentucky senator announced Wednesday against President Barack Obama and national security officials over government surveillance.

"We don't do this out of disrespect to anyone we do this out of respect to the Constitution," Paul said at a news conference.

Paul's class-action suit, filed in federal court in Washington, was spurred by Edward Snowden's public disclosure last year that the NSA had gathered information on nearly every telephone call made in the United States since 2006.

At a news conference, Paul called the legal challenge "an important first step" to ending the program that sweeps up numbers and other information known as metadata.

With the suit, the son of Libertarian hero Ron Paul, who captured the hearts and minds of millions during his two presidential campaigns in 2008 and 2012, is rounding out his political persona through his Libertarian roots and adding another spoonful of political savvy.

Paul v Candidate X

Paul v Obama in 2014 could be an effective way of helping Paul v the Democratic candidate in 2016, if he runs for President.

Read the suit

Original post:
Rand Paul v Barack Obama: A prelude to 2016