Ron Paul's Words Loom as Son Rand Begins Campaign

Former Texas Rep. Ron Paul was seen but not heard when his son, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, formally announced his presidential campaign on Tuesday. But the elder Paul hasn't been shy about expressing his opinions on various - and controversial - topics.

In the past year, Ron Paul has written that a violent revolution should be considered to protect individual liberties, said the secession movement should encourage supporters of freedom, and asserted that the U.S. government is "likely hiding [the] truth" about the Malaysian flight believed to have been shot down by pro-Russian separatists over Ukraine.

Several likely 2016 candidates have familial relationships that will inevitably pop up as issues during the campaign. Jeb Bush has two former presidents in his immediate family, and Hillary Clinton is married to one. Paul's GOP rival Ted Cruz's father was never elected to office but has become a min-celebrity within the GOP for his fiery rhetoric.

But unlike pastor Rafael Cruz or President George H.W. Bush, libertarian icon Ron Paul is producing a weekly column along with frequent media and public appearances that present a potential problem for his son's presidential run.

"I have a great deal of respect for my dad, my dad is probably one of the most honest, genuine characters in American political history," Paul told Politico after his announcement. "We don't agree on everything, but not everyone agrees with their dad on everything."

But that relationship has shaped much of Rand Paul's political identity. He has embraced many of the small government ideals that his father espoused during his three presidential runs and decades in Congress, and Rand served as a strategist on his father's campaigns. But Ron Paul's continued opining about the issues of the day means he will be remain an arm's length away from his son for most of the campaign.

Here are some recent Ron Paul comments that may surface during Rand Paul's campaign.

Secession: Ron Paul wrote last year: "The growth of support for secession should cheer all supporters of freedom, as devolving power to smaller units of government is one of the best ways to guarantee peace, property, liberty."

And in a conference in February, Buzzfeed reported Paul said secession is "gonna happen. It's happening." He has said states seceding from the U.S. and local governments seceding from states will happen "de facto" when conditions break down after, he predicts, the economy collapses.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. arrives to announce the start of his presidential campaign in Louisville, Ky., on Tuesday. In the background, upper right, are his parents, former Texas Rep. Ron Paul and his wife, Carol.

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Ron Paul's Words Loom as Son Rand Begins Campaign