How Did the Press Miss Rand Paul's Civil Rights Views Earlier?

Now that Rand Paul has won the Republican primary for U.S. Senate from Kentucky, his controversial views on the Civil Rights Act are getting attention. But where were the national press before Tuesday's vote?

Yahoo News points out in a great argument that Paul had been quoted as early as April 25 advocating views that opposed elements of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, particularly as pertains to private businesses.

An editorial in the Louisvile Courier Journal on that date stated: “The trouble with Dr. Paul is that despite his independent thinking, much of what he stands for is repulsive to people in the mainstream. For instance, he holds an unacceptable view of civil rights, saying that while the federal government can enforce integration of government jobs and facilities, private business people should be able to decide whether they want to serve black people, or gays, or any other minority group.”

As national media outlets made clear in the days leading up to Tuesday's handful of primaries, they were considered major races. You would have thought that some would have looked into Paul's recent comments.

“Paul's view that the federal government should not have the power to force integration on private businesses -- part of 1964's landmark Civil Rights Act -- didn't get the attention of the national press until Wednesday, following interviews with NPR's Robert Siegel and MSNBC's Rachel Maddow," Yahoo's Michael Calderone wrote.