BEFORE YOU LEAP TO THE CONCLUSION THAT EVERYONE ON THE BRENNAN FILIBUSTER CREW IS A HIGH-MINDED CIVIL LIBERTARIAN...

The group of senators joining Rand Paul in his filibuster of John Brennan's nomination to be CIA head grew as the day progressed:

Paul's effort is aimed at drawing attention to the administration's drone program, which Brennan played a key role in administering as White House counterterrorism chief....

Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) eventually helped Paul continue the filibuster, as did Sen. Ron Wyden (Ore.), the only Democrat to join the effort so far.

I think some of these guys -- Paul and possibly Utah's Mike Lee (also involved) on the right, Wyden on the left -- are sincere in their categorical anger about drones; they wouldn't want a president to target their political enemies or their friends this way. I think others (Rubio, Toomey) are being opportunistic -- if Obama's being attacked, they're happy.

But how many of these guys are thinking along these lines (Breitbart via Free Republic)?

Homeland Security Drones Designed to Identify Civilians Carrying Guns

Recently uncovered government documents reveal that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) unmanned Predator B drone fleet has been custom designed to identify civilians carrying guns and track cell phone signals.

"I am very concerned that this technology will be used against law-abiding American firearms owners," said founder and executive vice president of the Second Amendment Foundation, Alan Gottlieb. “This could violate Fourth Amendment rights as well as Second Amendment rights."...

The right believes Fast and Furious was an Obama/Holder conspiracy to win support for gun control. The right believes that the Department of Homeland Security is stockpiling guns and ammo meant to be used against right-wing groups. The right believes that DHS just purchased 2,700 light-armored tanks to be used against (presumably) right-wing U.S. citizens. The right believes that door-to-door gun confiscation is coming.

To what extent are Rand Paul's partners joining his filibuster out of concern for civil liberties -- and to what extent are they doing it out of a right-wing tribal paranoia?

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UPDATE:

Four of the Senators who joined Paul today voted against a ban on indefinite detention of US citizens. senate.gov/legislative/LI…

— AdamSerwer (@AdamSerwer) March 7, 2013