Obama says 'Rand Paul's an Interesting Guy -- No, He Is!'

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While relentlessly mocking his GOP opponents during the DNC’s
annual winter meeting on Friday, President Obama had some unexpectedly
“kind” words for one congressional Republican — Kentucky Senator Rand
Paul.

The president was midway through a shtick on how the Republican Party
was trying to steal Democratic ideas on middle class economics when he
referred to the libertarian lawmaker and likely 2016 presidential
candidate.

“Rand Paul!” he began, to groans from the crowd. “No, Rand’s an
interesting guy,” Obama corrected, causing his audience to burst into
laughter. “No, he is!” the president insisted.

Obama called it “encouraging” that Paul recently declared the GOP should
go to the South Side of Chicago and “shout at the top of its lungs that
the GOP is the ticket to the middle class.”

“I want parties to compete everywhere,” the president said. “I think
that’s a good thing.”

“And I was just home on the South Side of Chicago yesterday,” he
continued. “And I guarantee you that Senator Paul would be welcome
there. We are a friendly bunch. I mean it’s a little strange if people
show up and just start shouting at the top of their lungs. But we’re
friendly, and it’d be ok.”

The president then flashed a knowing smile, prompting guffaws from the
Democratic audience.

Paul is one of a handful of national Republicans trying to make inroads
in the African-American community — a fact the president was perhaps
referring to with his “South Side” shout-out to the senator.