Two Republican U.S. senators who voiced support for a Nevada cattleman in his showdown with federal agents over grazing rights on public land condemned recent remarks by the rebellious rancher musing about whether African-Americans would be "better off as slaves."
A day after Cliven Bundy's comments about "the Negro" and government subsidies were published in The New York Times, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky issued a statement saying the rancher's "remarks on race are offensive and I wholeheartedly disagree with him."
Paul, a libertarian and presumed 2016 Republican presidential contender, has expressed sympathy for Bundy's cause and for the resentment harbored by many political conservatives in the West against what they view as overreaching by Washington.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.