Rand Paul endorses Feinberg

Following up on his endorsement by US Sen. Tom Coburn, Tim Murphy's GOP challenger Evan Feinberg is boasting another today -- that of fellow tea party favorite Rand Paul of Kentucky.

Feinberg, of Upper St. Clair, worked for both senators on Capitol Hill. In his statement, Paul notes that he was born in the Pittsburgh area -- his father, presidential candidate and Texas congressman Ron Paul, graduated from Dormont High School and did his medical residency at Magee Women's Hospital in Oakland. Sen. Paul also takes veiled shots at Murphy, the incumbent 18th District congressman.

"I was born in Western Pennsylvania and still have family in the South Hills of Pittsburgh. I am convinced the people of Western Pennsylvania want a constitutional conservative and, when given the choice, will reject a career politician," Paul's announcement says. "Electing career politicians has been a primary reason for increased bureaucracy, entitlement expansions, bailouts of private industries and the promotion of job-killing power grabs like 'card check.'"

Full statement after the jump:

PITTSBURGH, Pa. — U.S. Senator Rand Paul today announced his endorsement of Evan Feinberg for Congress. Feinberg, a candidate for United States Congress in the district in which Sen. Paul was born, the 18thDistrict of Pennsylvania, recently served as Sen. Paul's Staff Director on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

Sen. Paul made the following statement in support of Feinberg's candidacy:

"I am proud to endorse Evan Feinberg for Congress. He is a tireless advocate for limited government and individual liberty. During his time in my office, I learned from personal experience that Evan has the skills, experience and philosophy necessary to help fix what's wrong with our country.

"I was born in Western Pennsylvania and still have family in the South Hills of Pittsburgh. I am convinced the people of Western Pennsylvania want a constitutional conservative and, when given the choice, will reject a career politician. Electing career politicians has been a primary reason for increased bureaucracy, entitlement expansions, bailouts of private industries and the promotion of job-killing power grabs like 'card check.'

"The people of Pennsylvania still feel the sting of Arlen Specter's politics, the type of Big-Government, Republican-In-Name-Only politicians that have led our country to the precipice of fiscal ruin. They ran up our debt. They grew an out-of-control federal government. They took more and more of our liberty.

"The only way to get our fiscal house in order and restore the American Dream is to replace self-interested politicians with candidates who will fight for principle and will put the next generation before the next election."