Rand Paul Is Opening An Office In Nancy Pelosi's Backyard

quote:

---

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) told the San Francisco Chronicle over the weekend that he "is in the process" of opening an office in the Bay Area.

Unorthodox? Yes. Unexpected? No.

While you're not going to find many Republicans with presidential ambitions focusing their efforts on such deeply liberal terrain, Paul's move is his latest play to distinguish himself as the Republican leading the charge to expand the GOP. It's also part of his effort to endear himself to some powerful donors ahead of a possible 2016 presidential campaign.

Paul has spent the past two years talking to anyone who will listen about the importance of building the GOP brand beyond its traditional base. To that end, he has appeared in settings conservatives rarely venture into. He has given high-profile speeches at historically black colleges, delivered an economic address in Detroit and has courted young voters nationwide with his libertarian-leaning views.

Now he's adding San Francisco, the home of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), to his list. Paul has experienced some hiccups in his bid to broaden the GOP tent. But as the unofficial start of the 2016 presidential campaign nears, he's clearly not deterred and plans to continue his efforts to make himself stand out in the prospective Republican field.

---