There's nothing new about senators making bizarre excuses for their actions (or lack of such) on the floor.  But Rand Paul's reason for changing his vote on the Mike Pompeo nomination pioneers new heights in absurdity.

In a press release titled "Dr. Rand Paul Secures Promise from Pompeo," the senator-doctor asserts that he at last decided to throw his support behind Pompeo because "[a]fter calling continuously for weeks for Director Pompeo to support President Trump's belief that the Iraq war was a mistake, and that it is time to leave Afghanistan, today I received confirmation that Director Pompeo agrees with President Trump."

The first thing we note is that there is no "promise" mentioned here – or anywhere else in the brief release.  Paul got an "agreement" from Pompeo on an assertion involving an episode now so far in the past – a full decade and half – that it qualifies as history.  It has little to do with anything going on at the moment, marks no change in anyone's stance, obliges no one to do anything, and accomplishes absolutely zero.  In the end, it merely marks a new low point in congressional doubletalk.

One thing is true: Paul here has matched his Democratic colleagues for sheer silliness.  And that's no small achievement.