When Cliven Met Rand
Rancher Cliven Bundy speaks during a news conference near his ranch on April 24, 2014 in Bunkerville, Nevada.
Photo by David Becker/Getty ImagesUPDATE: This story initially quoted Cliven Bundy's claim that he met with Rand Paul for "45 minutes," and a Paul spokesman denying that anyone at the event in question got 45 minutes. Since then, Bundy has admitted that the meeting was shorter.
In the year since he won an armed standoff with the federal government, Cliven Bundy has taken on a new and unfamiliar role: Politician. He’s led a caravan of citizen lobbyists to Nevada’s legislature. He’s hosted at least one state senator at the Bundy Ranch. And this week, he got an extensive interview with Rand Paul. The Kentucky senator and presidential candidate stumped in Mesquite, just 15 minutes up the road from the ranch, and Bundy made the most of it.