Paul is the son of libertarian Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), who ran for president in 2008, attracting a small base of loyal supporters. His son, an eye doctor, helped campaign for him.

The top Senate Republican said that he spoke to Paul about his view of the Civil Rights Act. McConnell would not disclose exactly what he told the political newcomer but he did offer a glimpse.

“I was here in the summer of ’63, when Martin Luther King gave his “I Have A Dream Speech.” I observed it,” he said. “I was here as a summer intern in the office of a Republican senator from Kentucky who helped break the filibuster against the civil rights bill. I think it was one of the major accomplishments of that generation. And it’s something that we’re all proud of and is accepted policy in our government — in our country, throughout our country, certainly, in 2010.”