Sen. Rand Paul. Photo: U.S. Senate.

McClatchy – Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul launched what his staff described as filibuster of the Patriot Act on Wednesday, objecting to reauthorization of the law and the bulk collection of Americans’ phone records.

Paul, a Republican who is running for president, took the Senate floor at 1:19 p.m. and [was] expected to talk into the night as time grows short to renew Congressional authority for the National Security Agency’s spying program.