that's who i am a physician, whether in politics or out of politics. >> where politics meets medicine. a remote journey to guatemala where a u.s. senator is known as dr. pablo. >> hello, dr. pablo, coma esta? >> they don't see perfectly well but they see better than before. >> there's never been anything quite like this on the national political stage. a humanitarian journey abroad where unlike in washington recently things actually get done. >> i don't know the politics of any of those doctors in there, we don't care, we just want to help people see better. >> but will performing eye surgery for the poor convince

voters at home that this relative newcomer from kentucky is worth a look in 2016? >> this a special edition of "meet the press extra" with chris jansing. welcome to guatemala. this is the story of a remarkable group of u.s. volunteers who travel to this makeshift eye clinic this impoverished nation to help the blind see. it's also the story of one of those volunteers senator rand paul. he's a doctor and a sometimes controversial rising political star who may want american voters to see him in a different light. a presidential light. as campaign stops go this one is definitely unique. in remote guatemala, a side of senator rand paul most people have never seen. the eye surgery on a mission to help the blind and near blind

see. >> this is the work of 50-some odd people getting this together. >> this is an eye clinic three hours from guatemala city staffed with volunteers organized by the moran eye center in utah plus one sitting u.s. senator. outside scores of people line up every day for a week hoping these medical teams can give them their sight and their lives back. people like 79-year-old patrona lopez couldn't walk when severe cataracts took her sight. she wants to see her great grandchildren again, to be able to cook them a meal. more on her story later. that's just one of hundreds of stories tailor-made for the skills of these volunteers and for the campaign team senator rand paul brought along. it's moving but you did bring a camera crew who does your commercials. >> a physician is who i am and to represent who i am that's who i am a physician. >> but you just won't always bring camera crews.

>> well, depicting who i am i think is an important part of presenting a face to the public. >> also along the president of the conservative group citizens united, its documentary crew and a drone for aerial shots. >> you don't drag citizens united and a tv ad-making crew from ohio into the guetemalal universe just to help yourself. >> it will be key for republicans to establish themselves. it's a crowded field right now, but an early nbc poll has rand paul in the front runnings with a strong finish against hillary clinton. his work could be a unique selling point to evangelical voters in iowa and south carolina to folks in new hampshire who have a history of giving back in some way, and in places like nevada and florida with large hispanic populations.

turns out rand paul also speaks conversational spanish that he learned in texas. and it's when the conversation turns to the size and scope of government that the paul political philosophy emerges, one that employs every issue. >> we don't pay for anything we just borrow more money and it just goes on and on. but there's an eventual reckoning to borrowing so much money. >> his official website boast that is one of the first bills he proposed would have cut $550 billion through funding. critics say that would decimate programs for the sick poor and middle class, but he refashions the argument into what supporters see as common sense. >> and what happens when the wagon's so full of people that you're pulling it even if it is well intended that it burdens the people working so much that they say you know what? why work i'd rather be in the wagon, it's free. >> he calls himself

libertarian-ish, establishing small liberties, small government and smaller taxes. we heard his criticism on the michael brown issue in missouri. >> if the terrorists get to fargo, we might as well give up. i say that as a joke, but what are we doing spending $8 million in fargo? there's an armored personnel key carrier in key, new hampshire. they have not had a murder in key, new hampshire, in 15 years? >> a new york times headline suggests his timing may be just right asking earlier this year has the libertarian moment finally arrived? it reads, the age group most responsible for delivering obama his two terms may well become a political wild card over time n large part because of its libertarian readings. raised on the ad hoc communalism of the internet, disenchanted by the iraq war reflexively tolerant of other lifestyles

apalled by government intrusion into their private affairs and increasingly convinced that the obama economy is rigged against them, the millenials can no longer be. now it's an open question whether any or all of that provides a real opening for rand paul. >> i'm rand paul and i approve this message. >> in modern campaigns where liked histories are distilled into 30-second ads. >> you would do away with the education, the -- commerce and let's see, i can't, the third one, i can't. oops. >> where impressions of hours long debates are pressed into 140 contactharacters and one of few words or lack of them can break a campaign. what is most appealing about the senator is his achilles heel. he can say he's libertarianish, but in fact there's no simple

label that fits him. >> i'm rand paul. i'm a physician, not a career politician. >> he's the spanish speaker who calls on the republican party to expand its base but wants to deport dreamers. >> so what you really need is a welcome sign with a controlled border. so we do welcome the hundreds of thousands of people to work in our country, we welcome people to immigrate to our country, but it has to be done in an orderly fashion. >> he's talked about eliminating the department of education but would like to add an education program for preschoolers. >> every kid in our world should be learning a language at 3 or 4, a second language. and most other countries are better at this -- >> that's a program you would support? >> our education is part of government now. >> while he's been reaching out to african-americans speaking at historically black schools like howard university in washington -- >> some have said i'm either brave or crazy to be here today. i've never been one to sit by and watch the world go by

without participating. i wake up every day hoping to make a difference. >> and working with corey booker on sentencing reform, he's still clarifying comments from 2010 that suggested the civil rights act of 1964 encroached on civil liberties even though he says he supports the law. >> what about freedom of speech? should we limit speech from people we find abhorrent? should we limit racist from speaking? >> his anti-spending libertarian leadings extend to foreign policy. he's generally not interventionalist in iraq, in syria, while republicans have built decades of electoral success around a robust military. but if conventional wisdom says that hurts his primary suspects he's not buying it. >> i think the american public is coming more and more to where i am and that those people like hillary clinton who she fought her own war, hillary's war, you know, people are going to find that and i think that's what scares the democrats the most,

is that in a general election were i to run, there's going to be a lot of independents and some democrats who say, we are tire of war, if you want to see a transformational election in our country, let the democrats put forward a warhog like hillary clinton and you'll see a transformation like you have never seen. >> he went after her again and the president in a wall street journal op-ed arguing interventionist policies aided the rise of isis. paul is right that after a decade of war in iraq and afghanistan, polls show americans are war-weary. still, his would-be opponents see an opening, at least seven of them have strongly attacked his foreign policy vies. views. none of the criticism surprised him as he saw when his dad ran for president twice. >> i've said inflammatory presidents that the president is acting like a king. >> for his part, he'll readily go after democrats and start

getting in fights with republicans, too. people who are not fans of yours. >> who would that be? i can't imagine that. >> shall i name them? >> let's not get specific. >> coming to guatemala is a mix of philanthropy and politics. >> if things go well enough for him, you can see this in a convention biography video or some kind of long infomercial that may run in iowa or new hampshire. he has the ability to use his hands to help people. he wants to demonstrate. >> so while rand paul may not be officially running for president yet -- >> maybe, i don't know. >> he's definitely in the game. >> oh rand paul is a real candidate. >> getting a serious look by organizations with money. and continuing along the political road less traveled when supporters hope it will lead to the white house.

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he hasn't heard from her since he lost his sight. and your family left you when you went blind? >> my family left my wife left. she's my wife. >> you still carry her picture. >> i love her. 16 years. i was with her 17 years. >> he lives here in a region known as baja vera paz. the locally grown produce at the market, a test tomt the abundant agriculture here hasn't pulled most of the population out of poverty. that's why the moran eye center brings teams of volunteers from the u.s. for 800,000 people there are only two ophthalmologists in the

region, and most people can't afford a doctor anyway. >> if they don't have access to care, these people have no choice but to go behind if they can't afford the surgery, they won't see again. >> she may not be perfect tomorrow but she'll be an improvement on what she has. >> all the more tragic while 39 million people are blind worldwide, four out of five could be cured at a modern eye clin wick a highly successful ten-minute surgery. it would cost $3200 per eye in the states but here cataract surgery is performed free by eight doctors across the u.s., including susan mcdonald from massachusetts, allen cran dell from utah roger furlong from montana and republican senator rand paul of kentucky. >> it's been exciting to get back and doing surgery and working with my colleagues. >> paul raised about $20,000 to help finance the trip including bringing over equipment. donald trump was one of the

donors. it's not new for paul. he's been doing pro bono cataract surgery in kentucky for decades and had a practice in bowling green long before he was elected to the senate. >> but i still get to do it. i do some surgery in kentucky and travel around kentucky. and people are very appreciative. >> this is his first time doing surgery abroad though and it is also a reunion. >> dr. pablo, coma esta. >> the hernando brothers traveled several hours to get here. they first met rand paul when a charity brought them to kentucky for cataract surgery. >> we saw them the first time they could only see motion and light. and now they are able to identify fruit they still can see better. >> they tell me they are wearing the better of the two outfits they own. the other they use to work in the fields. they want to see well enough to earn more than a few dollars a day. it's been a hard year. the family's makeshift home collapsed just weeks before.

>> now they have just like a sack to put around because they don't have enough room. >> they came to senator paul hoping he and modern medicine could improve their eyesight even more. >> tell them we are going to go over and look at their eyes this morning, we'll put drops in their eyes. the drops sting a little bit. >> a thorough exam and the conclusion that their best chance for better vision is glasses. so they head to another volunteer effort called the hope alliance to give eye tests and donated glasses to people who can never afford it like louisa and her grandmother. and they hope the hernandez brothers. but there's something most people don't know about sight. your brain needs to teach your eyes to see. usually by the age of 7. >> the brain develops and it is very plastic or mailable for

seven years. people say as you get older it is hard to learn things? that's exactly right. >> if cataracts in children aren't removed by then and they weren't for want and andreas, otherwise perfect eyes can no longer learn to see. it's heartbreaking news for the entire family. >> he wants to know is there any chance for them? >> no, there's no surgery or medicine that can make it better. you can tell them we tried glasses also and the glasses didn't seem to help. >> it's an honest clinical assessment in a clinical setting, but that is something that worries supporters who know whipping primaries is often as much about kissing babies as making policy statements. >> he reminds me of doctors i've had who are very matter of fact. and i think that's where he gets it. he sees a problem, he's trying to fix it and moves on. >> but you wonder how that translates on the campaign trail. do you go to iowa and not shake snands. >> that's the next test. >> the water purification

installed here the man in charge agrees he thinks serious times calls for a serious man. >> he has a different way about him. and i think his seriousness comes across in all things. >> not to his detriment? >> not to his detriment. look as somebody who has had open heart surgery, i care more about talent than the skill of the surgeon more than his bedside manner. >> but politics is -- >> i was looking for somebody to get something done. and when i say a change agent people are looking for somebody with a vision for america, for the future. >> whatever rand paul's personal style, the fact remain that is through the efforts of the surgical teams, the vast major majority of patients were helped. in many cases, they lives dramatically improved. less than 24 hours after surgery, the patches come off and the reactions are

heartwarming. >> these two guys are really happy down here. >> bringing patients and staff to tears. >> it makes it worth it. >> just a day before a farmer couldn't see through cataract-clouded eyes. >> you can't tell he had surgery yesterday. >> one of more than 200 success stories in a week. >> that's a smile. and that's a smile, too. >> and for every blind person whose vision is restored another life is restored. >> you have one blind person, that's at least two people out of the system. the blind person and the person caring for them. so when you cure the blind person, you also allow that youngest daughter who is frequently who it is in the family to take care of grandpa or grandma, she goes back to

school. >> an education means a child at least has a chance to get out of poverty. this 79-year-old is the matriarch of the family of ten. they live in two rooms with dirt floors. no running water and just two bare light bulbs, but she's been given the thing she wanted the most, her sight. >> she feels better right now. >> in a few days her vision will clear and she'll see her great grandchildren playing again. her daughter margarita sees a better future for herself. >> i have nine years doing this. and she sees now. and we are going to use that wheelchair to take her to other places. >> then there's bernardo reyes who traveled from his tiny village of 20 people. he'll return with history

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and the solan eye clinic his transformation is the most dramatic overall. he can now see again. >> translator: today i'm a new man. >> that's great. >> translator: i'm reborn. >> that's great. that's great. >> translator: i aimcame out of darkness to the light and see the beautiful and pretty -- see everything. >> he says he'll go to church first. >> translator: i love christ and follow him. and help people who really need

it. >> and home some day to reunite with his family. all the volunteers who take vacation time to be here and pay their own way can return home knowing they leave this place and its people changed for the better. whether rand paul's time in guatemala changed his view on the world on immigration or foreign aid, he gave no indication of it. and whether it will change voters' view of him has yet to be seen. >> do you see pretty good? >> there are a couple of takeaways from this trip worth noting. the first is that americans are doing extraordinary work around the world without any expectation of recognition. we saw great things happening here. the other reminds me of the old saying that the road to the white house runs through iowa. well n the case of rand paul who has always forged a unique political path it may also run through here in guatemala.

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is the u.s. taking too long to act against isis? many democrats and republicans are calling for the president to move forward. and there's a victory between the u.s. and air strikes to help break the isis siege in an iraqi town where residents have been trapped for more than six weeks. is this a sign that the tables are turning on the terror group? the nfl commissioner announced tougher penalties regarding domestic violence. just days later a san francisco 49er is the first one to test the new policy. good afternoon, i'm milissa rehberger. we'll begin with fast moving develo