Rand Paul did, indeed, run a filibuster, and succeeded in getting what he wanted. When he did, he relinquished the floor, and allowed the business of the Senate to proceed. However, it was not the longest filibuster. That honor goes to Strom Thurmond, D-SC:
"The record for the longest individual speech goes to South Carolina’s Strom Thurmond. Thurmond filibustered for 24 hours and 18 minutes against the Civil Rights Act of 1957, Senate historians say."
This comes from the Washington Post, and the full article may be found at
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/ ... ingtonpostDrawscore