Rand Paul’s speech: Don’t say these things - By Jennifer Rubin

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) says he will give a foreign policy speech this summer. He badly needs to do so since he has left a trail of gaffes, inanities and blatant falsehoods that have convinced a great number of mainstream Republicans, Christian Zionists and business people that he is untrustworthy. What does he need to avoid doing in a speech he says is needed to clear up mischaracterizations by “enemies”?

1. Stop calling critics and opponents “enemies.” People who have disagreed with Paul’s utterances include former vice president Dick Cheney, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex. ), evangelical leader Gary Bauer and 98 senators who voted for the Menendez-Kirk Iran sanctions bill. Are they all “enemies”? Such a moniker suggests Paul, like President Obama, can’t tolerate principled differences of opinion.

2. Stop considering containment of Iran a possible outcome. It is not, and puts Paul outside the mainstream of both parties. Moreover, in saying so he repeats Obama’s error in raising adversaries’ expectations and making it less likely that they will drop unacceptable demands.

3. Don’t accuse Republicans of going to war for or being influenced by personal economic gain. It sounds crazy and remind voters of his father, Ron Paul.

4. Don’t call pro-Israel Christians “warmongers.” Paul has had to apologize once already.

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