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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsRand Paul's Remarkable Metamorphosis (Now he wants to go to war vs. ISIS)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2014/09/03/rand-pauls-remarkable-metamorphosis/By Jennifer Rubin September 3
After declaring certain Christian defenders of Israel to be warmongers, arguing we could not defeat the Islamic State without being an air force for Iran, opining we didnt have a national security interest in Syria or Iraq, accusing interventionists of abetting the Islamic States rise and decrying Hillary Clinton as too hawkish, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has decided that if you cant beat the neocons he might as well join them. He told the Associated Press: If I were President, I would call a joint session of Congress. I would lay out the reasoning of why ISIS is a threat to our national security and seek congressional authorization to destroy ISIS militarily. Well, welcome aboard, Sen. Paul. And thank goodness he has dropped his prior indefensible positions.
There are a few questions about Pauls remarkable metamorphosis, which follows increasingly vocal criticism from potential opponents such as Texas Gov. Rick Perry (does he owe Perry an apology since he has now adopted some of the same views?) and conservative policy wonks. I asked his longtime adviser Doug Stafford a few of the questions that come to mind:
Has Paul changed his view of the Middle East since his Wall Street Journal pieces?
(More at above link)
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There's your anti-war GOP candidate for you. As I have said repeatedly, any position he has that is supposedly 'progressive' is likely to be thrown under the bus at the first sign of pushback by his own party.
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Rand Paul's Remarkable Metamorphosis (Now he wants to go to war vs. ISIS) (Original Post)
stevenleser
Sep 2014
OP
Here's another article from a few days ago regarding Paul's malleability on war.
pampango
Sep 2014
#1
Exactly what I expected from this opportunist. How's he gonna pay for the war?
grahamhgreen
Sep 2014
#2
pampango
(24,692 posts)1. Here's another article from a few days ago regarding Paul's malleability on war.
Rand Pauls flip-flop nightmare: Non-interventionist now backs war in the Middle East
Well, for all the talk of Rand Pauls adherence to principle, were learning that hes actually highly malleable when it comes to his policy positions. And as for his willingness to buck the Republican establishment, were seeing that whenever he does bend on policy, its usually in the direction of the Republican consensus. He did it on immigration, portraying himself as both a hardline border security proponent and an advocate for comprehensive reform, depending on which viewpoint dominated Republican thinking at the time. And now that Republicans are pressuring President Obama to take unspecified military action against ISIS, hes abandoning his much-derided (in Republican circles) anti-interventionist foreign policy rhetoric in favor of the bellicose posturing of the rest of the hawkish GOP.
http://www.salon.com/2014/09/03/rand_pauls_flip_flop_nightmare_non_interventionist_now_backs_war_in_the_middle_east/
Well, for all the talk of Rand Pauls adherence to principle, were learning that hes actually highly malleable when it comes to his policy positions. And as for his willingness to buck the Republican establishment, were seeing that whenever he does bend on policy, its usually in the direction of the Republican consensus. He did it on immigration, portraying himself as both a hardline border security proponent and an advocate for comprehensive reform, depending on which viewpoint dominated Republican thinking at the time. And now that Republicans are pressuring President Obama to take unspecified military action against ISIS, hes abandoning his much-derided (in Republican circles) anti-interventionist foreign policy rhetoric in favor of the bellicose posturing of the rest of the hawkish GOP.
http://www.salon.com/2014/09/03/rand_pauls_flip_flop_nightmare_non_interventionist_now_backs_war_in_the_middle_east/
stevenleser
(32,886 posts)3. I talked about this on my radio show this week.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/lesersense/2014/09/08/what-to-do-about-isis-and-update-on-ukraine-and-immigration-reform-and-more
I think this is going to do permanent and irreparable damage to Rand Paul. There is nothing to differentiate him from any other GOP contender if he is going to take positions like this and he certainly has nothing on Hillary.
I think this is going to do permanent and irreparable damage to Rand Paul. There is nothing to differentiate him from any other GOP contender if he is going to take positions like this and he certainly has nothing on Hillary.
grahamhgreen
(15,741 posts)2. Exactly what I expected from this opportunist. How's he gonna pay for the war?
Oh right... He ALREADY admits he wants to gut social programs.
William769
(55,147 posts)4. And he has cheerleaders!
stevenleser
(32,886 posts)6. Haven't heard much from them on this topic though. Wonder why that is???
MineralMan
(146,317 posts)5. To the Devil with the Pauls,
pere et fils.
stevenleser
(32,886 posts)7. Agreed
Father AND son