Rand Paul to Chris Christie: You Need to Talk To More Real Americans

Washington Times ^ | Friday, July 26, 2013 | By Ralph Z. Hallow and David Sherfinski

[drewh]

Republican rivals Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky are escalating their feud over national security policy and liberty.

In comments at a forum of Republican governors in Aspen, Col. Thursday, Mr. Christie said the libertarian strain championed by Mr. Paul currently coursing through the veins of political parties — as evidenced by broad, although ultimately unsuccessful, lobbying in the House of Representatives against NSA surveillance programs this week — is dangerous.

“This strain of libertarianism that’s going through parties right now and making big headlines I think is a very dangerous thought,” Mr. Christie said Thursday in Aspen, Colo. on at a forum of Republican governors. “You can name any number of people and [Mr. Paul is] one of them.”

Mr. Christie, like Mr. Paul considered a possible 2016 presidential contender, criticized what he called “esoteric, intellectual debates” that Mr. Paul and fellow conservatives such as Sen. Mike Lee of Utah have been conducting over the constitutional limits on unreasonable search and seizure and warrantless government surveillance.

A top aide to Mr. Paul immediately fired back, telling The Washington Times the senator’s opposition to government drone policies and surveillance programs are designed to “protect the freedoms that make America exceptional.”

“If Gov. Christie believe the constitutional rights and the privacy of all Americans are ‘esoteric,’ he either needs a new dictionary or he needs to talk to more Americans, because a great number of them are concerned about the dramatic overreach of our government in recent times,” Paul senior advisor Doug Stafford said.

[DManA]

Fat boy should talk to some Freepers. They’d set him straight.

[DoughtyOne]

While I understand your point Rand, I’m thinking perhaps it’s time Christie be retired and lose his ability to talk to the real Americans from a position of power.

[stockpirate]

I’m waiting for the FR cult of Ann followers to come on and defend Christie and Ann over these remarks.......cricket’s........

[Venturer]

I don’t care much what Christie says, he isn’t on my list of people I would vote for anyway.

[DirtyPigpen]

I agree. He needs to shut up.

[DoughtyOne]

Yes, he does.

[X-spurt]

Oh hell, he’s pandering to be on the ticket with hitlery.
Even a fat fool can see all the free money falling off the tables around nobama and the klintoons.

[Ohioan]

While I have deplored Christie's comments on other threads, I think that the way to handle him is by making it very clear that Liberty is more important than safety in the American context. That priority was established by the brave men who risked their "lives, their fortunes & their sacred honor" to sign the Declaration Of Independence.

Yes, hopefully Christie will get out and talk to more real Americans, about this. At least, one might hope, he will actually read the Declaration--very few do, although it is often quoted out of context by those who have not, and do not understand its function or philosophy.

Let us stand fast, in the meantime, and still hold out the olive branch to those who now insult us, in the hope that they will eventually join us in that stand. (It is not a bad thing to try to redeem those who have gone astray.)

William Flax

[RobbyS]

I hope that he will read the list of grievances, which are the heart of the Declaration. Our government more and more resembles that of King George.

[11th Commandment]

From the article “President Obama has done nothing to change the policies of the Bush administration in the war on terrorism. And I mean practically nothing,” Mr. Christie said. “And you know why? Because they work.”

This is a false statement. Obama has gone out of his way to grant known terrorist the same constitutional protection as American Citizens. While at the same time, done nothing to curtail, and in some cases enhance, surveillance to law abiding US citizens.

But Obama is too cowardly to actually do what he says: pursue Terrorists; bring them to US soil; try them in US Court. Instead, he sends drones and kills them. Ironically this means that OBAMA 100% support any person, anywhere, US constitutional protection, unless of course, he first decides to kill you. This Monarchical approach has made us less safe because the we do not get intel from terrorist because we either kill them or in the off chance we actually capture one, we give them a lawyer.

So under Obama we are more watched and violated but less sage.

[drunknsage]

Christie is a Redcoat Republican who thinks shredding the Constitution and spying on Americans somehow honors 9/11 victims.

I would love to hear what his message to 9/11 victims is, ya know, since he likes to stand on them to bash others. What say you Christie!

[jwalsh07]

Well as a conservative I’ll take Rand Paul over Christie any day. Now Ron Paul is an entirely different matter.

[Hotlanta Mike]

[noprogs]

Christie needs to stay in New Joisey along with the rest of the Yankee RINO crowd.

He’s a Dutch Boy. You can tell a Dutch Boy, you just can’t tell him much!

[demshateGod]

“This strain of libertarianism that’s going through parties right now and making big headlines I think is a very dangerous thought,”

He couldn’t have given conservatives a better gift. We can live with liber(al)tarians. I think the people who lean liber(al)tarian and conservatives could build a majority coalition. Christie’s comment draws the distinction between Republicans, whose brand is tainted, and conservatives, who have more in common with Pot-smoking, OWS types than with the country club GOP.

[demshateGod]

“...he will actually read the Declaration—very few do”

If they did, liberals would win fewer elections.

[Hugh the Scot]

I’ll never vote for a candidate who admits the belief that an inward focused surveillance state enhances my security in any way.

[af_vet_rr]

He couldn’t have given conservatives a better gift. We can live with liber(al)tarians. I think the people who lean liber(al)tarian and conservatives could build a majority coalition. Christie’s comment draws the distinction between Republicans, whose brand is tainted, and conservatives, who have more in common with Pot-smoking, OWS types than with the country club GOP.

The problem is the GOP is run by, and filled with, people who think like Christie. I would call them RINOs, but I'm going to think Conservatives are the true RINOs since the GOP is resembling the DNC more and more these days. Those same people will see that a Christie or a Rubio or a Bush will get the nomination in 2016.

[ObamahatesPACoal]

Kobach has a better plan than Paul or Christie to protect America.