I think you're trying to split hairs with Paul.
He may think he has principles, but he's a coward and a menace to the safety of the United States nonetheless, and just punched our troops in the gut with this vote.
I respectfully disagree. Just so you know where I stand, I myself am a military veteran and I wholeheartedly support the war against islamofascism. I'd like to see us crush the islamofascists with overwhelming military force, and boot every radical muslim out of our country.
I believe Ron Paul's vote is wrong, wrong, wrong, but I understand the libertarians' position on not utilizing our military outside the U.S. I don't agree with it, but I understand it. The end result is the same, in that he has failed to support our military, but he's not like the idiot liberals who refuse to acknowledge the threat and insist that we can "talk" to the dear little muslims and reason them out of their hatred. Paul just wants to fight them when they approach our soil, not in other countries.
Again, I'm not defending his vote, just disagreeing with the perception that he's a coward. His position is based on principle, however much you and I disagree with his reasoning.