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Rand Paul: Romney's wrong on Middle East, defense spending
CNN ^ | October 10, 2012 | Senator Rand Paul

Posted on 10/10/2012 2:39:57 PM PDT by Colonel Kangaroo

This week, I will campaign for Gov. Mitt Romney. I believe this election will and should be about moving America back from the edge of the abyss on which we stand, where our debt and spending threaten to overwhelm and drown us. Romney's belief in free markets, limited government and trade make him the clear choice to lead our country come January.

I do not, however, support a call for intervention in Syria. And, if such intervention were being contemplated, it is absolutely necessary that Congress give any such authority to the president. No president, Republican or Democrat, has the unilateral power to take our nation to war without the authority of the legislature.

At times, I have been encouraged by Romney's foreign policy. I agree with his call to end the war in Afghanistan sooner rather than later and with his skepticism of, and call for reform in, foreign aid, but I am a bit dismayed by his foreign policy speech Monday, titled "Mantle of Leadership."

Sen. Rand PaulRomney chose to criticize President Obama for seeking to cut a bloated Defense Department and for not being bellicose enough in the Middle East, two assertions with which I cannot agree.

Defense and war spending has grown 137% since 2001. That kind of growth is not sustainable...

(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: 2012issues; libertarians; randpaul; romney2012
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Good for Rand Paul. It's nice to see some rare reason applied to foreign policy from a politician.
1 posted on 10/10/2012 2:40:03 PM PDT by Colonel Kangaroo
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To: Colonel Kangaroo

I read that and thought UT OH, RP is going to be chewed up and spit out, oh and he sounds more like his dad by the minute.


2 posted on 10/10/2012 2:42:52 PM PDT by svcw (Why is one cell on another planet considered life, and in the womb it is not.)
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To: All

Rand hints that he is as nutty has his Dad.

Peace through Strength always works.


3 posted on 10/10/2012 2:43:39 PM PDT by rbmillerjr (Conservative Economic and National Security Commentary: econus.blogspot.com)
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To: Colonel Kangaroo

Either Rand doesn’t own a calendar or he has been over to his daddy’s house for some anti-American. Right now, is not the time to start trying to get Obama reelected. It’s just too important that Obama not have 4 more years and appoint several Justices.

If Rand has any interest in debating this he should have either taken it up before Romney’s nomination or bring it up after the election.


4 posted on 10/10/2012 2:44:30 PM PDT by Steamburg (The contents of your wallet is the only language Politicians understand.)
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To: rbmillerjr

If we keep spending and intervening, we wont have any strength left or peace in a generation. There comes a time when the best course is to husband national strength for the long haul. Eisenhower saw this coming.


5 posted on 10/10/2012 2:47:10 PM PDT by Colonel Kangaroo
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To: Colonel Kangaroo

first this is not the time to start this crap with an election so near and secondly I hope Rand is not going to go the same nutty way as his father and this is just a blip.


6 posted on 10/10/2012 2:47:12 PM PDT by manc (Marriage =1 man + 1 woman,when they say marriage equality then they should support polygamy)
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To: Colonel Kangaroo

I feared that that Paul would eventually start to show a family nutcase heritage.


7 posted on 10/10/2012 2:47:53 PM PDT by Proud2BeRight
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To: Colonel Kangaroo

Starting to sound like his looney old man in some ways though.


8 posted on 10/10/2012 2:48:45 PM PDT by DarthVader (Politicians govern out of self interest, Statesmen govern for a Vision greater than themselves)
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To: Colonel Kangaroo

Rand, ike Ron, is from the “If we eave them aone, they wil leave us alone” school of thought. The naivete regarding radical Islam and communism is breathtaking.


9 posted on 10/10/2012 2:51:03 PM PDT by jwalsh07
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To: Colonel Kangaroo

Agreed. If the USA intervened in Syria - do we even know whose side we would be on? Assad is looking better every day compared to Egypt and especially Libya. Let Syria fight Turkey fight Iran fight Saudi Arabia.

If the USA declines, it is because we are our Government and the Federal Reserve are bankrupting the citizens, and debasing our currency.


10 posted on 10/10/2012 2:51:04 PM PDT by PGR88
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To: Colonel Kangaroo

Yea, I can see your point of view, weaken the military during these ever so peaceful times.
I mean who needs a strong military anyway.
The federal government has very few actual responsibilities......a weak military is not one of them.
Yep, sounds just like the old man.


11 posted on 10/10/2012 2:51:18 PM PDT by svcw (Why is one cell on another planet considered life, and in the womb it is not.)
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To: Colonel Kangaroo

The military is stronger after you use it, not weaker. Combat trained troops eat through peacetime barracks brigades. An unused military is cut back while a highly utilized military gets new weapons.


12 posted on 10/10/2012 2:56:20 PM PDT by allmendream (Tea Party did not send GOP to D.C. to negotiate the terms of our surrender to socialism)
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To: Colonel Kangaroo
If we keep spending and intervening, we wont have any strength left or peace

And peace will come by leaving the terrorists on their own to plot against us at their leisure?

I really don't understand that argument.

13 posted on 10/10/2012 2:56:24 PM PDT by what's up
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To: Colonel Kangaroo
Romney's belief in free markets, limited government and trade make him the clear choice to lead our country come January.

I agree.

I do not, however, support a call for intervention in Syria.

I'm with Rand maybe 60%. Open intervention is not called for. Under-the-table intervening in Syria just to put Muslim Brotherhood or some Al Qaeda proxy in the palace is a mistake.

No president, Republican or Democrat, has the unilateral power to take our nation to war without the authority of the legislature.

I agree. In any case, open intervention is a mistake.

14 posted on 10/10/2012 2:58:39 PM PDT by marron
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To: Colonel Kangaroo

Whatever mid east disagreements I fear I have with Sen. Paul, he is right as rain in warning not to get involved in Syria’s civil war. It will backfire on us as bad or worse than it has in Libya.


15 posted on 10/10/2012 3:00:16 PM PDT by Stepan12
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To: jwalsh07
Te more we leave them alone, the more they will attend to the centuries old life and death issues that they have among themselves.

If one is worried about being stung, the best move is to quit poking at the hornet's nest.

We need to quit worrying so much about the Middle East and start worrying about developing a degree of energy independence.

16 posted on 10/10/2012 3:01:52 PM PDT by Colonel Kangaroo
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To: marron

There’s no good choice in Syria. but given a choice between Iran and Al Qaeda, Iran is a much lesser danger to the USA.


17 posted on 10/10/2012 3:04:41 PM PDT by Colonel Kangaroo
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To: rbmillerjr

Strong defense, not trailing around the ME placing our military on 5 and 6 more tours in yet another damn theater. Rand is right. It will not happen. People are ten years sick of our sons & others being thrown in without mercy.

Forget it.


18 posted on 10/10/2012 3:06:23 PM PDT by RitaOK ( VIVA CHRISTO REY)
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To: Colonel Kangaroo

Wrong.

The hornets nest is best dealt with by the Orkin man.


19 posted on 10/10/2012 3:07:10 PM PDT by Hardraade (http://junipersec.wordpress.com (I will fear no muslim))
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To: manc

Apple. Tree.


20 posted on 10/10/2012 3:08:09 PM PDT by Hardraade (http://junipersec.wordpress.com (I will fear no muslim))
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