Rand Paul's two-front war
Only a few days removed from his splashy debut as a presidential candidate -- complete with a "Defeat the Washington Machine" campaign slogan -- Rand Paul is taking fire from all sides.
The Democratic National Committee is holding daily conference calls with reporters calling the Kentucky Republican senator "extreme" and an "American nightmare." Outside the entrance of Paul's rally here Wednesday, liberal activists from NextGen, a group backed by billionaire hedge fund manager Tom Steyer, held a demonstration targeting Paul over his views on climate change.
And, perhaps most importantly, Republicans aren't sparing Paul.
A GOP group called the Foundation for a Secure and Prosperous America released an ad targeting Paul, claiming he opposed sanctions against Iran, a nation in the process of developing a nuclear program. The effort was organized by GOP operative Rick Reed, who previously led the "Swiftboat Veterans for Truth" effort against John Kerry when he was the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee. And just to make sure the charge -- decried by some as misleading -- sticks against Paul, the group spent $1 million to air the ad in key states this week. Even the National Rifle Association, one of the most powerful lobbyist groups in Washington, has a sour relationship with Paul because of his association with gun advocacy groups they find too extreme.
The moves reflect Paul's unique status heading into 2016. As a politician who has tried to appeal to broad swaths of the electorate -- not just the Republican base -- he's opened himself up to an assault from all sides.
"He's trying to be an all-inclusive Republican candidate. He's trying to make everyone happy, but in doing so, he's making everyone unhappy," Republican strategist Ron Bonjean told CNN. "And the left doesn't want to see him put together a coalition outside the Republican base. He represents a threat."
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Paul's aides and supporters concede that the forces against him are a challenge. But they argue it's a sign of fear of his possible success.
"I think every campaign is going to have that same type of challenge," said Mike Biundo, Paul's top strategist in New Hampshire. "One thing it does prove is that you don't spend a million dollars on a candidate people don't think is a top tier candidate. I think that puts us in a very strong position."
However, the extent of the attacks on Paul underscore a harsh reality that he and his team will face over the course of the campaign: They will be fighting two-front war against Democrats and fellow Republicans.
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Rand Paul's two-front war