Rand Paul Warns Against #39;Unintended Consequences #39; Of Mideast Intervention
Whenever a secular dictator has been overthrown in the Middle East it has boosted radical Islam, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said Tuesday, pointing to chaos in Libya and Iraq since the fall...
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Rand Paul Warns Against 'Unintended Consequences' Of Mideast Intervention - Video
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, says he's definitely running for re-election in 2016.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Washington (CNN) -- Sen. Rand Paul announced his bid for a second term in the Senate on Tuesday, launching what will likely be a complicated election season as he attempts to keep his seat and run for an expected presidential campaign.
In a low-key campaign rollout, the Kentucky Republican declined to hold a traditional kick-off event, making the announcement instead in a lengthy press release that listed his local and national policy efforts.
CNN Poll: Romney, Clinton top 2016 field
In fact, Paul wasn't even in Kentucky on Tuesday. He stayed in Washington for votes and to speak at a Wall Street Journal event.
"What he just decided was he didn't need a big rally and a lot of fan fare," Doug Stafford, Paul's senior adviser, said on a call with reporters. "He wanted what he has done to speak for itself."
The problem for Paul is that Kentucky only allows candidates to appear on the ballot once during an election. If he runs for president--a decision he said Monday is "four to six months" away--that would pose a challenge come May 17, 2016, Kentucky's primary day.
And if he wins the GOP nomination for both offices, the dilemma could come up again six months later on Election Day.
"I don't think we've abandoned any option, nor have we settled on any option." Doug Stafford, Rand Paul's senior adviser
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Rand Paul makes Senate re-election bid official - CNN.com
CINCINNATI (AP) Two prominent Senate Republicans announced Tuesday they would seek a second term in the U.S. Senate, although their announcements had dramatically different implications on the 2016 presidential contest.
Ohio Sen. Rob Portman declared he would not seek the presidency, choosing instead to focus on his Senate re-election. The former White House budget chief and U.S. trade representative said he can play an important role as a member of the new Republican majority in the Senate, where he wants to help break the gridlock that has largely paralyzed Congress the past two years.
"I just see so much promise," Portman said during an appearance in Washington on Tuesday. "Getting the majority makes a huge difference. The Senate has been largely dysfunctional unable to deal with even the most basic issues. And now we have a chance."
At the same time, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul announced he would also seek a second term in the Senate, although his team says he could still run for president despite a state law that prohibits running for both offices at the same time.
"There are many options," Paul senior adviser Doug Stafford said when asked about the state law. "He hasn't decided on a presidential run yet. He will decide that in the next few months, but in either case he is running for Senate."
Two other GOP senators, Marco Rubio of Florida and Ted Cruz of Texas, are considering a presidential run but haven't announced decisions.
In an interview, Portman said he didn't think he could be as effective as a senator while at the same time running for president.
Paul does not necessarily agree. The Kentucky senator and libertarian favorite has been among the most aggressive potential presidential candidates in recent months, having already begun to hire staff in key states in addition to beefing up his policy credentials. He announced his re-election in a written statement on Tuesday issued from Washington, where he defended his foreign policy during a gathering with some of the nation's most powerful CEOs.
"I believe we've been everywhere all the time, we're about to bankrupt our country, and that there's great danger to what we're doing," Paul said and later added, "To those Republicans who love a Republican intervention, Iraq's worse off now. Do you think we're better or worse off with Hussein gone?" Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein fell in 2003 after the U.S.-led invasion.
Given Congress' low approval ratings, senators face a tougher road to the White House than the crowd of Republican governors considering a 2016 bid. The last sitting senator to win the presidency before President Barack Obama was John F. Kennedy in 1960.
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Rand Paul To Run For Senate Re-Election In 2016
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, says he's definitely running for re-election in 2016.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Washington (CNN) -- Sen. Rand Paul announced his bid for a second term in the Senate on Tuesday, launching what will likely be a complicated election season as he attempts to keep his seat and run for an expected presidential campaign.
In a low-key campaign rollout, the Kentucky Republican declined to hold a traditional kick-off event, making the announcement instead in a lengthy press release that listed his local and national policy efforts.
CNN Poll: Romney, Clinton top 2016 field
In fact, Paul wasn't even in Kentucky on Tuesday. He stayed in Washington for votes and to speak at a Wall Street Journal event.
"What he just decided was he didn't need a big rally and a lot of fan fare," Doug Stafford, Paul's senior adviser, said on a call with reporters. "He wanted what he has done to speak for itself."
The problem for Paul is that Kentucky only allows candidates to appear on the ballot once during an election. If he runs for president--a decision he said Monday is "four to six months" away--that would pose a challenge come May 17, 2016, Kentucky's primary day.
And if he wins the GOP nomination for both offices, the dilemma could come up again six months later on Election Day.
"I don't think we've abandoned any option, nor have we settled on any option." Doug Stafford, Rand Paul's senior adviser
Continued here:
Can Rand Paul run for Senate and president at the same time?
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) announced Tuesday that he is running for reelection in 2016. This might come as a surprise to peoplewho assumed he would run for president in that same election year.
These two things, though, are not mutually exclusive.
Sometimes they can be. Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), for instance, also faces reelection in 2016 -- but in a swing state. He bowed out of running for president just hours beforePaul made his announcement. Ditto Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who will have a very important decision to make in his own right. Both of these guys would have been hard-pressed to seek both offices.
But Paul's case -- and Kentucky as a state -- is different.
Firstly, it's important to note thatDemocrats held on to the state House this year, which means Paul can't count on his first, best option: the state legislature changing the law to allow him to run for both reelection and for president (not every state prohibits this, but Kentucky does).
As a fallback, the state GOP could look at changing their presidential primary into a caucus. Paul could also sue to overturn the law preventing him from being on the ballot twice. Another option broached by Shane Goldmacher is defeating Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes (D) in 2015 and installing a new Republican secretary of state who might be kinder to Paul's cause.
But Pauldoesn't technicallyneedany of that.
That's because the 2016 Kentucky Senate primary is May 17 -- at least three months after the first presidential primary contests. And given Kentucky is a pretty red state that Democrats might or might not target at the Senate level, Paul has more room to maneuver than Portman or Rubio.
In addition, Kentucky is one of those states that holds governor's races in odd years, and 2015 just happens to be one of those odd years. That means relatively few peoplewill be focusing on the 2016 Senate race until late 2015. The 2010 Senate race that Paul won, for instance, didn't really begin until August 2009, and that was becausethere was an open GOP primary. It seems unlikely Paul would face real opposition in the primary, so he can wait even longer this time.
Paulcould simply run for president for the next year-plus, and if he's not a/the front-runner come January 2016 (or earlier), simplyrevert to his Senate campaign.
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Rand Paul is running for reelection. He will also run for president. Heres how thats possible.