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New Rand Paul op-ed: If I were president Id have acted more decisively against ISIS
New Rand Paul op-ed: If I were president I #39;d have acted more decisively against ISIS.
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New Rand Paul op-ed: If I were president Id have acted more decisively against ISIS - Video
If theres one thing that has distinguished Rand Paul as a likely presidential candidate, its his relentless skepticism toward military intervention overseas.
In a Republican Party more often defined by the John McCain wing of military muscularity, Paul has been staking out a more dovish position, hoping to connect with a war-weary public. His critics call that isolationism.
Just last week, the Kentucky senator declared in the Wall Street Journal that Hillary is too hawkish:
To interventionists like former Secretary of StateHillary Clinton, we would caution that arming the Islamic rebels in Syria created a haven for the Islamic State. We are lucky Mrs. Clinton didn't get her way and the Obama administration did not bring about regime change in Syria. That new regime might well be ISISMrs. Clinton was also eager to shoot first in Syria before asking some important questions.
But now Paul is, shall we say, modulating his rhetoric a bit. He says in a statement:
If I were president, I would call a joint session of Congress. I would lay out the reasoning of why ISIS is a threat to our national security and seek congressional authorization to destroy ISIS militarily.
Clearly, the senator wants to avoid any hint of being viewed as soft on ISIS. Hes never going to be Ted Cruz, who recently called for bombing ISIS back to the Stone Age. But its a dilemma that many Republicans (and some Democrats) are facing just as the Bush era of constant warfare seemed to be fading.
And heres Mitt Romney joining the debate with a Washington Post op-ed:
Russia invades, China bullies, Iran spins centrifuges, the Islamic State (a terrorist threat beyond anything that weve seen, according to the defense secretary ) threatens and Washington slashes the military.
The tone of the political argument is shifting. As a Post front-pager put it:
Read more:
KURTZ: Republicans Evolving on ISIS Rand Paul takes tougher stance on terrorism
By CHARLES BABINGTON Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) - A pizza deliveryman in North Carolina, a "libertarian cop" in Kentucky and an Alaska candidate - but not the one who was expected - hope to do what a Kansas businessman did this week: shake up Senate races as third-party candidates, an often-dismissed lot.
Greg Orman isn't a household name, but he's getting attention now. The independent Senate candidate in Kansas fared so well in his third-party bid to unseat three-term Republican Sen. Pat Roberts that the Democrat in the race, Chad Taylor, abruptly canceled his candidacy on Wednesday. With that, conservative Kansas landed on the list of conceivable, if improbable, Democratic gains in the national battle for Senate control.
Republicans must pick up six seats in November to win the majority, and the new uncertainty over Roberts' fate complicates their drive.
Kansas Republicans, worried about Orman possibly consolidating anti-Roberts sentiment, challenged the legality of Taylor's withdrawal. The Kansas secretary of state said Thursday that Taylor's name must remain on the ballot.
Orman's case is unusual. Most third-party candidates have no chance of being elected themselves. But in a handful of extremely tight races, including North Carolina, Alaska, Georgia and Kentucky, third-party candidates could help decide who wins and which party controls the Senate in the final two years of Barack Obama's presidency.
Third-party candidates are chiefly a worry for Republicans. Many of these long-shot hopefuls are libertarians who tend to appeal to conservative voters, who otherwise might lean GOP.
The biggest impact by a third-party Senate candidate thus far came in Kansas. As Roberts was fighting a bitter GOP primary against Milton Wolf, Orman aired ads that declared "something has to change." In one, he looked over at a muddy tug of war between Republicans and Democrats and asks: "You guys accomplishing anything? Didn't think so."
Orman briefly ran for the Senate as a Democrat in 2008, when he says he voted for Obama. And he says he might caucus with Democrats in Washington if elected this fall. These details could help Roberts in a state that has elected only Republicans to the Senate since 1932.
Established Republicans are quick to note that most third-party candidates become nonfactors, winning minuscule portions of the vote.
The Bookworm Beat 9/3/14 what makes Progressives tick edition
The Bookworm Beat 9/3/14 what makes Progressives tick edition.
By: Chayu17821
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The Bookworm Beat 9/3/14 what makes Progressives tick edition - Video