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Now a candidate, Rand Paul makes NH stop at Murphy's Taproom

LOUISVILLE, Ky. U.S. Sen. Rand Paul accused his fellow Republicans on Tuesday of contributing to Washingtons dysfunction, launching a 2016 White House bid with a vow to shatter the status quo and defend individual freedoms.

The first-term senator from Kentucky, a libertarian with a reputation for challenging party orthodoxy, criticized both Republicans and Democrats for helping to drive up the federal debt and reduce personal liberties.

He cast himself as an anti-establishment reformer who could break partisan gridlock and win new converts to the party, saying his fellow Republicans fall prey to the allure of special interests in Washington.

The Washington machine that gobbles up our freedoms and invades every nook and cranny of our lives must be stopped, he told cheering supporters while standing on a flag-draped stage in Louisville, Ky.

Both parties and the entire political system are to blame, he said. Too often, when Republicans have won, weve squandered our victory by becoming part of the Washington machine. Thats not who I am.

Paul is the second major Republican to jump into the 2016 race after Senator Ted Cruz of Texas. A crowded field is expected, with candidates competing hard for constituencies ranging from the Christian right to traditional Wall Street Republicans.

In a speech that kicked off a four-day campaign trip to the early voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina, the 52-year-old former eye surgeon took a shot at unnamed Republican foes, warning against nominating someone from the party who is a Democrat-lite.

Republican strategists said Pauls attack was a familiar effort to stand out in a big field.

Rand Paul is trying to cast himself as the anti-big government, anti-D.C. machinery, anti-establishment candidate, Republican strategist Ana Navarro said. Hes made an art form out of it and made a name for himself in the process.

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Republican Rand Paul makes Presidential candidacy official