Neocons Target Rand Paul
Rand Paul has a double-digit lead over his primary opponent in the race for the GOP Senate nomination in Kentucky. As the Politico notes, “A win by Paul, a Bowling Green ophthalmologist, would represent the first true electoral success of the tea party movement,” which has adopted Rand as a leader. The neoconservatives who ran the GOP into the ground over the last decade aren’t too happy about what that might mean:
Recognizing the threat, a well-connected former aide to Vice President Dick Cheney convened a conference call last week between Grayson and a group of leading national security conservatives to sound the alarm about Paul.
“On foreign policy, [global war on terror], Gitmo, Afghanistan, Rand Paul is NOT one of us,” Cesar Conda wrote in an e-mail to figures such as Liz Cheney, William Kristol, Robert Kagan, Dan Senor and Marc Thiessen.
Rand Paul certainly isn’t a Kristol, Kagan, or former Bush apparatchik, nor is he an interventionist, though as the Politico notes he disagrees with his father on closing down Guantanamo and a few other issues. That doesn’t reassure the ultrahawks, however, and they’re not the only ones upset:
Paul’s lead has also caught the attention of the pro-Israel community, a group not known for paying close attention to Bluegrass State politics.
“Despite the hard financial times and plenty of incumbents who are asking for help, there is a lot of support for [Republican Senate candidate] Trey Grayson, and it has definitely become a priority,” said one political operative who works on Israel issues.
As I mention below, neoconservatives still set the foreign-policy agenda for the GOP. But they’re genuinely worried that the combination of a grassroots movement and an independently-minded candidate will deliver a blow to their power — especially if Rand Paul becomes only the first of many by showing that there is an alternative to Bushes and Kristols.
“Liz Cheney, William Kristol, Robert Kagan, Dan Senor and Marc Thiessen.”
Pretty much says it all, doesn’t it?
Many donors to Ron Paul’s 2008 presidential campaign have refused to donate to Rand Paul because they did NOT see him as a chip off the old block, too hawkish they figured. But this attack from the Cheney camp is likely to add a couple-hundred thousand dollars from this very quadrant to Rand’s Mar. 23 money bomb.
I guess I need to send this man some money. I will donate a thousand dollars tomorrow. Next month I send him another thousand because this man is the kind of man we need in Kentucky. I am retired military, and I am sick and tired of these neo-con chicken hawks calling other people cowards when none of those idiots were in the service.
They would have no idea what a TA-50 inspection was or what it’s like to go down range for years at a time. Someone needs to put these punks in check and by Gosh this has got me upset enough, I am going to put my money where it hurts these neo-cons the most.
““On foreign policy, [global war on terror], Gitmo, Afghanistan, Rand Paul is NOT one of us,” Cesar Conda wrote in an e-mail to figures such as Liz Cheney, William Kristol, Robert Kagan, Dan Senor and Marc Thiessen.”
If, as I have heard said, one should judge a man by his enemies, then this is a powerful affirmation of Mr Paul’s quality.
Nothing will rally our troops more than a denouncing of Rand by Cheney. Too little to late IMHO. Neocon’s want to bankrupt us with empire building and libs want to bankrupt us on entitlements…its all semantics if you ask me. Broke is broke.
“On foreign policy, [global war on terror], Gitmo, Afghanistan, Rand Paul is NOT one of us,” – All the more reason to vote Dr. Rand Paul into the US Senate. The NeoCons have plunged the United States into far too many wars. Every war we have had since WW II has been nonsense and has had nothing to do with the interests of the American citizens.
Therefore, YES – We need Dr. Rand Paul in the US Senate to help stop this warmongering nonsense. US taxpayer dollars should be spent in the interests of the US citizens, not the Germans, Koreans, Vietnamese, Iraqis, Kuwaitis, Afghans, Nicaraguans or El Salvadorans.
If the GOP is to make any headway, it needs to purge the NeoCon influence that resulted in the election of Obama.
Undeclared wars around the globe, the destruction of the Bill of Rights, torture, and the globalist New World Order are not resonating with the American people. Nor is the caving in to the Democrats on their welfare state programs. It all amounts to bi-partisan treason.
Purge the NeoCons, and work to restore FREEDOM. Let’s nominate candidates who will actually follow the Constitution. Let’s stay out of foreign entanglements. What is so hard about this?
Oh, it takes honest candidates – not candidates who sell their votes to the special interests. The GOP needs to say NO to big oil, the big banks and corporations, and the Council on Foreign Relations. The GOP needs to stop supporting theft through inflation. Abolish the Federal Reserve and return to honest money.
Why can’t the GOP run candidates like this?
This is good news in my opinion. The libertarianish candidates need to openly debate the neo-conservatives. Ron Paul did this on CNN’s Larry King against some neoconservative women and he destroyed her.
They (neoconservatives) are dying out. The American people are not interested (according to polls) in our interventionist foreign policy right now. So they can go after Rand by saying that he’s for non-interventionism but it only comes across as a campaign ad FOR RAND PAUL.
If Rand can get enough independent-minded voters on his side, he will win. This is very difficult considering the well-funded neocon-dominated Republican establishment.
“On foreign policy, [global war on terror], Gitmo, Afghanistan, Rand Paul is NOT one of us,” Cesar Conda wrote in an e-mail to figures such as Liz Cheney, William Kristol, Robert Kagan, Dan Senor and Marc Thiessen.
I don’t think Cesar could’ve given Rand a better compliment.
“Paul’s lead has also caught the attention of the pro-Israel community, a group not known for paying close attention to Bluegrass State politics.”
Nonsense, Paul’s opponent Trey Greyson took an AIPAC junket to Israel in 2006 as KY Secretary of State.
AIPAC has been lining up their ducks in a row at the statehouse level for years.
Americans would long starve before Congress or an Administration would demanded cut backs on Israeli aid, materials and goddies..
God Bless You, Johnny! I never served in the military, so guess what? I don’t beat war drums! I would wet my pants with joyous laughter at the sight of Bill “Never Right About Anything” Kristol and Christopher “No God Except Me” Hitchens being dropped into Mosul or Kandahar!
Yes it’s great to hear from actual military folks like Johnny above that have the experieince to rebuff the neo-cons.
These guys take the pain and death for neo-con chicken hawks that order our boys into war for imperialist Wallstreet mobsters.
The armed forces are for defense not corupt imperial conquest.Bring the troops home where they belong. Name one other nation that stations it’s troops all over the world for “defense”,name one other country outside of NATO that stations troops anywhere outside it’s own borders for any reason.
Wait a minute. So Cesar, you’re telling me that I can support a Senator who belives in free markets AND won’t start ‘preemptive’ wars against other nations? Really? And this means Paul is “NOT one of you?” Sign me up! I’m proud to say “I’m NOT one of you, either!”
Trey-Trey’s also an ex-Democrat who voted for Clinton…obviously a man of deeply held principles and convictions. ;^)
http://www.randpaul2010.com/
Peace be with you.
Iraq Veterans Against the War.
http://www.IVAW.org
I too have fought for the bankers, oilmen, defense contractors, and Israel. Big mistake. Wish I could get those two years back.
Enough of Imperialism. Enough of Neocons. Enough of AIPAC, Enough of Foreign interventionism.
I already sent Rand money. Adam Kokesh in New Mexico’s 3rd district too.
Ill be donating March 23rd. Im with Rand. Screw the neo-cons. They got us into this mess and turned their backs to any principles to our Constitution and philosophy.
We are more Republican than they are.
Rand 2010, Schiff 2010, Paul 2012
I’ll be maxing out my $2400.00 donation.
Never, ever, ever underestimate the neo-conservatives and the Israel Lobby’s ability to raise and pool funds to target someone who may not bow to them.
If Rand ever needed Ron, now is the time for Ron to burn up the phones calling all big guys who wouldn’t get behind Rand because he’s not a duplicate of himself.
Some heavy-hitters from the freedom movement need to get involved, and do so on 3/23, because you can be guaranteed the Neo-conservatives are going to unleash hell through their various PACs in April.
Big Government Republicans and neocons seek to strangle Rand Paul and the Tea Party movement he represents before their cause catches fire.
http://www.libertariantoday.com/2010/03/big-government-republicans-and-neocons.html
United by three planks of limited-government ideology, Tea Partiers don’t trust phony conservative Bushcons and neocons.
http://www.libertariantoday.com/2010/03/big-government-republicans-and-neocons.html
[...] #2 has waded into the Republican Senate primary in Kentucky, guns ablaze. A week after neocons declared open season on Rand Paul, Cheney has endorsed his rival, Secretary of State Trey Grayson.” National [...]
Cheney Steps to the Line in Kentucky
Former Vice President Dick Cheney has endorsed the Senate bid of Trey Grayson.. The good news is the Neocons “Liz Cheney, William Kristol, Robert Kagan, Dan Senor, Marc Thiessenm, Mitch McConnell, Gates McCain, Holbrooke, Obama and Clinton are going to be recipients of a free hunting trip money bomb with Dick AKA Dead Eye Dick…
I really wish the past and presents war mongers would think…
These guys are about:
They are for redrawing the map of the Middle East and are willing to use force to do so.
They believe in preemptive war to achieve desired ends.
They accept the notion that the ends justify the means – that hard-ball politics is a moral necessity.
They are not bashful about an American empire; instead they strongly endorse it.
I wish the Times would report on April 28, 2004 SEC crimes committed and prosecute those that allowed the derivative crimes. Bear Stearns, Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Lehman Brothers were given special deals…. Paulson was head of Goldman and it was DNC/RNC root of the corruption. Laugh about health care how is it paid for these guys blew up a 200 trillion dollar bubble…. The only way to fix is to recognized. We don’t need regulation we need prosecution.
[...] No wonder Dick Cheney is worried. [...]
[...] they tried to do to the son. “On foreign policy, [global war on terror], Gitmo, Afghanistan, Rand Paul is NOT one of us,” warned former Cheney aide Cesar Conda in a well-publicised email back in March. This sent a [...]
[...] been noted, here and elsewhere, that the Republican establishment is plainly not thrilled with the triumph of Rand Paul in the [...]
Ron Paul is a racist, theocratic nutjob; if his son–who ran solely on his daddy’s name–actually believes the bullshit his daddy PUBLISHED, then the good folks of Kentucky are in for a pretty rough ride. Think of him as the antithesis of Dennis Kucinich, but likely not as bright.
[...] March, Paul’s lead caught the attention of the pro-Israel community, a group not known for paying close attention to Bluegrass State politics. Is it possible Paul’s [...]
[...] March, Paul’s lead caught the attention of the pro-Israel community, a group not known for paying close attention to Bluegrass State politics. Is it possible Paul’s [...]
[...] March, Paul’s lead caught the attention of the pro-Israel community, a group not known for paying close attention to Bluegrass State politics. Is it possible Paul’s [...]
Will the libertarian wing be able to take control of the GOP from the neocons ? Will Rush abandon the Cheneys ?