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CTR TALKING POINTS: RAND PAUL’S FOREIGN POLICY

From:burns.strider@americanbridge.org To: CTRFriendsFamily@americanbridge.org Date: 2014-10-24 14:40 Subject: CTR TALKING POINTS: RAND PAUL’S FOREIGN POLICY

*TALKING POINTS: RAND PAUL’S FOREIGN POLICY* *BACKGROUND:* In a lame attempt to clarify his contradictory foreign policy positions, Rand Paul gave a speech last night that only left more questions about what are the real views of Rand Paul and what are just political posturing. *TALKING POINTS:* · Rand Paul’s foreign policy is about as clear and predictable as rolling the dice. · After being criticized for his extreme isolationist views, Rand Paul is now trying to back track on those positions. · Rand Paul wants to have it both ways, claiming to be more of a hawk when it is politically convenient for him. · This isn’t the first time Rand Paul has flip-flopped on important issues for political reasons. o Rand Paul flip-flopped on Israel: After repeatedly claiming he would eliminate foreign aid, including to Israel, he now claims that he would not. o Rand Paul flip-flopped on ISIS: Rand Paul expressed reluctance to intervene against ISIS, only to change his mind a few months later. o Rand Paul flip-flopped Russia: Rand Paul was against standing up to Putin after the Russian leader sent troops into Georgia, but took a different stance after Russian troops entered Ukraine. · In his speech, Rand Paul criticized Secretary Clinton and cited former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Pakistani activist and recent Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, both of whom have praised Secretary Clinton for her leadership around the world. · Rand Paul is quick to criticize the actions of our country’s leaders after the fact, but he has never been in hot seat. · With such an unclear and contradictory foreign policy position, it is impossible to predict the actions Rand Paul would take if he were ever the one making the decisions. · Supporting Rand Paul’s foreign policy would be the biggest, and most dangerous, gamble the American people could ever take. *BACKGROUND RESEARCH* *Rand Paul flip-flopped on Israel. *“Paul said, ‘I haven’t really proposed (phasing out aid to Israel) in the past.’ That’s rewriting history. Not only did Paul say he would eliminate all foreign aid during multiple media interviews in January and February of 2011, but as late as March of that year, his office released a budget proposal that included a zeroing-out of foreign assistance, with a section specifically inserted to defend the effect that policy would have on Israel. Paul is free to change his position, but saying he never held the position in the first place is flatly contradicted by his past statements and documents. We rate the claim Pants on Fire.” [“Pants On Fire: I haven’t really proposed (phasing out aid to Israel) in the past,” PolitiFact, 8/7/14 <http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2014/aug/07/rand-paul/did-rand-paul-propose-cutting-aid-israel/> ] *Rand Paul flip-flopped on ISIS. *“After expressing reluctance to intervene against ISIS over the summer, Sen. Rand Paul abruptly shifted gears on Thursday and announced that he supports military action to eliminate the Islamist group. ‘The military means to achieve these goals include airstrikes against ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria,’ the Kentucky Republican and likely 2016 presidential hopeful wrote in an op-ed in TIME. ‘Such airstrikes are the best way to suppress ISIS’s operational strength and allow allies such as the Kurds to regain a military advantage.’ […] When ISIS initially captured large swaths of Iraqi territory in June, Paul’s response was mainly to criticize former President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney for enabling ISIS’s rise by launching the U.S. invasion of Iraq. In fact, Paul specifically argued that Obama didn’t deserve scorn for failing to prevent the insurgent gains as a result. And while his new op-ed criticizes Obama for saying he still hasn’t decided on a strategy to confront ISIS, Paul himself has made similar comments in arguing there might not be a viable strategy to defeat ISIS.” [“Rand Paul’s epic ISIS flip-flop,” MSNBC, 9/4/14 <http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/rand-paul-epic-isis-flip-flop>] *Rand Paul flip-flopped on Russia. *According to Mother Jones, “So when Russia sent troops into Georgia (on George W. Bush’s watch), Paul didn’t want to provoke Russia by placing missiles in Poland. Yet today, when Russia moves into Ukraine (on Obama’s watch), he’s all for dispatching missiles to Poland to send a message to Putin. Does Paul care more about Crimea than Georgia? Or does he care more about keeping a foot on the GOP’s anti-Obama bandwagon? Paul’s office did not respond to a request for comment.” [“Rand Paul's Big Flip-Flop on Russia,” David Corn column, Mother Jones, 3/14/14 <http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2014/03/rand-paul-flip-flop-russia-ukraine-georgia> ] *Robert Gates: Sec. Clinton “made a singular contribution to strengthening this country’s relationships with allies.”* Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates: “In a world that is ever more complex, turbulent and dangerous, Secretary Clinton, 64, has made a singular contribution to strengthening this country’s relationships with allies, partners and friends; rallying other countries to join us in dealing with challenges to the global order, from Libya and Iran to the South China Sea; and reaching out to people in scores of countries to demonstrate that America cares about them. She has developed, for the first time, long-range, comprehensive strategies for diplomacy and development that will strengthen the critical civilian contribution to America’s national security abroad.” [Robert Gates, Time Magazine, 4/18/12] *Malala: "A world with more women leaders will be a better world, and Hillary Clinton is helping make that possible."* "Hillary Clinton is a symbol of strength for women across the world. It was she who famously said, ‘Women’s rights are human rights.’ She not only spoke those words, but also dedicated her life to empowering women around the world through politics and philanthropy. She has been a source of strength for many women leaders, including myself, my family and those who stood by me after I was attacked. ‘Continue your mission, be strong, we believe in you’ is what she said to me, my father and the rest of the Malala Fund team when we met her last year at the Clinton Global Initiative awards. Her life and leadership show women what we can achieve if we believe in our own strength and if we channel our inner creativity, compassion and determination. A world with more women leaders will be a better world, and Hillary Clinton is helping make that possible." [Malala Yousafzai op-ed, 4/23/14 <http://time.com/70904/hillary-clinton-2014-time-100/>]