Subject: CTR TALKING POINTS: RAND PAUL’S FOREIGN POLICY
From: Burns Strider <[email-masked]>
To: CTRFriendsFamily <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2014 12:40:58 -0400
List-Id: <CTRFriendsFamily.americanbridge.org>

*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/>]