Rand Paul reiterates ‘neoconservative’ label for Clinton, Rubio
Just two days after telling MSNBC’s Chris Matthews, “I think Hillary Clinton is a neocon” because of her foreign policy history, Kentucky Senator and Republic presidential candidate Rand Paul stressed this point with Jake Tapper on CNN’s State of the Union Sunday.
TAPPER: How do you view Hillary Clinton in terms of her foreign policy views?
PAUL: I see her as a neoconservative. I see her and…
TAPPER: A neoconservative?
PAUL: I see — I see her and Rubio as being the same person.
They both want a no-fly zone. They both have supported activity in Libya, the war in Libya that toppled Gadhafi, an intervention that made us less safe. They both have supported pouring arms into the Syrian civil war, a mistake that I think allowed ISIS to grow stronger. And they both have supported the Iraq War.
So, I mean, what’s the difference?
TAPPER: So, Hillary Clinton and Marco Rubio are the same person and they’re — how do you define a neoconservative?
PAUL: Somebody, a lot of times, who believes in big government, both domestically and internationally.
And, so, many of the big neoconservatives came out of a movement. They were Democrats mostly. They were some Marxists and socialists. But they were people who ultimately came to believe that we needed a big government involved internationally as well.
So, a neoconservative often is a big government person for domestic policy and a big government person for internationalism. And I think, actually, Hillary Clinton fits the bill probably better than any.
But I think she’s also the most likely of all the candidates to get us back involved in another war in the Middle East.
Related: Ron Paul’s Lesson About Neoconservatives
After Dr Paul called Mrs Clinton a neocon on MSNBC Friday, Clinton advisor, Jen Palmieri defended her boss saying:
CHRIS MATTHEWS: So Rand Paul just called Hillary Clinton a neo-con…
JENNIFER PALMIERI: Haha, Rand Paul…
She has proven to be a very a—an incredibly effective, empathetic and consistent leader on foreign policy that has a – you know – already had a lot of presence in – and standing in the world. She had a proven ability as Secretary of State to bring people together—
CHIRS MATTHEWS: Dove. Hawk. Where’s Hillary? Somewhere in there? I think she’s more hawkish.
PALMIERI: She does not view the world as dove or a hawk. She views the world as what is the United States interest. What can we affect and improve and where can we be effective.
Related:
- Bill O’Reilly ‘unhinged’ on George Will over ‘Killing Reagan’ criticisms
- Ron Paul: ‘Though the neocons have had several set-backs, they will continue their efforts’
- Neocons to declare war on a Rand Paul Presidential candidacy