Romney supporter, Sen. Rand Paul criticizes the Republican presidential contender’s foreign policy speech
Soon after Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney delivered his forceful foreign policy speech to the cadets at the Virginia Military Institute’s Hall of Valor, Romney supporter and Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul offered some criticisms of Mr. Romney.
In an op-ed Wednesday, Paul clearly states that the former Mass. governor’s belief in free markets, limited government and trade make him the clear choice to lead our country come January.
However, Paul goes against Romney saying he does not support intervention in Syria. In fact, Paul says, sticking to Article I, Section 8, clause 11 of the US Constitution, “if such intervention were being contemplated, it is absolutely necessary that Congress give any such authority to the president. No president, Republican or Democrat, has the unilateral power to take our nation to war without the authority of the legislature.”
Dr. Paul also wrote in the op-ed, “Romney chose to criticize President Obama for seeking to cut a bloated Defense Department and for not being bellicose enough in the Middle East, two assertions with which I cannot agree.”
On the topic of defense spending, Paul states, defense and war spending has grown 137% since 2001. That kind of growth is not sustainable.
Adm. Michael Mullen stated earlier this year that the biggest threat to our national security is our debt.
If debt is our gravest threat, adding to the debt by expanding military spending further threatens our national security.
While I would always stand up for America and preserve our ability to defend ourselves, a less aggressive foreign policy along with an audit of the Pentagon could save tens of billions of dollars each year without sacrificing our defense. To dismiss either idea is to miss the very compromise that will enable us to balance our budget. That compromise would be for conservatives to admit that not every dollar spent on the military is sacred or well-spent and for liberals to admit that not every dollar spent on domestic entitlements and welfare is necessary.
As far as Romney’s words about being tougher in the Middle East, Paul wrote, “in North Africa and the Middle East, our problem has not been a lack of intervention. In the past 10 years we have fought two full wars there, and bombed or sent troops into several others.”