NBC and NYT characterize Rand Paul's stance on Torture report as "awkward"

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h ttp://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/11/us/politics/torture-report-puts-politicians-in-quiet-mode.html
ht tp://www.nbcnews.com/politics/first-read/democrats-face-spending-bill-dilemma-clock-ticks-n266241

NYT:

Of the likely Republican candidates, Senator Rand Paul, Republican of Kentucky, may have the most difficult balance. Approached outside his office on Wednesday, he would not answer questions. Mr. Paul’s libertarian-leaning followers disdain the aggressive Bush-era national security policies, but the Kentuckian has been careful on foreign policy to not appear as out of the Republican mainstream.

The awkwardness of his position was on display after the report was released Tuesday. Speaking to Politico, he said, “I think we should not have torture,” and he generally praised government transparency, but questioned whether releasing gruesome details would be “beneficial or inflammatory.”

NBC:

The New York Times has a good rundown on the reactions by the potential 2016 presidential candidates to the Senate Intelligence report on torture practices committed during the Bush years. The short answer: Many of them aren't talking. The one exception is Marco Rubio, who criticized the release of the report but who also said he didn't support the past torture practices. "And I'm not advocating that we continue those practices." Many of the others are mum, however:

Chris Christie said it would not be "responsible to comment," even though he denounced torture in a 2002 speech;
Hillary Clinton hasn't commented either, though she did support the report coming to light in a speech last summer;
Rand Paul has been surprisingly quiet. "Approached outside his office on Wednesday, he would not answer questions… Speaking to Politico, he said, 'I think we should not have torture,' and he generally praised government transparency, but questioned whether releasing gruesome details would be 'beneficial or inflammatory.'" Huh?
Jeb Bush hasn't commented on the topic;
Mike Huckabee called the report a partisan attack that puts Americans at risk;
And Sen. Bernie Sanders said, "If anyone is lying to elected officials, they should be fired immediately.