Rand Paul votes YEA on Confirming Hagel

This one is all on Rand. He put his foot in the Cruz/Israel first water, jabbed libertarians and realists by strawmanning their positions, and then ultimately voted to confirm Hagel. Daniel Larison put it best: Rand managed to handle these votes and statements in a way that maximized annoyance with him from every side. If you're going to piss off your base, you better gain something from another base to make up for it.

In short, Rand was trying to play chess and got caught playing checkers.
I agree with this.


IMO, what's happening on Rand's Facebook (and in the comments section of the Blaze article) is exactly what I expected if/when Rand took an action that opposed what Beck/Hannity/Levin listeners thought he would due to the rhetoric he was/is using to attract those audiences to him.

I don't care about Hagel...he's no more or less what I would expect from an Obama appointment. Actually, I think Obama could do a lot worse. But Rand gave his word that he would not stand in the way of presidential appointments, and for sticking to that, I applaud him.
 
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What was Rand thinking? Isnt this the Jewnited States of American-Israel?
 
Well if he voted for Kerry might as well vote for Hagel...

Did you not see how the entire GOP took a stand against Hagel? That means the GOP will see Rand Paul as a traitor. That's not the best way to win the nomination.
 
Says 1% of the vote.

Do you support the "Principles" of Chuck Hagel?


He isn't frothing at the mouth at the idea of going to war with Iran, and while he isn't one of us, he's certainly better than I had expected to get.

In that respect, I do respect the principles of Chuck Hagel. What were you hoping for?
 
He isn't frothing at the mouth at the idea of going to war with Iran, and while he isn't one of us, he's certainly better than I had expected to get.

In that respect, I do respect the principles of Chuck Hagel. What were you hoping for?


The "Principles" of Chuck Hagel


H.J.Res. 114: Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002
- Chuck Hagel: Yes

S.J.Res. 23: Authorization for Use of Military Force
- Chuck Hagel: Yes

S. 1438: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002
- Chuck Hagel: Yes

H.R. 3162: Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT ACT) Act of 2001
- Chuck Hagel: Yes

H.R. 5005: Homeland Security Act of 2002
- Chuck Hagel: Yes

S. 1927: Protect America Act of 2007
- Chuck Hagel: Yes

Chuck Hagel is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Chuck Hagel scored a 44% on the Constitutional Voting Index

Endorsed by Zbigniew Brzezinski

Endorsed by Barack Obama
 
I guess I'm really out of touch with Talk Radio nowadays. I really don't understand why these people are going nuts.
 
I love it when Rand fights back!

“Speaking for myself only, I do not support Rand Paul and have not for quite some time now,” said Ryan Langer, who leads the University of Northern Iowa’s Young Americans for Liberty chapter, a pro-Ron Paul organization. “In my opinion, while he may share his father's last name, he certainly doesn't share his principles, the Hagel vote just being further evidence of that.”

Rand Paul flat-out rejected that characterization. “I will say to anybody from the libertarian side who wants to believe that Hagel is the next coming of Harry Browne that they need to read a little more about his past,” he said. (Browne, the two-time Libertarian Party nominee for president, blamed 9/11 on an “insane” American foreign policy.) “Hagel’s been a promoter of the draft. Not a very libertarian idea. He’s been a promoter of U.N. peacekeeping troops around the world, and intervention. He doesn’t like unilateral intervention, but he’s fine with group intervention around the world. He voted for the PATRIOT Act. He voted for the Iraq War.”
 
The "Principles" of Chuck Hagel


H.J.Res. 114: Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002
- Chuck Hagel: Yes

S.J.Res. 23: Authorization for Use of Military Force
- Chuck Hagel: Yes

S. 1438: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002
- Chuck Hagel: Yes

H.R. 3162: Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT ACT) Act of 2001
- Chuck Hagel: Yes

H.R. 5005: Homeland Security Act of 2002
- Chuck Hagel: Yes

S. 1927: Protect America Act of 2007
- Chuck Hagel: Yes

Chuck Hagel is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Chuck Hagel scored a 44% on the Constitutional Voting Index

Endorsed by Zbigniew Brzezinski

Endorsed by Barack Obama

And if Hagel gets dismissed, who do you think he was going to appoint????? Back to square one. There was no leverage.
 
I can only assume that since you support "Principles over Party/nomination/winning" that "Principles" led you to support Chuck Hagel. Otherwise, "Principles" had nothing to do with your decision.
The principle in question is the one where Rand said he would not stand in the way of a presidential appointment. I don't care about Hagel (and I certainly never said that I support him...you're putting words in my mouth there). That said, if Hagel didn't get confirmed, Obama would likely send up someone even worse.
 
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I guess I'm really out of touch with Talk Radio nowadays. I really don't understand why these people are going nuts.

Because they have been conditioned to "go nuts" over nonsense like this.
 
I view this entire debacle as the Free Republic's Iranian Sanction moment. Number one, you are not going to stop Hagel or someone like him appointed. Number two, the alternative could be much worse.
 
I guess I'm really out of touch with Talk Radio nowadays. I really don't understand why these people are going nuts.

Life must be good!

I'm convinced Talk Radio politics are all for unhinged people on either side of the isle.
 
Because they have been conditioned to "go nuts" over nonsense like this.

It really is like a switch was flipped and they truly believe Israel/America is headed for imminent collapse now. It's kind of scary.
 
LOL reading the comments at The Blaze, what a bunch of unhinged wingnuts. ZOMGOSH teh muzzies are gonna take over!111!11 Our military will be gutted! When 2016 rolls around, these people will be painted as fanatics while Rand will look sane and moderate for having voted to confirm Hagel.
 
LOL reading the comments at The Blaze, what a bunch of unhinged wingnuts. ZOMGOSH teh muzzies are gonna take over!111!11 Our military will be gutted! When 2016 rolls around, these people will be painted as fanatics while Rand will look sane and moderate for having voted to confirm Hagel.

Isn't The Blaze actually supposed to be a "libertarian" website?
 
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