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Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., on Wednesday accused Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., of "working for Vladimir Putin" after Paul blocked consideration of a treaty that would allow Montenegro into NATO.

McCain tried to call up the treaty and warned that anyone blocking it would be helping Russia maintain its influence over the small country across the Adriatic Sea from Italy.

"If there's objection, you are achieving the objectives of Vladimir Putin," McCain warned. "If they object, they are now carrying out the desires and ambitions of Vladimir Putin, and I do not say that lightly."

But as predicted, Paul quickly objected with McCain asked for consent to call up a resolution that would have the U.S. ratify the treaty if approved.

"I object," Paul said before quickly leaving the Senate. Paul's move shocked McCain, who said Paul didn't appear to have any good reason for objecting.

"That is really remarkable," McCain said. "That a senator, blocking a treaty that is supported by the overwhelming number, perhaps 98 at least of his colleagues, would come to the floor and object, and walk away."

"The only conclusion you can draw when he walks away is he has no argument to be made," he said.

"The senator from Kentucky is now working for Vladimir Putin," McCain concluded.

Paul released a statement after the incident that said the huge and growing national debt is why the U.S. should not take on any additional commitments around the world.

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03/19/17 10:49 AM

"Currently, the United States has troops in dozens of countries and is actively fighting in Iraq, Syria, Libya, and Yemen (with the occasional drone strike in Pakistan)," Paul said. "In addition, the United States is pledged to defend 28 countries in NATO."

"It is unwise to expand the monetary and military obligations of the United States given the burden of our $20 trillion debt," he said.

A spokeswoman for McCain said Paul's explanation isn't enough, and that he should have offered one to the chamber as he objected to McCain's request.

"The overwhelming majority of senators who support this treaty, and certainly the people of Montenegro, deserved an explanation from Senator Paul on the Senate floor as to why he sought to prevent this small, brave country from joining in the defense of the free world," said spokeswoman Julie Tarallo.

This story was corrected to note that the issue is Montenegro's admission into NATO, not the United Nations.

Also from the Washington Examiner

"That is not something that the president is willing to do."

03/19/17 10:35 AM

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John McCain accuses Rand Paul of 'working for Vladimir Putin'

Sen. Rand PaulRand PaulPaul predicts GOP healthcare plan will fail Price shoots down clean repeal of ObamaCare Sunday shows preview: Healthcare, White House budget in spotlight MORE (R-Ky.) on Thursday shot back at Sen. John McCainJohn McCainWhat two GOP senators get right and dangerously wrong about Afghanistan Shutdown politics return to the Senate Overnight Defense: Trump seeks B more for 2017 defense spending | Boeing VP tapped for Pentagon post MORE after the Arizona Republican accused Paul of working for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"I think he makes a really, really strong case for term limits," Paul said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe." "I think maybe he's past his prime; I think maybe he's gotten a little bit unhinged."

McCainmade the claimsWednesday from the Senate floor.

"The senator from Kentucky is now working for Vladimir Putin."

The comments came after McCain asked for unanimous consent to set up a vote on a treaty on Montenegro joining NATO, but Paul objected.

Under Senate rules, any one senator can object to a unanimous consent request. McCain warned before asking for consent that any senator who objected was "carrying out the desires and ambitions of Putin."

Paul said the U.S. military is already stretched thin.

On Thursday, the Kentucky Republican said there can be a "rational discussion" about the pros and cons of expanding NATO.

"We currently have ... combat troops in about six nations. We have troops actively just stationed in probably a couple dozen others," he said.

"We have a $20 trillion debt."

Paul said McCain's foreign policy would "greatly endanger" the country and "greatly overextend us."

"And there has to be the thought whether or not it's in our national interest to pledge to get involved with a war if Montenegro has an altercation with anyone," he said.

"Another argument is that, when you ask the people of Montenegro, only about 40 percent or slightly less are actually in favor of this," he said, adding there are a lot of considerations.

"But to call someone somehow an enemy of the state or a traitor might be considered by most reasonable people to be a little over the top."

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Rand Paul: 'Unhinged' McCain makes 'strong case for term limits' - The Hill

Why cant we be friends? Photo: Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images

On Wednesday, John McCain advocated on the Senate floor for a vote that would have advanced Montenegros ascension to NATO. But Kentucky GOP senator Rand Paul busted in and objected to McCains stance, stymying the vote. McCain was displeased. He has no justification for his objection to having a small nation be part of NATO that is under assault from the Russians. So I repeat again, McCain said, the senator from Kentucky is now working for Vladimir Putin.

McCain punched first, accusing his colleague of being a foreign agent for an adversary at a time when that actually doesnt seem insane, but Rand Paul came right back at him with a personal attack. Well, I think he makes a really, really strong case for term limits, he responded Thursday on Morning Joe. I think hes past his prime, maybe hes gotten a little bit unhinged. Fight!

This is not the first time the two senators, who are at completely opposite ends of the foreign-policy spectrum, have sparred. Here are some highlights:

March 2013: Wacko birds. This animosity probably all began with the infamous wacko birds comment, which is how McCain described right-wing colleagues including Paul who were trying to block the confirmation of CIA director John Brennan over U.S. drone policy.

You know, I think hes just on the wrong side of history, and on the wrong side of this argument, really, Paul said later, adding: I treat Sen. McCain with respect. I dont think I always get the same in return.

September 2014: Dissembler or crackpot.The McCain-Paul war has involved proxies. Mark Salter, McCains former chief of staff, penned an op-ed in response to Pauls false claim that McCain had met with members of ISIS:

I would give him the benefit of the doubt but Im not sure which characterization dissembler or crackpot would be more generous. Nor are they mutually exclusive. Its quite possible, likely even, that he is both.

A spokesman for Paul fired back: Mark Salter advised the Republican Party down a losing electoral path that paved the way for two terms of President Obama, so people should read his angry screed in that context and disregard it.

April 2015: Obamas lapdog.While criticizing President Obamas foreign policy, Paul called McCain and his hawkish pal Lindsey Graham lapdogs who have been wrong about every policy issue over the last two decades.

McCain later responded by barking to a reporter. I mean, cmon.

And by calling Paul, on Fox News, the worst possible candidate of the 20 or so that are running on the most important issue which is national security.

May 2015: Theres a new breed in the Senate. Paul successfully blocked an extension of the Patriot Act. McCain said: Theres a new breed in the Senate. Some time ago senators would try to sit down and work things out and obviously these individuals dont believe in that, and Im sure its a great revenue raiser.

The [fundraising] emails are out now and they were out during the 11-hour performance a couple days ago, McCain added. Paul only said the veteran senator shouldnt question his sincerity.

May 2015: The senator from Kentucky needs to learn the rules of the Senate. Paul opposed an extension of the Patriot Act that would have continued NSA surveillance, putting him in conflict with fellow Republicans. During a Senate debate, Paul tried to cut in as fellow Republican, Indiana senator Dan Coats spoke. Enter McCain.

February 2017: I would say John McCains been wrong on just about everything over the past four decades.After McCain slammed President Trumps tweet calling the media the enemy of the American people, Paul criticized McCains criticism on ABCs This Week. Everything that he says about the president is colored by his own personal dispute hes got running with President Trump, and it should be taken with a grain of salt, because John McCains the guy whos advocated for war everywhere, he said. He would bankrupt the nation. Were very lucky John McCains not in charge, because I think wed be in perpetual war.

Paul continued: I would say John McCains been wrong on just about everything over the last four decades. He advocated for the Iraq War, which I think destabilized the Middle East.

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More:
A Brief History of John McCain and Rand Paul's Sick Burns - New York Magazine

Sen. Rand Paul has long taken the lead in calling for the reform of civil asset forfeiture laws, a controversial police practice in which authorities basically steal the property of citizens without due process and littlerecourse. Billions have been seized from citizens by the police based on nothing more than suspicion, which many see as a direct violation of the Fifth Amendment.

Its state-sanctionedtheft.Under civil forfeiture laws, your property is guilty until you prove it innocent, says the Institute for Justices Scott Bullock.

On Thursday, Sen. Paulreintroduced FAIR (Fifth Amendment Integrity Restoration)Act, which specifically addresses victims of civil asset forfeiture who have not been convicted of a crime.

RELATED:John McCain says Rand Paul is now working for Vladimir Putin

The federal government has made it far too easy for government agencies to take and profit from the property of those who have not been convicted of a crime,Pauls statement read. TheFAIRActwill protect Americans Fifth Amendment rights from being infringed upon by ensuring that government agencies no longer profit from taking the property of U.S. citizens without due process.

The House companion FAIR legislation is being introduced by Republican Rep. Tim Walberg of Michigan.

Some have observed that if implemented, this legislation could be the most significant reform in decades. Heritage Foundation policy analyst Jason Snead writesat The Hill, The bill, if passed, would be the most sweeping reform of abuse-prone federal civil forfeiture law since the 1980s.

Back then, Congress turned to civil forfeiture laws to empower law enforcement authorities to seize and forfeit the ill-gotten gains of drug kingpins, criminal organizations, and money launderers, as well as the property they used to commit their crimes. To encourage the use of this newly enhanced tool, Congress created the Assets Forfeiture Fund and allowed federal law enforcement agencies to keep the proceeds of successful forfeitures.

The result? An exponential increase in forfeiture activities. In 1985, the first year the fund existed, itbrought in just $27 million. In 2012, the value of forfeited assets was $4.3 billion. Today, more than 400 federal laws authorize the seizure of cash, cars, and homes for a range of alleged offenses, and allow forfeiture proceeds to be divided with state and local agencies through Equitable Sharing programs administered by the Treasury and Justice Departments.

The issue of criminal justice reform is not new, but receiving popular support is a fairly recent trend. Both right and left, Republicans and Democrats, have been instrumental in raising awareness at both the local and national level.

Paul and Walberg first introduced the FAIR Act in 2014, Snead writes. At the time, civil forfeiture was something few people had heard of, and there appeared to be little appetite for reform.

But in the years since, dozens of state legislatures have reined in their abuse-prone forfeiture statutes, and last year Congress advanced several forfeiture-reform bills, though none has yet made it to the presidents desk, he added.

RELATED:Rand Paul asks why good socialist Bernie Sanders wont pay the same tax rate as Donald Trump

Some criticized Pauls vote to confirm President Trumps Attorney General Jeff Sessions in February precisely because Sessions has been outspoken in opposing reform to civil asset forfeiture. Paul noted that any other appointment to that post would likely have the same positions on this issue, and also that as a senate colleague he felt he could try to change Sessions mind, something that would be more difficult with an Attorney General with whom Paul had no prior relationship.

Nor are Pauls mind-changing efforts limited to Sessions.

There was a discussion the other day in the White House about civil asset forfeiture, Paul said in February. I think civil asset forfeiture is a terrible idea until youve convicted someone, and Id like to have that discussion with the president,the senator added.

Disclosure: I co-authored the 2011 book The Tea Party Goes to Washington with Sen. Rand Paul.

The rest is here:
Rand Paul introduces the most sweeping reform of civil asset forfeiture law in decades - Rare.us

The in-house Republican battle over the repeal of Obamacare is about to boil overas Kentucky Sen.Rand Paul and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) are engaged in an increasingly sharp war over words over their disagreements on how to proceed forward with the promised repeal and replace of former President Obamas signature legislation.

Paul has been waging a war against the House GOP Obamacare repeal and replace plan since before it was given to the public. Calling it Obamacare Lite, Paul has lambasted not only the bill, but his fellow Republicans for their less-than-diligentattempts at getting rid of the unpopular health care law. This time, he turned his attention toward Ryan, who has been the bills primary spokesman.

I think that Paul Ryans selling [Donald Trump] a bill of goods that he didnt explain to the president, and the grassroots doesnt want what Paul Ryan is selling, Paultold CNN.

Paul Ryan, during an segment on CNNs The Lead with Jake Tapper, fired back at the Kentucky senator, claiming that his remarks were a jab at President Donald Trump.

Frankly, I think thats kind of an insulting remark to the president as if he doesnt know what hes doing, Ryan said.

We think this is a smarter way to go, Ryan said to Tapper. The alternative is the status quo, and the status quo is in the middle of a collapse.

Ryanhas made the case that this version of the Obamacare repeal bill is the closest we will ever get to repealing it.

Paul, however, believes that Trump is open to changing his mind on the health care bill, despite his prior statements of broad approval,and that its Republican leadership who have dug in their heels.

They are not going to compromise. So the only way that we are going to get to a compromise where they listen to the grassroots that wants complete repeal, the only way we got to that compromise is that we have to demonstrate to the House leadership that we have the votes to stop them.

Other Republicans in Congress have joined Paul in his efforts to push a more conservative version of a repeal bill, which focuses solely on repeal, and repeal alone. Rep. Jim Jordan and Paul have both submitted versions of the bill in the Senate and the House, and has the support of conservative legislators such as Rep.Justin Amash, Sen. Mike Lee, Rep. Jeff Duncan, and Sen. Tom Cotton. This list of allies now also includes a group of moderate Republicans rattled by the recent Congressional Budget Office report.

As the battle continues between the conservatives and GOP leadership, the faith of the voters hangs in the balance, according to the conservatives. Paul believes that should the GOP pass Obamacare Lite, Republicans will pay for it come election time. Duncan wrote in the Daily Signalthat should the bill pass, voters will feel betrayed.

If that is true, then winner of the struggle between Paul and Ryan may determine the GOPs future momentum.

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It's Rand Paul vs Paul Ryan in the battle over Obamacare and the future of the GOP - TheBlaze.com