Rand Pauls five biggest Republican feuds
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is one of the biggest draws in the Republican Party right now. He's also one of its most polarizing figures.
That was evident once again on Tuesday when Mark Salter, a longtime aide to Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), penned an op-ed lambasting the possible presidential candidate over his claim that McCain met with members of the Islamic State.
It got us to thinking: Who else has Paul clashed with in his own party? Plenty of people -- often hawkish Republicans -- over plenty of comments, often over national security and foreign policy.
Below we take a look at Paul's biggest feuds with fellow Republicans, in reverse chronological order. Did we miss any? As always, let us know in the comments section.
1. Mark Salter: We can't mention Salter without laying out the full story. The former McCain aidewrote on Real Clear Politics that Paul is "completely unsuited" for the presidency and "is either a liar or too easily captivated by the kinds of outlandish conspiracy theories that excite many of his and his fathers supporters, a cohort long overrepresented by political fringe dwellers." So, yeah. That happened. Salter's beef was Paul's insistence that McCain met with representatives of the Islamic State last year. "He [McCain] did meet with ISIS, and had his picture taken, and didnt know it was happening at the time," Paul recently told Daily Beast. The Washington Post Fact Checker gave Paul's claim four Pinocchios.
2. Rick Perry:The Texas governorwrote a July Washington Post op-ed arguing that it was "disheartening to hear fellow Republicans, such as Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.),suggest that our nation should ignore whats happening in Iraq." Three days later, Paul put up his own op-ed in Politico accusing Perry of mischaracterizing his views. "Apparently his new glasses havent altered his perception of the world, or allowed him to see it any more clearly," wrote Paul. Oh yes, he went there.
3. Peter King: The New York Republican congressman said in May that part of the reason he was considering running for president was to stop Paul and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.). King is one of the most hawkish members of Congress. It surprised no one when the libertarian-leaning Paul clashed with him.
4. Chris Christie:We could be witnessing the early stages of an epic battle between Paul and the New Jersey governor, since neither are shy about speaking their minds and both are openly considering running for president. It all started in earnest in the summer of 2013, when Christie expressed deep concerns about the skepticism Paul and other libertarian-leaning Republicans voiced about the National Security Agency's sweeping surveillance efforts. Paul swiftly offered a rebuttal on Twitter. More than a year later, the spat still hasn't been smoothed over. Asked in a recent interview withKentucky Educational Television what the first word is that comes to mind when he hears Christie's name, Paul responded "Bridges," a clear dig at the "Bridgegate" traffic scandal that rocked Christie's office.
5. John McCain:The longtime Arizona senatorlabeled Paul and a trio of other members of Congress "wacko birds" in an interview with the Huffington Post. McCain took issue with of the filibuster of now-CIA Director John O. Brennanover drones."I treat Sen. McCain with respect. I don't think I always get the same in return," Paul responded.
Sean Sullivan has covered national politics for The Washington Post since 2012.
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Rand Pauls five biggest Republican feuds