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Washington Rand Paul took a pretty sharp dig at possible/probable 2016 rival Mitt Romney on Wednesday. In an interview with the NH Journal, Senator Paul noted that this would be Mr. Romneys third try at the Oval Office if he runs, and then said, When you do the same thing and expect a different result, its sort of what Einstein said, that the definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over again and expect a different result.

Thats right, Paul pretty much flat-out said that Romney would be bonkers to mount another presidential campaign.

Should he have said this? We think not.

Yes, its not far from what lots of Republicans are saying about Romneys surprise interest in 2016. But technically speaking, its inaccurate. Trying something three times and expecting a different result is not the definition of insanity. If it were, everybody who is certain that they know their Netflix password, and that it will work this time if he or she just types it in harder, or more carefully, would be certifiable.

Thats millions of people.

Also, Einstein probably never said this. Like lots of stuff on the Internet, this is a quote that seems vaguely wise and is attributed to a famous person to give it extra power, but nobody really knows where it came from. Ben Franklin didnt say it, either. Neither did Mark Twain.

But this is carping. The real reason Paul should not have resorted to this faux-Einstein chestnut is that its quite likely he (Paul) would benefit if Romney ran. He should be encouraging Mitt to get the gang back together. He should be offering to endorse Romney, or even run the sign-up papers down to the FEC if Romney has to stay home to wait for the car elevator repairman.

Why would Paul be better off with Romney re-redux? Long story short, Romney and Jeb Bush split the GOP establishments votes, money, and endorsements. Paul sticks with his own identifiable, libertarian niche. Hes a unique figure in the race, points out Thursdays Wall Street Journal.

As the field of potential Republican presidential candidates grows, few stand to benefit from the added competition as much as Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, write the WSJs Janet Hook and Patrick OConnor.

In particular, Romney could siphon support from Mr. Bush in the early-primary state of New Hampshire, where the former Massachusetts governor maintains a summer home. The Granite State is also fertile ground for Pauls brand of libertarianism, meaning that he could pull off a surprise win or a strong second in the event of a Romney-Bush clash.

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Rand Paul calls Romney 2016 bid 'insanity.' Counterproductive? (+video)