Hope and change Rand Paul style
by digby
So Rand Paul is going to give a big foreign policy speech tonight which is being characterized as being “to the left” of the liberals in the Democratic Party, which is very interesting. One can only wonder who his constituency for such a thing might be. It certainly makes you wonder which Republicans he plans to convince to vote for him.
He will, of course, attack Obama for many things, some of which will undoubtedly be right. (The foreign policy consensus in both parties is certainly ripe for criticism.) He is going to quote Malala and sound very attractively dovish. But here’s what it comes own to:
“Here’s how I see the most important principles that should drive America’s foreign policy,” Paul will tell the crowd. “First, the use of force is and always has been an indispensable part of defending our country… A second principle is that Congress… must authorize the decision to intervene… A third principle is the belief that peace and security require a commitment to diplomacy and leadership,” and last, “we are only as strong as our economy.”
Paul then attempts to outline when, exactly, he believes force is justified: “War is necessary when America is attacked or threatened, when vital American interests are attacked and threatened, and when we have exhausted all other measures short of war.”
Granted, that’s probably more dovish than you’re going to hear from Rick Perry who sounds like he’d ready to round up Muslims all over the world and put them in FEMA camps. But revolutionary? Not exactly. That’s got so much daylight in it that the National Security State apparatus can drive a B-52 through it.
Seriously, what about this statement in any way represents a change from Bush, Clinton, Reagan, Obama or any other post WWII president?
War is necessary when America is attacked or threatened, when vital American interests are attacked and threatened, and when we have exhausted all other measures short of war
I’m sure there will be a few lefties who’ll be taken with this. But I’m much more interested in what the Republicans will say. Should be a fascinating primary.