Republican presidential candidate Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) hit back at attacks from the war-hawk duo Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.,) calling them “lapdogs” for President Obama’s policies – which led to McCain barking a response, literally.
Graham started the firefight by criticizing Paul on every talk show that would have him, charging that “even Obama” is stronger than Paul in dealing with our enemies abroad, Paul has “done more wrong than right” on foreign policy, if he is the nominee Republicans will lose the election, and that Paul’s policies are “one step behind leading from behind.” Paul “just doesn’t understand” and “displays naivete” on foreign policy, added McCain, who aligns with Graham when there’s a possibility of sending U.S. troops to potential war.
When asked about these charges by Fox’s Bill Hemmer, Paul said that “This comes from a group of people wrong about every policy issue over the last couple decades.”
His “loudest” critics are “great proponents of President Obama’s foreign policy – they just want to do it ten times over,” charged Paul.
“They supported Hillary Clinton’s war in Libya; they supported President Obama’s bombing of Assad; they also support President Obama’s foreign aid to countries that hate us,” said Paul. “I’m only one actually standing up and saying the war in Libya was a mistake; the bombing of Assad would make ISIS stronger; the arms to the Islamic rebels would make ISIS stronger.”
“So I’m really the one standing up to President Obama,” Paul said. “And these people are essentially the lapdogs for President Obama and I think they’re sensitive about that.”
Yesterday afternoon, both Graham and McCain responded -- McCain by barking like a dog and laughing: “I’ll let people be the judge as to whether there’s anyone, particularly in this administration, that thinks that Lindsey Graham and I are lapdogs --- I mean, c’mon.”
Later that night, McCain added another barb while appearing on Fox News’ Your World with Neil Cavuto: “Sen. Paul is the worst possible candidate of the 20 or so that are running on the most important issue, which is national security.”