Christie Vs Paul- What's the Real Problem?

The Real Problem is the growing split in the Republican Party between the liberatarians and Republicans.  Highlighting this growing fraction one need not look much further than the national security policy dispute between, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) and Sen. Rand Paul (L- Ky). This feud comes just two days after the US House rejected an amendment proposed by Michigan Republican Rep. Justin Amash that would have halted the NSA’s domestic surveillance program by withholding funding for the agency.  Amash’s measure, which failed by only a few votes, revealed a schism in both parties over U.S. spying practices.    In the Senate, Paul has been one of the most vocal critics of the program, and in March led a 13-hour filibuster on the floor in protest of John Brennan’s nomination to direct the CIA to draw attention to the use of U.S. drone strikes overseas.  Just last week,  Paul led a broad, although ultimately unsuccessful, lobbying effort in the House of Representatives against NSA surveillance programs.    Paul’s lobbying actions have received mixed reviews from Republicans.  New York Republican Rep. Peter King went after the Kentucky lawmaker, last week, by saying that he did not think Republicans like Paul should represent “the face” of the party.   

 

 

On Thursday, at a forum of Republican governors in Aspen, Colorado Governor Christie criticized libertarians when he said “This strain of libertarianism  that’s going through parties right now and making big headlines I think is a very dangerous thought. “  When questioned if he was referring to Senator Paul, Governor Christie said “You can name any number of people and he [Mr. Paul] is one of them.”   Governor Christie, a possible 2016 presidential contender. Criticized what he called “esoteric, intellectual debates” that Mr. Paul and fellow libertarians such as Sen. Mike Lee of Utah have been conducting over the constitutional limits on unreasonable search and seizure and warrantless government surveillance.  Governor Christie, appearing with Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, told the Aspen forum that critics like Mr. Paul should “come to New Jersey and sit across from the widows and the orphans of 9/11 and have that conversation,” Governor Christie said. “And they won’t, because that’s a much tougher conversation to have.” Christie warned, "The next attack that comes that kills thousands of Americans as a result, people are going to be looking back on the people having this intellectual debate."

 

 

Of course Senator Rand Paul and his fellow libertarians have escalated the feud in true libertarian style.   All in the name of liberty and protecting their constitutional rights they have come out swinging. On Friday morning , Senator Paul fired back at Governor Christie on his official Senate Twitter feed, claiming that the governor “worries about the dangers of freedom. I worry about the danger of losing that freedom. Spying without warrants is unconstitutional.”  Doug Stafford, Paul’s closest adviser, told The Washington Times that “the senator’s opposition to government drone policies and surveillance programs are designed to protect the freedoms that make America exceptional.”    He went on to say “If Governor Christie believes the constitutional rights and the privacy of all Americans are ‘esoteric,’ he either needs a new dictionary or he needs to talk to more Americans, because a great number of them are concerned about the dramatic overreach of our government.   Defending America and fighting terrorism is the concern of all Americans, especially Senator Paul.  But it can and must be done in keeping with our Constitution and while protecting the freedoms that make America exceptional.”

 

 

In true libertarian form, Paul and his followers were not going to let this opportunity pass with out screaming their libertarian rhetoric from the mountain tops so they had Paul continue his response on Sunday by going after Christie on federal spending, and what he called Christie’s "gimme, gimme, gimme" attitude when it came to Superstorm Sandy aid. Paul, a Kentucky Senator, escalated his attacks on the New Jersey governor on Monday, saying on Fox News that it is "kind of sad and cheap" that his fellow Republican is using "the cloak of 9/11 victims" to criticize him on national security.  Paul then continued his attack on Governor Christie by saying that the Republican Party in the Northeast is "on life support" and that "it's not real smart for Republicans to be attacking Republicans."   Governor Christie is a Republican attacking a libertarian (Paul) and the two parties, their beliefs and platforms are very different.

Governor Christie followed up on Tuesday in his signature candor saying “obviously he has an issue with my bluntness” and that he [Christie] has got "nothing personal" against the senator, but said Paul's words seem as though "he has something personal against me, but that's OK. He can just get in line on that front."   As for the accusations Senator Paul spouted off about New Jersey’s federal spending, Christie noted that “New Jersey gets back 61 cents for every dollar sent to Washington while Kentucky receives $1.51. Maybe he [Paul] should start cutting the pork-barrel spending that he brings home to Kentucky."

 

Christie and Paul have both been mentioned as potential Republican presidential candidates in 2016.    Their dispute about national security and federal spending exposes the fissures within the GOP that will likely be played out in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina during the presidential primaries.  Sounds to me like the Senator from Kentucky should clean around his own back door before criticizing others for their state’s federal spending.