Rand Paul vs. The Cowards

[Draggingtree]

The Federalist: Rand Paul vs. The Cowards

SEPTEMBER 19, 2014 By David Harsanyi

 

If arming Syrian rebels is such a great idea, why was everyone in D.C. so terrified of a standalone vote on the issue?

 

Before Senators voted 78-22 to pass a continuing resolution that would fund government through Dec. 11 and avoid a government shutdown, Rand Paul asked that question – and some other uncomfortable ones – on the floor. Call him is an isolationist if you like, but it’d be nice to hear some coherent answers.

 

You won’t get any from prominent Republicans, who are more interested in hitting the administration for its fecklessness on ISIS. Certainly there was little genuine dissent from Democrats, who aren’t interested in debating another Middle East intervention for reasons of political expediency. “Leaders,” according to a Wall Street Journal piece from a few days ago, are unwilling to debate ISIS and Syria now “because of the risks involved in taking such a tough vote before the elections.”