- The Washington Times - Sunday, August 24, 2014

Sen. Rand Paul said former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s record on war is likely to give independents and even some Democrats pause at the thought of supporting her for president in 2016.

“I think what scares the Democrats the most is that, in a general election, were I to run, there’s going to be a lot of independents and even some Democrats who say, you know what? We are tired of war; we’re worried that Hillary Clinton will get us involved in another Middle Eastern war because she’s so gung-ho,” Mr. Paul, Kentucky Republican, said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

Mr. Paul, who, as he said, is weighing a 2016 presidential bid himself, has been a frequent critic of Mrs. Clinton. She voted to support the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 but wrote in her new book, “Hard Choices,” that she got it wrong.

The vote played a crucial role in the 2008 Democratic presidential primary between Mrs. Clinton and President Obama, then a U.S. Senator, and Mr. Paul is making it clear he’s not likely to let voters forget it in the future either.

“If you want to see a transformational election in our country, let the Democrats put forward a war hawk like Hillary Clinton, and you’ll see a transformation like you’ve never seen,” he said.

Soon after the interview aired, the Democratic National Committee blasted out its own response to Mr. Paul’s remarks.

“If Senator Paul wants to have a debate between his fringe, isolationist vision and that of Democrats who have restored our credibility around the world and brought countless service members safely home, that’s a debate we’re eager to have,” said DNC spokesman Michael Czin.

• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.

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