Opening Salvos of the 2016 Republican Presidential Primaries

Chris Christie blasts Rand Paul’s “very dangerous” foreign policy ideas. It seems to me, though, that Rand Paul is often on the money with his foreign policy views against government overreach and nation building. Christie’s war-party approach will catch little traction. Americans are rightly sick to death of saber-rattling neocons. Writing at the American Conservative, W. James Antle tells readers that:

The war of words between Chris Christie and Rand Paul may have been the opening salvos of the 2016 Republican presidential primaries.

It all began when Christie blasted Paul’s “very dangerous” foreign-policy ideas. It might have been the first time somebody cast aspersions on “esoteric debates” from the comfort of the Aspen Ideas Institute.

Christie invoked the 9/11 terrorist attacks. “I want them to come to New Jersey and sit across from the widows and orphans and have that conversation,” the New Jersey governor said. “And they won’t, ’cause that’s a much tougher conversation to have.”

The governor closed with a warning: “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.”

Paul held little back in response. “I would remind [Gov. Christie] that I think what’s dangerous in our country is to forget that we have a Bill of Rights, to forget about privacy, to give up all of our liberty to say ‘we’re going to catch terrorism, but we have to live in a police state,’” the Tea Party senator from Kentucky shot back.

“I think it’s really kind of sad and cheap that he would use the cloak of 9/11 victims, and say, ‘I’m the only one who cares about these victims,’” Paul continued. “Hogwash.” He described Christie as “flippant” toward the Bill of Rights.