When Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul stood near the bottom of the polls, the other GOP candidates ignored him. But now that he’s near -- or at -- the top of Iowa surveys, his opponents are coming at him fast and furious,
Politico reports.
The criticism was intense Thursday, and not just from the candidates. Joe McQuaid, publisher of the Union-Leader in New Hampshire, the influential conservative newspaper that is firmly in Newt Gingrich’s corner, launched one of the broadsides. “Ron Paul is a dangerous man,” he wrote.
“While his domestic libertarian views are quite attractive to some voters fed up with politics as usual, it is Paul’s position on issues of our national security that are truly dangerous.” Texas Rep. Paul opposes U.S. foreign aid, including to Israel; opposes foreign wars; and opposes a strong stance against Iran.
“His defenders say they admire Ron Paul’s ‘consistency,’ ” McQuaid said. “It is true, Paul has been consistently spouting this nonsense. It is about time New Hampshire voters showed him the door.”
Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum ripped Paul in a campaign appearance for having “passed one bill in 20 years.” He also hit Paul for his defense policy ideas. “Create fortress America and leave the rest of the world to who?” Santorum said.
“The Brits? Think they’re gonna step up? The French? How about the Belgians? The Dutch? How about the Chinese? The Russians? How about the Iranians? I could go on down the list.”
Paul also took heat for the newsletters with racist and anti-Semitic comments published under his name in the 1980s and '90s. A web ad from former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, quoting from the newsletters, asks: “Can New Hampshire voters really trust Ron Paul?”
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