Senator Paul Stands up to the Hawks During First Debate
It wasn’t officially a presidential debate, but it was the first time potential Republican candidates had shared a stage. In this case, a forum sponsored by the Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce in Palm Springs, California. Very little video is available because ABC cut the live feed after 15 minutes on their website. We’ve got the juicy bits–especially regarding Iran and Cuba. Scroll down for a full 40 page transcript.
On Cuba.
Senator Rand Paul: Maybe, maybe not. I mean, the thing is we’ve tried for 50 years and it hadn’t worked. So there’s at least some objective, historical evidence that it’s not working. And I’ve never said that we shouldn’t tie behavior to any of our changes. So yes, I think we should tie behavior to some of the changes. But I’m not absolutely steadfastly opposed– and we have embassies everywhere. An embassy is–diplomacy is– is a good thing, not a bad thing. We have people in our party now who want no negotiations with Iran. There are people saying, “Absolutely, it’s capitulation to talk to the enemy.” Well, Reagan wasn’t that way. Reagan talked to the Russians. We all– every president we’ve ever had talked to the Russians for 70 years and it’s a damn good thing they did. You know, if they said, “We can’t trust the Iranians, we shouldn’t talk to ’em.” Well, we couldn’t trust the Russians. You don’t negotiate with people you– you trust. That’s what diplomacy’s about….
JONATHAN KARL: Give diplomacy a chance with Iran? Senator Cruz?
SENATOR TED CRUZ: Let me give a– a very different perspective. I think the threat of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons capability is the single greatest national security threat facing the United States today. I believe we are repeating the mistakes of the Clinton administration in the 1990s with respect to North Korea.
In the 1990s the Clinton administration relaxed sanctions, led the world in relaxing sanctions against North Korea. Billions of dollars floated in North Korea and they used that money to develop a nuke. The Obama administration– and this is astonishing and revealing has recruited the very same person, Wendy Sherman, who– who led the failed North Korea negations to come in and be our lead negotiator with Iran.
Now the difference is that it’s qualitatively more dangerous. Listen, Kim Jong-il, Kim Jong-un, they’re radical, extreme, unpredictable. But both father and son are fundamentally megalomaniacal narcissists (LAUGHTER) which means, as Sony Pictures discovered– (LAUGHTER) w– which means some dec– degree of rational deterrence is possible. Both father and son understood–
JONATHAN KARL: But–
SENATOR TED CRUZ: –if they ever used nukes– let– let me finish this, John, if they ever used nukes, that day their regime would end. The problem with Iran is Khamenei and the Mullahs are radical, religious, Islamic nutcases. (LAUGHTER) And that’s a technical term.
JONATHAN KARL: Okay. Okay I understand but–
SENATOR TED CRUZ: And– and– and let me flesh out a little more, look, when you have religious leaders who glorify death or suicide ordinary cost benefit doesn’t work. Cost benefit prevents a lot of people from wrapping dynari– around their chest and walking into a mall. But the problem is if Iran ever acquired nuclear weapons I think the odds are unacceptably high that it would use those nuclear weapons either in the skies of Tel Aviv or New York or Los Angeles.
JONATHAN KARL: But– but Senator Paul’s not endorsing Iran having nuclear weapons. He’s saying negotiate with them.
SENATOR TED CRUZ: Okay, but– but–
JONATHAN KARL: Senator Paul, do you wanna–
SENATOR TED CRUZ: –all right– all right, then negotiate smart ’cause we didn’t just negotiate. Billions of dollars are flowing into Iran right now. And, by the way, we are allowing Iran to continue building centrifuges and enriching uranium. They’ve been negotiating for two years. This is the worst negotiation in the history of mankind.
JONATHAN KARL: Sena– Senator Paul– let me Senator Paul– before we move on’s got–
SENATOR RAND PAUL: Had I been in charge of the negotiations I would’ve delayed any release of sanctions until we saw compliance. So I would have delayed and had a delay between the two. I do think though that many times in our fear and anger and distrust and we wanna, you know, what are we gonna do? Are you ready to send ground troops in Iran? Are you ready to bomb ’em? Are you ready to send 100,000 troops? Are you ready to send into Iraq? Do you want ’em in Syria? Do you want ’em in Libya? The place is a mess. It’s been a mess for 1,000 years. So we have to think about what really are the practical results of not negotiating? Iran’s a big threat. You know who else is?
Pakistan maybe a greater threat. We get a government toppled in Pakistan with a real nuclear capability it’s an enormous threat to the west. So yes, these are all threats.But I want you to think through and when we think about this we think about what happened with the war in Libya. Many in our party just said, “Oh we needed to send more troops in there.” They thought Obama’s only mistake was not going in with too many troops. Gaddafi gave up his nuclear weapons. We toppled him anyway. What do you think lesson that sent to Iran? So it is a real problem. Libya’s a huge disaster. Hillary’s war in Libya was a disaster. And the people on our side who wanted even more of a war than Hillary, it was a mistake. Libya’s a huge disaster and we should’ve never gone into Libya.
Full Transcript: HERE.
For video clips, go here.