You can’t teach an old dog new tricks in the eyes of Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul.
The Texas congressman had some harsh words for the GOP presidential frontrunner John McCain, a longtime U.S. Senator, on various issues including what Paul alleged was a one-time alliance with former Vice President and global warming cheerleader Al Gore.
“Now our leading candidate – guess whose position he holds on global warming? Al Gore, he supports the Al Gore bill on global warming.”
Paul spoke to the conservative audience at the Conservative Political Action Conference on February 7 in Washington, D.C.
Paul also pointed out McCain’s partnerships with other Democrats in the past on campaign finance, immigration and taxes.
“Now we have a candidate running for president, who is leading the charge,” Paul said. “One of his best friends is [Sen. Russ] Feingold – campaign finance reform. Another friend of this candidate – his good friend – his name is [Sen. Ted] Kennedy. And then also, his old-time friend – he’s not in the senate right now – Sen. [Tom] Daschle, who used to be his friend on taxes – to increase taxes, not lower them. We need lower taxes.”
Paul also told the audience that if elected, McCain would continue the war, which might mean the reinstitution of the draft.
“And that means, the next generation – the burden is being placed on these young people and that is why the college kids are coming out – because they’re getting ripped off,” Paul said. “We’re undermining their liberties. We’re giving them a foreign policy where it is their lives on the line. The threat of a draft is coming for men and women, as this war is likely to spread. And what have they inherited? Less freedom and a lot of debt.”
Paul, a long-time critic of the war, has vowed to start a pull out if he were to win the election. “On my first day as commander-in-chief, I will direct the Joint Chiefs of Staff and our commanders on the ground to devise and execute a plan to immediately withdraw our troops in the safest manner possible,” he states on his campaign Web site.
An hour earlier, McCain spoke to the same audience and plead for their support if he were to get the Republican nomination. McCain stressed fiscal discipline, but was especially vocal on lower taxes.
“Senator Clinton and Senator Obama will raise your taxes,” McCain said. “I intend to cut them. I will start by making the Bush tax cuts permanent. I will cut corporate tax rates from 35 to 25 percent to keep industries and jobs in this country. I will end the alternate minimum tax and I won’t let a Democratic congress raise your taxes and choke the growth of this economy.”