On Saturday, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) said that Republicans cannot credibility be for austerity, less government spending, and a “tough love” approach on welfare if they do not stand against crony capitalism and corporate welfare.
Speaking at the Iowa GOP convention, Paul said that Republicans cannot be for the “tough love” approach if “we’re not willing to stop corporate welfare.”
“We gotta stop and end all welfare to big business,” Paul said. “It’s crazy.”
Paul said Republicans are not against a safety net but believe it should be temporary and able-bodied Americans “should eventually get back to work.”
Last week, Dave Brat ousted House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) by using Cantor’s support of amnesty legislation to more broadly tie Cantor to crony capitalists on Wall Street who do not represent free markets.
Paul has waffled on amnesty legislation, saying he supports giving work permits to all of the country’s illegal immigrants. A Republican can win the nomination while supporting “immigration reform.” In 2008, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) won GOP presidential nomination after his campaign was put on life support when McCain partnered with George W. Bush and Sen. Ted Kennedy to support “comprehensive immigration reform.” But McCain had the support of the GOP’s national security/neoconservative voters, which helped him in South Carolina. Paul does not. And the GOP is more conservative now than it was in 2008.