RNC Chair: 'We Will Tattoo' Obamacare to Dems' Foreheads in 2014

(CNSNews.com) - Reince Priebus, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, says Republicans will clobber Democrats with the Affordable Care Act -- and President Obama's false promises about it -- in next year's mid-term elections.

"And this issue is going to be toxic for the Democrats," Priebus told CNN's "State of the Union With Candy Crowley." 

"And believe me, we will tattoo it to their foreheads in 2014. We will run on it. And they will lose because of it."

Priebus also told Crowley that Chris Christie isn't the only star in the Republican Party:

"Chris Christie is a conservative. I think he's going to do very well in all of his endeavors. But the fact is we've got stars all over our party, Candy," Priebus said.

"I mean, we're going to be the party that is fresh and new in 2016. It's the Democrats that are going to be rolling out the same old names that you would expect them to roll out. So I love our chances. I love our bench. And we're going to have a great primary season come a few years from no - 

Via: CNS News

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THE WEEK THAT WAS

Election Day was Tuesday. Ken Cuccinelli of Virginia andColorado’s income tax were the losers, Chris Christie the winner. Despite winning the mayorship of New York City, Bill de Blasio’ssmackdown victory dance made him look like a loser.

Toronto mayor Rob Ford admitted that he smokes crack and gets drunk. He also confirmed our suspicions that that isn’t an innocent “maple leaf” on the Canadian flag, afterall. He also said that no matter how many illicit substances he ingests, he’d never behave as classlessly as de Blasio.

Obama sort of apologized to the millions of people he lied to about keeping their insurance plans under Obamacare. He said he was sorry “that they are finding themselves in this situation.” He’s just not sorry enough to do anything about it.

Richie Incognito, guard for the Miami Dolphins, made headlines this week for allegedly harassing a teammate. Apparently Incognito had been behaving questionably for some time, but it took the press a while to call him on the unsportsmanlike conduct because they couldn’t figure out who was behind it.

There is a “super typhoon” headed for the Philippines as of the writing of this. It is reportedly “one of the strongest storms ever recorded on the planet.” Please pray for these people.

Via: Human Events

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Chris Wallace Tests Chris Christie’s Conservative Credentials

This is a rush transcript from "Fox News Sunday," November 10, 2013. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

CHRIS WALLACE, HOST: I'm Chris Wallace.

Election 2013 is in the books, leaving Republicans convinced running against ObamaCare is the key to victory.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEN CUCCINELLI, R-VA., ATTORNEY GENERAL: This race came down to the wire because of ObamaCare. That message will go out across America tonight.

WALLACE: In New Jersey, a landside victory for Republican Chris Christie.

GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE, R-N.J.: I did not seek a second term to do small things. I sought a second term to finish the job. Now, watch me do it.

WALLACE: We'll talk to Governor Christie about his reelection and whether he's now running for president.

Then, damage control over ObamaCare continues, as the president finally apologizes.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I am sorry that they, you know, are finding themselves in this situation based on assurances they got from me.

WALLACE: But is that enough -- after all the promises, if you like your plan, you can keep it?

We'll go outside the Beltway to hear from real people losing their coverage.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They have increased the deductibles and sometimes increase the premiums as well.

Via: Fox News

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WHY CHRISTIE’S PERSONA WILL PLAY WELL IN THE REST OF AMERICA

Forget the acceptance speech. If you want an example of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s imposing political IQ, watch the nine-minute impromptu speech he delivered in Sea Bright a few days before the election. The impeccable populist instincts that make Christie such a formidable politician were all in play — authenticity, empathy, combativeness.

It’s the latter that is the most widely discussed aspect of Christie’s political persona. It involves the gruff New York-area politico with the disposition of a Teamster. This is a guy who will look you in the eyes when he calls you on your BS. It’s the guy who reacts to Warren Buffett’s pleas for higher tax rates by saying, “Yeah, well, he should just write a check and shut up.” It’s the guy who tells a pestering liberal law student that he’s an “idiot.” (“I mean, damn, man, I’m governor. Could you shut up for a minute?”) The guy who calls a former White House doctor, the one who suggested that he lose weight, a “hack” and, yes, tells her to just “shut up.”

Christie wants a lot of people to shut up. The right people, usually.

Will the bluntness work on the national stage? That’s the question a lot of people are asking. When he runs for president, will the average Minnesotan or Coloradan find this character refreshing? Boorish? Exotic?

Growing up in the NYC area, I am certainly familiar with the Christie type. And those with a similar upbringing will also recognize the cadence, the mannerisms and demeanor. Christie is the counter guy at the local deli who acts as if he’s doing you a favor — “Hey, guy, what do you need?” He’s busy. He’s got important things to do — or at least a lot more important than whatever you’re whining about. Attack is his default position when challenged.

Via: Human Events

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'Time' Cover Calls Christie 'Elephant in the Room'

Time magazine slapped landslide re-election victor Chris Christie on its Nov. 18 cover with the headline "The Elephant in the Room" below an outsize silhouette of Christie's profile — and a package of stories that question whether he is the savior of the Republican Party.

The Star Ledger, which got a sneak-peak of the issue that is available Friday, said New Jersey Gov. Christie's pal, MSNBC host Joe Scarborough, writes about "What the party needs," comparing Christie to GOP icon Ronald Reagan and Garden State hero Bruce Springsteen.

"For a pro-life conservative running in a deep blue state, it was a performance every bit as dominant as the Boss ripping through a live version of 'Rosalita,'" Scarborough writes of Christie's commanding election win, according to Yahoo News. 

"And like Springsteen himself, Christie made it all look easy."

In two other articles in the package, the Ledger reported, White House correspondent Michael Scherer explains "How Chris Christie can win over the GOP, " while Mark Halperin and John Heilemann, authors of the new book "Double Down: Game Change 2012," lay out "What his rivals will use against him." 

The "Elephant in the Room" cover line is a not-so-veiled reference not only to Christie's party, but to his girth, Yahoo News points out. In "Double Down," the writers revealed that 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney passed on picking Christie as a VP running mate in part because of his weight. Since then, Christie has taken steps to shed pounds, undergoing lap-band surgery in February. On Tuesday, he told The New York Times he's more than halfway to meeting his weight-loss goal. 

Via: Newsmax

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CHRISTIE: BIG WIN, BIG PLANS?

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie won reelection handily on Tuesday, defeating the largely token opposition of Democratic state Senator Barbara Buono.  With nearly all the votes counted, Christie had taken 60% to Buono’s 38%.  The results were in line with polls throughout the campaign showing Christie besting his rival by as much as 28 points, marking the first time since 1988 that a Republican had taken more than 50% of the vote in a statewide election in New Jersey.

Christie’s victory was total. CNN’s exit poll showed him winning a large majority of men (63%) and beating his female challenger among women voters by 15 points (57-42).  Christie took at least 54% of the vote in every age category and at least 55% in every income category except those making under $30K per year, in which Buono beat him by 2 points (49-47).  He won two-thirds of independents, an outright majority of Latinos (51%), took 21% of the African-American vote, and even commanded 30% of registered Democrats.

In his victory speech – given from a podium set in the middle of the audience and often times spoken directly into the camera – Christie staked his victory on competence.  He said people are tired of the bickering and fighting between the parties, and are looking for a leader who can bring the parties together to get things done.

Via: Human Events

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KURTZ: The Media’s Hillary Bandwagon Loses a Wheel

Well, that was quick: Hillary Clinton is no longer inevitable.

The media giveth and the media taketh away. And so the consensus that she will be sworn in as president in January 2017 has begun to crumble.

All right, I’m exaggerating a bit. More than two years before the Iowa caucuses, normal people haven’t even tuned in. And many in the press undoubtedly believe that Clinton will be facing off against Chris Christie, who as expected won a huge reelection victory yesterday. (For junkies: a network exit poll had her beating Christie in New Jersey, 49 to 43 percent.)

I’ve always had problems with the whole Hillary inevitability scenario, having seen that evaporate in 2008. But the conventional wisdom in the press seemed set in cement, notwithstanding the fact that Clinton hasn’t said she’s running.

Now comes liberal New York Times columnist Frank Bruni to say that, gadzooks, she’s slipping in the polls. An NBC/Wall Street Journal survey found that Clinton’s favorability rating had slipped from 56 to 46 percent, while her unfavorable rose from 29 to 33 percent. Stop the presses!

“Here we go. The beginning of the end of her inevitability...

“Voters are souring on familiar political operators, especially those in, or associated with, Washington. That’s why Clinton has fallen. She’s lumped together with President Obama, with congressional leaders, with the whole reviled lot of them.”

That’s an excellent and underappreciated point.

“And some of the ways in which she stands out from the lot aren’t flattering. She comes with a more tangled political history of gifts bestowed, favors owed, ironclad allegiances and ancient feuds than almost any possible competitor does…

“And what would the argument for a Hillary presidency be? Something interesting happens when you ask Democrats why her in 2016. They say that it’s time for a woman, that she’ll raise oodles of dough, that other potentially strong candidates won’t dare take her on. The answers are about the process more than the person or any vision she has for the country. There’s no poetry in them. That’s not good.”

Via: Fox News

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2013 ELECTION DAY ROUND-UP

Yesterday was Election Day in Virginia, Colorado, New Jersey, and New York. Here’s what happened:

In Virginia: Conservative Republican Ken Cuccinelli narrowly lost the governorship to liberal Democrat Terry McAuliffe by three points (45-48), despite McAuliffe, a Clinton darling, outspending his GOP challenger by $15 million. Cuccinelli was able to make major strides in the last week of the campaign (when he was behind by double digits in almost every poll) by appealing to voters who hate Obamacare. Robert Sarvis, the Libertarian in Name Only, garnered six percent of the vote.

In Colorado: Voters in Colorado strongly approved a hefty 25 percent state tax on recreational marijuana, but soundly rejected a ballot measure (66 percent) to raise income taxes to fund education.

In New Jersey: Republican Chris Christie, as predicted, was the big winner again in his state, defeating Democrat Barbara Buono easily (60-38 percent) for a second term as governor of the Garden State. The New York Times reports Christie’s victory a victory has “vaulted him to the front ranks of Republican presidential contenders and made him his party’s foremost proponent of pragmatism over ideology.”

In New York: Bill De Blasio won by a landslide in New York City and became the first Democrat since 1989 to become the Big Apple’s mayor. He celebrated his victory byperforming a “smackdown” dance on stage to pop singer Lorde’s song, “Royals.” De Blasio, who has already announced his intentions to raise taxes on the city’s wealthiest and usher in a new era of extreme liberalism, defeated Republican Joe Lhota 73-24 percent.

*Also of note is the fact that despite splitting election results in New Jersey and Virginia, Republicans outnumbered Democrats in total votes. A Washington Times analysis shows a clear advantage of turnout for the GOP.

Via: Human Events

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Romney: Christie 'Could Easily Become Our Nominee and Save Our Party’

(CNSNews.com) - Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who lost the 2012 election to President Barack Obama, said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday that he believed New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie could “easily” become the GOP presidential nominee in 2016 and “save our party.”

Christie most recently made national news when he decided to drop a legal challenge to rulings in New Jersey state courts that declared same-sex marriage legal there. And not long before that, he changed his position on the question of whether illegal aliens should get in-state tuition rates at New Jersey state colleges. Now he backs legislation that would give that privilege to illegal aliens.

These two moves won Christie a recent article from the Los Angeles Times that described him as having "staked his place near the political middle ground."

Romney’s statement that Christie could “save our party” came even as Time Magazine’s website published an excerpt from the upcoming book “Double Down: Game Change 2012” by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann, that was featured above the masthead on the Drudge Report, and that describes a Republican vice presidential vetting process that resulted in Romney himself deciding not choosing Christie as his vice presidential running mate.

Via: CNS News

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Christie Drops Opposition to Gay Marriage, Becomes Legal in Jersey

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Monday withdrew legal opposition to gay marriage, making same-sex nuptials the law in the state.
The move makes New Jersey the 14th state in the nation to legalize gay marriage.

On Friday, the state Supreme Court refused to delay a lower-court order for the state to begin recognizing same-sex marriages. On Monday morning, Christie said in a statement that he ordered an appeal dropped.

"Chief Justice Rabner left no ambiguity about the unanimous court's view on the ultimate decision in this matter when he wrote, 'same-sex couples who cannot marry are not treated equally under the law today," Christie said.

Urgent: Should the House Have Agreed to Debt Deal? Vote Here 

"Although the governor strongly disagrees with the Court substituting its judgment for the constitutional process of the elected branches or a vote of the people, the Court has now spoken clearly as to their view of the New Jersey Constitution and, therefore, same-sex marriage is the law.

"The governor will do his constitutional duty and ensure his Administration enforces the law as dictated by the New Jersey Supreme Court."

One second after midnight in Lambertville, a city of just under 4,000 people on the Delaware River, Beth Asaro and Joanne Schailey said "I do" in what they believed was the state's first such ceremony. Their union before Mayor David DelVecchio was held in a municipal meeting hall.

Via: Newsmax

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POLL: HILLARY BEATS CHRISTIE BY NINE POINTS IN OHIO

A new Public Policy Polling poll shows New Jersey Governor Chris Christie trails in Ohio by nine points against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in a potential 2016 face off.

“Clinton looks very strong in Ohio- leading Chris Christie 45/36, Jeb Bush 50/36, Rand Paul 51/36, and Paul Ryan 52/36 as well- but Kasich does the weakest on the home front,” the polling firm wrote on Friday announcing the results. “One thing that is not helping his cause is the controversial abortion restrictions he signed into law this summer- only 34% of voters support them to 40% opposed.”

In a New York Times op-ed, Bloomberg News’ Al Hunt noted that so goes Ohio, so goes the nation.

“Ohio is the only state that has voted for the victor of the past 12 presidential elections,” Hunt wrote. “It is the embodiment of Middle America and swings back and forth from Republican red to Democratic blue.”

President Barack Obama won Ohio in 2012 by three points and won the election. Christie is a favorite among moderate Republicans for 2016, and while plenty can change in the coming years, being nine points behind Clinton in arguably the nation’s most critical state for a presidential election could cause reservations for the governor's possible run.

Via: Breitbart

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Murdoch Warns Gov. Christie ‘Must Re-Declare For Romney Or Take Blame For Next Four Dire Years’

RELATED: Rupert Murdoch Slams Obama Admin: ‘Nightmare’ If Obama, Biden, Ambassador Rice Remain In Power

Murdoch opened his tweet giving credit to New York mayor Michael Bloomberg for doing what many New Yorkers were practically screaming about for the entire day and canceling the marathonscheduled to take place on Sunday.

But Murdoch also had some harsh words for Christie, who toured the damage with Obama earlier this week and had nothing but kind words for the president.

Meanwhile, Christie has ordered gas rationing in twelve New Jersey counties owing to a shortage. Vehicles with license plates that end in odd numbers will get to refuel on odd-numbered days (like tomorrow, November 3rd), and the same for even-numbered license plates.

Via: Mediaite

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First Responders to Monster Storm Sandy Are the Real Heroes

AP

 At a concert in upstate New York, Bruce Springsteen offered up his thanks to the police officers, firefighters and government officials for their relief efforts during Superstorm Sandy.

Springsteen made the comments Wednesday night at the Rochester Blue Cross Arena as he dedicated "My City of Ruins" to his hometown of Asbury Park, N.J.

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President Obama and N.J. Gov. Chris Christie Praise First Responder

Via: Fox News

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Death Toll from Sandy's Destruction Rises, Millions Face Life Without Power, Mass Transit for Days

For the latest developments on Sandy click here and here! 

CLICK HERE to check your flight!

At least 39 dead, millions without power in Sandy's aftermath

Published October 30, 2012 | Associated Press

NEW YORK –  Millions of people from Maine to the Carolinas awoke Tuesday without electricity, and an eerily quiet New York City was all but closed off by car, train and air as superstorm Sandy steamed inland, still delivering punishing wind and rain. The U.S. death toll climbed to 39, many of the victims killed by falling trees.

The full extent of the damage in New Jersey, where the storm roared ashore Monday night with hurricane-force winds of 80 mph, was unclear. Police and fire officials, some with their own departments flooded, fanned out to rescue hundreds.

"We are in the midst of urban search and rescue. Our teams are moving as fast as they can," Gov. Chris Christie said. "The devastation on the Jersey Shore is some of the worst we've ever seen. The cost of the storm is incalculable at this point."

More than 8.2 million people across the East were without power. Airlines canceled more than 15,000 flights around the world, and it could be days before the mess is untangled and passengers can get where they're going.

The storm also disrupted the presidential campaign with just a week to go before Election Day.

Via: Fox News

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Biden says 'I' more than any convention speaker

BIDEN SPEAKS “I,” “I’ve,” “I’m,” “I’ll,” “my,” “mine” and “me.”

Over the past two weeks, politicians at both the Democratic and Republican conventions spoke of health care policy, taxation and every other hot-button issue under the sun.

They also, it turns out, talked about themselves. A lot

Using the transcripts produced by Federal News Service, POLITICO examined the speeches of the conventions’ most prominent speakers and counted the number of instances the following words were employed: “I,” “I’ve,” “I’m,” “I’ll,” “my,” “mine” and “me.”

The results? Joe Biden took first place by a wide margin. With his primetime — and personal — speech, the vice president racked up 135 mentions of himself. He was followed by first lady Michelle Obama, with 112. Mitt Romney took top honors among Republicans with 91 mentions of himself, as compared to 103 for his opponent, President Barack Obama.

Other notable speakers — and top self-mentioners — included Chris Christie (73), Ann Romney (67), Clint Eastwood (63), Paul Ryan (62), Mike Huckabee (56) and Marco Rubio (47), Julian Castro (43), Elizabeth Warren (37), Charlie Crist (33) and Lilly Ledbetter (32).

Despite Bill Clinton’s stem-winding speech in Charlotte, he clocked in with a relatively modest 30 mentions of self.

Via: POLITICO

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Chris Christie disses Jerry Brown as 'an old retread'

ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christieripped California Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday, saying that the state’s voters should have elected Meg Whitman but instead went with a “retread” who is failing to lead.

“California made the bad choice by going with an old retread," Christie told California’s delegation to theRepublican National Convention, a crowd that lapped up his message. “Let me tell you this – I cannot believe you people elected Jerry Brown over Meg Whitman. … Jerry Brown. Jerry Brown? I mean, he won the New Jersey presidential primary over Jimmy Carter when I was 14 years old.”

Christie said the 74-year-old, three-term governor told him that he’s not trying to raise taxes, that he is allowing voters to decide by putting a tax proposal on the ballot.

“Man, that's leadership, isn’t it?” Christie said.

PHOTOS: The protests of the GOP convention

A spokesman for Brown said Christie was trying to deflect attention from rising unemployment in New Jersey. “It’s no wonder Gov. Christie wants to distract from his massive failure with a windstorm of rhetoric,” said Gil Duran.

California hating is a popular pastime with Republicans these days, from presidential nominee Mitt Romney on down.Christie mentioned Brown in his State of the State address in January.

Christie, who will be the keynote speaker at the convention on Tuesday, held up his state as evidence for dispirited California Republicans that conservatives can win in a Democratic state.

“The message I want to deliver to California this morning is there is hope. There is hope,” Christie said, speaking in the lobby of the Tradewinds resort at a delegate breakfast that had to be moved indoors because of the weather caused byTropical Storm Isaac. “Don’t give up on the fact California can be governed. You’ve seen it governed before. You’ve seen it governed effectively. California once did have great governors like Gov. Pete Wilson. ” Wilson was in the audience.

Christie said Romney’s leadership skills are why he was the first governor to endorse Romney last year, and he slammed Obama as “nothing more than a Chicago ward politician.”

Whitman introduced Christie at the event, and both reminisced fondly about a 2010 campaign appearance in Los Angeles where he defended her from a heckler. After a protester accused Whitman of ducking questions and “looking like Arnold in a dress,” Christie stood up, moved between the two of them and shot back, “You want to yell? Yell at me."

“I was just thrilled to death to be defended by Chris Christie,” Whitman said on Monday.

Christie said he enjoyed the town hall.

“You’ve got two choices with a bully. You can either sidle up to him or punch him in the face first. We decided to punch first,” he said.

Via: LA Times

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Gov. Chris Christie: No Chance I’ll Tone It Down During Keynote Address

'It's A Great Opportunity For Me Personally, It's Great Opportunity For Our State'

ASBURY PARK, N.J. (CBSNewYork) –Governor Chris Christie is on his seventh draft of his keynote address for next week’s Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla.

“I’m not nervous, no. I’m excited. It’s a great opportunity for me personally, it’s a great opportunity for our state,” Christie said on Monday.

WCBS 880′s Peter Haskell reports

Christie told WCBS 880′s Peter Haskell that likely Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney reached out the day before he announced his running mate.

“I called him and he told me that he had decided to go in a different direction for vice president. [He] asked me if I’d be willing to do the keynote address. I told him that I would be,” Christie told Haskell.

Romney chose Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan as his running mate, but Christie said there are no hard feelings.

“I think it’s about the record we’ve established here and I think Gov. Romney is an admirer of that record and I think that’s why he asked me,” Christie told Haskell.

The famously brash governor said he has no plans to tone it down for the national audience.

“I don’t think they have any expectation nor have they requested that I have a personality-ectomy between now and next Tuesday,” Christie told Haskell. “They know what they’re buying,” Christie added.

The governor said he worked on his speech while he was on vacation last week.

The keynote speech is the highest-profile spot for someone not accepting the party’s presidential or vice presidential nomination. The slot has launched many political figures including President Barack Obama, who was the keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention in 2004. Four years later, he won the White House.

The Republican National Convention will kick off from Tampa next Monday and wraps up Thursday, Aug. 30.

How do you think Gov. Christie will do at the Republican National Convention? Do you think he’s a rising national star in the party? Please share your thoughts below…

Via: CBS New York

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George W. Bush: 'This Is a Strong Pick'

The Romney campaign passes along George W. Bush's reaction to the announcement that Paul Ryan will be Mitt Romney's running mate: 

"This is a strong pick. Governor Romney is serious about confronting the long-term challenges facing America, and Paul Ryan will help him solve the difficult issues that must be addressed for future generations."

Here's Chris Christie's statement:

"With Paul Ryan on the ticket this is a team that understands the economic stagnation our country has been facing the last four years and the urgency with which we need to change course. The Romney-Ryan team is uniquely positioned to make the tough choices necessary to confront our fiscal challenges and get results."

And here's Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal's statement:

"Paul is a good friend and one of the smartest guys I served with in Congress. He has the courage of his convictions, which is what our nation needs."

Via: The Weekly Standard