Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum on Thursday sharply criticized fellow Republican Rand Paul, accusing him of advocating a foreign policy similar to “Obama’s failed isolationism.”
We need strong leadership in Mid-East, not what @SenRandPaul is advocating: more of Obama’s failed isolationism http://t.co/n3fzAfb7x8
— Rick Santorum (@RickSantorum) August 28, 2014
In his tweet criticizing Paul, Santorum linked to Paul’s Wall Street Journal op-ed, “How U.S. Interventionists Abetted the Rise of ISIS,” published in Thursday’s paper.
Paul, a potential Republican candidate for president, has taken criticism from Republicans and Democrats alike.
Santorum, who ran for president in 2012, is considering a run again for president in 2016.
“To interventionists like former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, we would caution that arming the Islamic rebels in Syria created a haven for the Islamic State,” Paul wrote. “We are lucky Mrs. Clinton didn’t get her way and the Obama administration did not bring about regime change in Syria. That new regime might well be ISIS.”
That led the Democratic National Committee to release a statement rebutting Paul and branding him an isolationist, like Santorum.
“That type of ‘blame America’ rhetoric may win Paul accolades at a conference of isolationists but it does nothing to improve our standing in the world. In fact, Paul’s proposals would make America less safe and less secure,” DNC spokesman Michael Czin said.