Rand Paul Enters Fray in Missouri, at Least a Little
Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-Ky.) PAC is adding Missouri to the list of states where it has created an ad against Democratic Senators opposing his effort to curb U.S. aid to Egypt, Libya and Pakistan.
The ad against Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) circulated on YouTube today. It could be a small boon for the beleaguered campaign of challenger Rep. Todd Akin (R). Paul has previously put up similar ads with money behind them targeting Senators in West Virginia, Ohio and Florida.
The West Virginia version of the ad heightened the tension between Paul and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), with Graham taking the somewhat extraordinary step of joining a press call for Sen. Joe Manchin to defend the Democrat against Paul.
Paul’s foreign aid position is an outlier within the current Senate Republican Conference, but he says that will eventually change. McCaskill campaign spokesman Erik Dorey was quick to point out the overwhelming GOP opposition to Paul’s proposal, which failed in the Senate 81-10.
“Todd Akin’s position on this issue is so extreme, he would be one of only 10 Senators to cut this foreign aid funding. [Missouri GOP] Sen. Roy Blunt, as well as every member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, including Sen. John McCain, voted against this bill because these overly-simplistic solutions in a dangerous, complex world put our allies and American interests at risk,” Dorey said in a statement.
Akin’s campaign will probably take any small boost it can. The campaign has not publicized any third-quarter fundraising totals. Akin and McCaskill meet for a debate Thursday evening that few Missourians may watch live, since it conflicts with the St. Louis Cardinals playing in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series.