Responding to the first TV commercial of the 2010 U.S. Senate race in Kentucky, the Trey Grayson campaign says Republican rival Rand Paul is trying to "trick Republican primary voters into believing he is a conservative who is strong on national security."
Paul's TV ad focuses on national security, specifically suspending travel visas from terrorist nations and making clear, despite any previous statements, that Paul is opposed to closing the Guantanamo Bay detention center where terrorist suspects are detained.
“For someone who claims to be an outsider Rand Paul is certainly practiced in the ways of Washington," Grayson campaign manager Nate Hodson said in a statement. "After advocating one position for years he now has changed his tune to try to trick Republican primary voters into believing he is a conservative who is strong on national security. The fact remains that Rand Paul, like President Obama, has advocated closing the terrorist detention facility at Guantanamo and releasing terrorists back into battle against our troops. Trey Grayson is the only candidate in this race who has consistently promised to fight to keep Guantanamo open to detain, interrogate and try terrorists in military tribunals outside our borders.”
For months, the Grayson campaign has cited previous quotes attributed to Paul that Grayson says show that Paul has flip-flopped on the issue.
“ … it’s kind of unclear whether these people are guilty, not guilty … So I really think deportation or sending them back to their country of origin might be the best way to go. And none of it’s fair, because some of them have been held years and years …” – Rand Paul on the Alex Jones Show, 5/21/09.
Rand Paul “couldn’t agree more” with those who believe Guantanamo has “significantly damaged the reputation of the United States” and who want to “see it shut down.” – Rand Paul website post, 5/25/09.
“I think they should mostly be sent back to their country of origin or to tell you the truth I’d drop them back off into battle … drop ‘em off back into Afghanistan. It’d take them a while to get back over here.” – YouTube video of Rand Paul speaking in Paducah, KY, 5/8/09.
