Rand Paul should debate Ron Paul

William Wordsworth wrote that the child is the father of the man, but on the matter of the presidential candidacy of Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), the man is running away from the libertarian idealism of his youth and the libertarian brilliance of his father, the incomparable former Republican congressman from Texas, Ron Paul.

{mosads}As longtime readers of my column know, I have often disagreed with Ron Paul; I have sometimes agreed with him; and I have always liked and admired him as the great libertarian champion of our times. There is a purity, integrity and honesty to the teachings of Ron Paul — and teaching is not too strong a word for his intellectually honest and philosophical consistency. Agree, disagree, praise or criticize Ron Paul, but he is always worth listening to, thinking about and taking seriously.

Rand Paul, by contrast, is an ambitious political opportunist who, on certain great issues of the day, bends with the wind and goes with the flow. Will Rand Paul become the neoisolationist he once appeared to be, or a neoconservative joining the hunger that is now sweeping the Republican Party to find new wars to fight across the Middle East?

Let’s watch the upcoming saga of the newest Rand Paul, as he prepares to announce his candidacy for the presidency, and consider which ways the political winds blow him next, which are as unpredictable as tomorrow’s polls.

I still have a soft spot for Ron Paul, and would pay the price of admission for a debate that pits Paul vs. Paul on the first principles of Republican policy and American politics

Budowsky was an aide to former Sen. Lloyd Bentsen (D-Texas) and former Rep. Bill Alexander (D-Ark.), who was then chief deputy majority whip of the House. He holds an LL.M. degree in international financial law from the London School of Economics. Contact him at brentbbi@webtv.net.