The remaining Republican presidential candidates engaged in their final debate Thursday moderated by CNN, and Texas congressman Ron Paul explained how he would eliminate money from the federal budget if he were elected president.
Ironically Mr. Paul was in South Carolina debating over a topic that just a day earlier he had been on Capitol Hill taking a vote for, the national debt. The U.S. debt is currently over $15 trillion and probably one of the most important issues regarding the nation.
Although it was hard to focus strictly on the issues during a whirlwind Thursday in the Republican primary race including a vote recount in Iowa for a Rick Santorum victory, Texas Governor Rick Perry dropping out and endorsing rival candidate Newt Gingrich, and an interview with Mr. Gingrich’s second wife regarding an “open marriage” claim.
At one point during the debate, the Charleston South Carolina crowd began urging CNN Anchor John King to give Mr. Paul more time to talk. Early in the debate, the majority of the speaking time was largely dominated by character accusations launched among Mr. Gingrich, Mr. Santorum and Bain Capital co-founder Mitt Romney. After a heated exchange between his three rivals regarding the health care plan implemented by Mr. Romney in Massachusetts, Mr. Paul wiped his forehead and joked that a career doctor like himself should be able to share the floor in a discussion of health care plans.
After explaining his views on the U.S. healthcare system, Mr. Paul explained how his plan to cut $1 trillion from the federal spending in his first year as president. That’s almost the same amount as the $1.2 trillion national debt limit raise that President Barack Obama recently requested from members of Congress. The Texas Rep. was in Washington D.C. the day before the debate, voting on a joint resolution in the House to for the “disapproval of the President’s exercise of authority to increase the debt limit,” according to the House website.
In explaining his views on how to cut government spending, Mr. Paul brought up his unique foreign policy views regarding the U.S. military presence overseas.
“My budget proposal, is very, very tough, because I’m going to cut $1 trillion the first year,” said Mr. Paul. “I want to try to protect the people who are dependent on medical care. Now, where does the money come? My suggestion is, look at some of the overseas spending that we don’t need to be doing.”
The Texas congressman voted in favor of the passage of the House joint resolution Wednesday to deny the president’s request to raise the debt limit. The bill passed in the House with a 239 – 176 vote. Thursday during the debate, he explained what “overseas spending” he was concerned with. Mr. Paul’s rival candidates have accused him of being a “dangerous candidate” for his unique foreign policy views.
“We have troops in Korea since the Korean War, in Japan since World War II, in Germany since — those are subsidies to these countries. And we keep fighting these wars that don’t need to be fought,” said Mr. Paul. “They’re undeclared. They never end. Newt pointed out that World War II was won in less than four years. Afghanistan, we’re there for 10 years. Nobody says where’s the money coming from?”
Recent polls have Mr. Paul battling rival Mr. Santorum for a third place finish in the South Carolina Republican primary election.
