U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., speaks at the New Hampshire Republican State Committee Liberty Dinner in Concord, N.H., in this file photo.“Nobody wants to say no to Lamar Alexander.” At least that’s what Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., claims in Alexander’s latest campaign ad. But the ad, like Alexander, isn’t quite what it seems.
In the television ad, Alexander, a self-proclaimed conservative whose voting record is more in line with big-government liberals, plays a dubious trick on voters. It turns out that the clip of Paul seemingly praising Alexander featured in the ad is taken out of context in an attempt to appeal to the fiscal conservatives and tea party supporters who view Paul as a hero.
Alexander’s dodgy decision backfired badly.
Sen. Paul’s full comments, which are available on YouTube, are, “He goes around, he talks to everyone and nobody wants to say no to Lamar Alexander.” Rather than the resounding endorsement the ad makes Paul’s statement appear, the comment seems to imply that Alexander is known in the Senate for glad-handing.
A spokesman for Sen. Paul told the Times Free Press that despite what the ad attempted to imply, Paul had not endorsed Alexander. “The footage that Sen. Alexander’s campaign is using is from a public press conference in regards to a bill they both cosponsored,” said Sergio Gor, an aide to Sen. Paul. “At this time, Senator Paul has not made an endorsement in this race.”