A war of words continues between Kentucky U.S. Senator Rand Paul and Sen. John McCain.
The disagreement, which could be a preview of debates to come in the Republican presidential primary, is pitting the libertarian-leaning Paul against the more hawkish wing of the GOP.
Longtime McCain advisor Mark Salter labeled the junior Senator either a “dissembler or crackpot” following a statement by Paul that McCain unwittingly met with representatives of the group known as ISIS or the Islamic State. Several news outlets say the claim, which has made the rounds on the internet, has been debunked.
A spokesman for Sen. Paul has countered that “Mark Salter advised the Republican Party down a losing electoral path that paved the way for two terms of President Obama, so people should read his angry screed in that context and disregard it.”
Paul opposes arming moderate Syrian rebels, while McCain has backed the effort as part of the fight against Islamic militants.
