From last night’s debate, Ron Paul on the Iranian speedboat story:
When I watched this last night, I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what Paul was talking about, because here’s what the other candidates said:
HUCKABEE: I’m going to trust that the president, with the information that he had and that those commanders had, made the right decision. I think we need to make it very clear, not just to the Iranians, but to anybody, that if you think you’re going to engage the United States military, be prepared not simply to have a battle. Be prepared, first, to put your sights on the American vessel. And then be prepared that the next things you see will be the gates of Hell, because that is exactly what you will see after that.
(…)
HUCKABEE: I believe that those commanders, hopefully, and I believe they do have the judgment to make in those split-second decisions…
HUME: So you support that.
HUCKABEE: I support them having that capacity. That’s what we train them for and they have lives of Americans at stake on those boats. And they ultimately have our lives at stake if they take the wrong decision and give the Iranians or anybody the idea that America is a nation that you can kick sand in our eyes.
(…)
THOMPSON: Yes, I think so. I think I agree with the governor on that. You can’t take the judgment like that out of the hands of the officers on the ground there. I think one more step and they would have been introduced to those virgins that they’re looking forward to seeing.
(…)
MCCAIN: If I’d have been the captain of the ship, I probably would have assessed the situation as it was at the time. And for those of us who are not in that situation to second guess is a little bit presumptuous. It’s a long, hard process to become the commander of a Navy ship. These are the most professional and well trained and capable people in the world.
So what the heck was Ron Paul talking about ?
