Paul dodges questions on support for McConnell

Sen. Rand Paul, a 2016 presidential candidate, on Monday declined to say whether he still supports fellow Kentucky Republican Mitch McConnell as Senate majority leader.

{mosads}During an appearance on Fox News’s “America’s Newsroom,” Paul was asked if he supported McConnell, who some hard-line conservatives have suggested should follow the example of Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and announce his resignation.

Paul said only that “conservatives are not happy” and want leaders with “the guts to stand up” on major issues.

“What I would say is that I support the position we have to use the power of the purse,” Paul said, referring to the debate in Congress over passing a short-term continuing resolution funding bill, which he opposes, or passing a collection of longer-term spending legislation.

“I use every bit of my arguing power to say, ‘We should put the appropriations bills forward — all 12 of them, one at a time — and make the Democrats filibuster,” Paul said on Fox.

“If they are willing to filibuster and government shuts down, we should then say it is Democrats who have shut down the government,” he added.

Fox host Bill Hemmer pressed Paul on his original question: “Again, Mitch McConnell — do you support him or not?”

“There isn’t really a battle or an election going on. Or any other choices. There aren’t,” Paul responded. “There is no other choice in the Senate [for leadership].”

McConnell has supported Paul’s 2016 presidential bid, but the two have split in recent months on issues such as extending certain portions of the Patriot Act.

Asked again whether he supported McConnell for now, Paul said, “There is no election. There is no battle going on.

“What I support is the position that we should take the power of the purse and we should actually use it. So I will oppose Sen. McConnell when he brings forward the continuing resolution,” Paul said, adding, “It isn’t about opposing a person, it’s about a position.”