The Union Leader - Rand Paul, in Dover, Outlines ISIS Strategy, Discusses Term Limits

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By Kimberly Haas

Presidential candidate Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., outlined his strategy to defeat ISIS and discussed term limits and campaign finance reform with voters during two stops in the city Monday morning.

Paul told Thad Hall of Milton Mills and others sitting at his table at Harvey's Bakery and Coffee Shop that ISIS needs to be defeated by the people of Iraq and Syria.

"It's not as simple as militarily, the U.S. can do it. Sure we can, but will that be an ultimate peace, or will they slither off into an underground and come back in another form? I think we need a longer-term strategy," Paul said later in an exclusive interview between campaign stops.

Paul promised he would not put American boots on the ground in the Middle East to fight ISIS.

"I think we can amplify our allies over there, but I think the boots on the ground need to be Arab boots on the ground," Paul said. "I think the first war in Iraq was a mistake. It cost is a trillion dollars and look at the results. The region is more chaotic, less stable. There's more use of radical Islam."

On a different note, Paul said a number of Granite Staters eating breakfast at Harvey's asked him about congressional term limits.

"This morning as we asked people, you know, 'What can the government either do to you or for you, what can the government do better,' quite a few tables said they would like to see people brought home. They'd like to see more turnover in office," Paul said. "So I reminded the voters that we met this morning that the first bill I signed on to in Washington was for term limits."

At Weeks Backstreet Kitchen, a group of women asked Paul about campaign finance reform. He said there is a certain amount of speech that should be protected, and people have the right to speak, even if it is paid for.

Paul said part of the problem is the federal government has gotten so big, it has affected every portion of the average citizen's lives, and that is why national campaigns are so costly. He told the breakfast crowd he would go back to being a doctor if he wasn't worried that the government would bankrupt the nation.

Paul also had a town hall in Laconia on Monday.

Paul plans to hold a senior citizen town halls Tuesday at Havenwood-Heritage in Concord at 3 p.m., and Exeter's Town Hall at 6:30 p.m.

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