By Elaine Donnelly
Extending sexual misconduct to combat units
Independent voices from the TWT Communities
The fight over the Obama administration's use of drones exposed deepening divisions within Republican ranks between the libertarian-leaning and defense-minded wings of the party over national security.
After the State of the Union address Tuesday night, Sen. Marco Rubio steps before the cameras to deliver one of the Republican responses — and the stakes couldn't be higher for the high-profile young senator.
Some new senators make a point of keeping their heads down and their media profiles low as they get the lay of the land on Capitol Hill.
"You are starting to see a bit of a split between the libertarian-leaning lawmakers and essentially what you see as defense hawks," said Ford O'Connell, a Republican strategist.
Rand Paul’s filibuster highlights split in GOP ranks; defense hawks not amused →
"He has the weight of a party on his shoulders, not to mention he is going toe-to-toe with the most popular person in office right now," said Ford O'Connell, who served as the rural outreach director for Sen. John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign.
