Paul struggles with hawkish GOP donors

Rand Paul is doing everything he can to marshal the support of a diverse range of political factions ahead of a potential presidential run, from courting Republican National Committee members to meeting with traditionally Democratic African-American pastors and Berkeley college kids.

But at least one segment of the GOP still harbors deep reservations about the libertarian-leaning Kentucky senator a group that includes prominent donors with plenty of critical cash.

The foreign policy hawks within the establishment GOP among them pro-Israel donors, national security types and neoconservatives are impressed by Pauls attempts to broaden the Republican base and find him willing to listen to their concerns. But ultimately, according to people plugged into the Republican donor class, they worry that a President Paul would dangerously scale back Americas activities abroad a deepening concern in some corners as his star has risen within the broader party.

(PHOTOS: Rand Pauls career)

Members of the establishment wing think hes a good leader, an attractive candidate and they agree with a lot of what he has to say on economic policy, said Charlie Black, a veteran Republican strategist. But they dont agree with him on America withdrawing to its own shores.

Pauls father, Ron Paul, is a famously isolationist libertarian icon; the younger Paul, however, sharply rejects that label. Still, he appears to be betting that if he can build a sufficiently broad coalition capturing grassroots enthusiasm; appealing to Democratic-leaning constituencies; keeping his libertarian base happy; and making himself palatable to the bulk of the GOP establishment it will be less crucial to get all of the foreign policy hawks on board at a time when public opinion is shifting away from pro-interventionist sentiment.

The problem with that approach could surface most clearly when it comes to luring big-time cash, said one GOP donor, a former adviser to 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney.

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For a lot of the establishment people that care about foreign policy, he has considerable concerns among that crowd, the source said. The interesting question is, how much does that crowd matter anymore? You still have establishment people, a handful of people, who do care, whether its Israel, Middle East policy, policy regarding China. But at the end of the day, if you look at primary voters, its pretty low on their totem poll. However, for some bundlers, its a big deal. It really hits him, probably, on New York or D.C. bundlers.

Paul has come a long way from when he first entered the Senate on a tea party wave in 2010. The views of his father, a longtime House member and erstwhile presidential candidate, initially colored perceptions about the senator, but he has distanced himself from his dad, saying he is a realist not a neoconservative, nor an isolationist.

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Paul struggles with hawkish GOP donors