Ron Paul: Defeat would be 'historic'

Ron Paul on Thursday said it would be historic if Congress is able to defeat President Barack Obamas plan to wage a military strike on Syria.

I think theres a historic event going on here and if this vote is won, that is defeat [of] the request to have more military approach to Syria, I think it will be historic because it would be a grand coalition of the Libertarian Republicans and the Democratic Progressives, the former Republican congressman said on MSNBCs NOW with Alex Wagner.

The 2012 Republican presidential candidate who is known for his libertarian bent and opposition to U.S. military involvements abroad said he would welcome a split between the two major parties over Syria in order for different factions to come together.

(See POLITICOs full Syria coverage)

Everybodys worried about the split in the Democrats, the split in the Republicans. Im delighted with that split because its pushing people together who are on opposite ends of the spectrum, one which I enjoy, Paul said.

The former congressman also got into an argument with Wagner after she pressed him on an appearance hes scheduled to make next week at a conference held by the Fatima Center, which she said has been criticized as anti-Semitic.

Sounds to me like you have me on here to bash Catholics, Paul said before calling the host a Catholic basher.

Wagner responded that shes Catholic and had no intention of bashing Catholics and cited newsletters in 2011 attributed to Pauls campaign that came under fire for being racially charged.

I think the American public is curious about how you endorse or do not endorse or deny involvement with any of that, she said.

Paul went further, recalling a magazine that put a Swastika on his face on a cover shortly after he was first elected in 1976.

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Ron Paul: Defeat would be 'historic'