Ron Paul's puzzling critique of murdered SEAL Chris Kyle

In 140 characters, the newly retired congressman reminds us why he and maybe his son won't top the GOP presidential ticket

When news started spreading that Chris Kyle, a former SEAL and author of the best-selling autobiography American Sniper, was shot dead with a friend over the weekend allegedly at the hands of a PTSD-suffering former Marine he was trying to help by taking him shooting at a hunting range conservatives were incensed over the callous tweets of "some on the anti-gun Left." And then this happened:

SEE MORE: The Conservative Victory Project: Can the GOP tame its Tea Party wing?

Ron Paul (@RonPaul) February 4, 2013

As a veteran, I certainly recognize that this weekend's violence and killing of Chris Kyle were a tragic and sad event. My condolences and prayers go out to Mr. Kyle's family. Unconstitutional and unnecessary wars have endless unintended consequences. A policy of non-violence, as Christ preached, would have prevented this and similar tragedies. -REP

SEE MORE: Would immigration reform be a win for the GOP?

Et tu, Rand? says Ryan W. McMaken at Lew Rockwell's LRC Blog. Yes, "every American soldier is a hero, just like the Bronze-Star-winning Timothy McVeigh and the Marine Lee Harvey Oswald." But Rand isn't the only "sycophantic" conservative throwing Ron Paul under the bus for "truth-telling about the tragic outcomes that are sure to come from time spent in a military where rape, suicide, domestic abuse and general killing are widespread."

Who can be surprised that conservatives... have been falling all over themselves to condemn Ron Paul for quoting Jesus in correct context, by the way to note that the violence wrought by over a decade of nonstop war in America leads to tragedy on the home front?... The most transparent were the conservatives who claimed to be former supporters of Paul who must now go support some more "patriotic" politician: One who doesn't actually question anything the military does.... This is what it comes down to for most conservatives, of course. All that stuff about laissez faire and freedom and free markets has never been more than an act and an affectation.... Among conservatives, Ron Paul has only ever had minority support, for in the end, conservatives love government, as exhibited by their latest outrage. They just love it in a slightly different way from the left liberals. [Lew Rockwell]

SEE MORE: Can Bobby Jindal rescue the GOP?

Paul has long opposed American military action... but the former veteran has begun to conflate the missions that he opposes with the men and women who carry those missions out. The sentiment Paul broadcast in this tweet betrays a contempt for Kyle that is, at best, ill-timed.... Paul would be smart to apologize for this insensitive remark, but his political opponents should be thankful for the clarity this unguarded moment has provided the general public. Though the 2012 campaign is long over, Paul's most stalwart supporters continue to insist that the Texas libertarian is the only politician who has the best interests of the troops at heart. This tweet would suggest otherwise. [Mediaite]

Read more:
Ron Paul's puzzling critique of murdered SEAL Chris Kyle