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Rand Paul clashes with Rubio, Cruz on defense, foreign policy at Koch forum

WASHINGTON –  Rand Paul is demonstrating how he could disrupt the Republican presidential field if he seeks the nomination, sparring with potential rivals over Iran, Cuba and the Pentagon's budget in a face-to-face forum that offered an early preview of the feisty policy debate to come.
The Kentucky Republican joined fellow first-term senators Ted Cruz of Texas and Marco Rubio of Florida on stage Sunday evening in California for a summit organized by Freedom Partners. That group is the central hub of the powerful network of organizations backed by conservative billionaires Charles and David Koch.
Each likely candidate has broad backing from tea party activists, who helped push them to victory over establishment-minded rivals in their most recent races. But a split is already starting to emerge even before they formally decide if they will run, and Paul seems to be an eager wedge.
"I'm a big fan of trying the diplomatic option as long as we can," Paul said of talks with Iran over its nuclear plan. "I do think diplomacy is better than war."
Lawmakers from both parties are pushing for a new round of sanctions against Iran. The White House and foreign leaders have urged Congress to not do that, for fear it would agitate Iran and prompt them to end negotiations over its nuclear abilities.
Cruz and Rubio were sharply critical of negotiations, backed by President Barack Obama.
"This is the worst negotiation in the history of mankind," Cruz said, predicting an Iranian nuclear strike in "Tel Aviv, New York or Los Angeles."
Added Rubio: "At this pace, in five years, we're going to build the bomb for them."
Paul urged his colleagues to have patience. "Are you ready to send ground troops into Iran?"
Cruz was having none of it. "The problem with Iran is Khomeini and the mullahs are radical Islamic nutcases," he said.
It was as intense a disagreement on Cuba. Obama late last year sent shockwaves across the hemisphere by restoring diplomatic ties with Cuba after more than a half-century of estrangement and embargoes. Politicians from corner of both parties were critical.
Cruz and Rubio, both Cuban-Americans fiercely opposed to the Castro regime's hold on power there, have been outspoken critics of Obama's move, while Paul notes the embargo has not ousted Fidel or Raul Castro.
"I'm kind of surrounded on this one," Paul said, sitting between Cruz to his right and Rubio to his left.
"The Castros are brutal dictators," Cruz said. He also said the potential for U.S. dollars flooding into Cuba would only keep the Castro regime in power longer.
"Maybe. Maybe not," Paul said.
Even on military spending, which is typically sacrosanct among Republicans, Paul needled his colleagues. Paul said national security is the most important spending in the budget, but "I'm not for a blank check."
Rubio said the United States' economic challenges did not stem from defense spending and smaller budgets would only threaten its future economic growth.
"Try economic growth while you're under attack," Rubio said.
The trio of lawmakers is laying the groundwork for presidential bids that are expected to launch in the coming months and will be competing for many of the same donors, including those the Kochs count as allies and who joined the weekend summit in Palm Springs, California.
The Koch network, which includes Americans for Prosperity, Generation Opportunity and the Libre Initiative, is unlikely to formally back one of the presidential hopefuls but its deep pockets can certainly focus the terms of the debate.
Sunday's event was closed to journalists but Freedom Partners broadcast the panel discussion with the three senators online for reporters, an unusual step toward transparency at the historically private gatherings. An earlier session with Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, another likely contender, was not available online.
"There are a bunch of Democrats who have taken as their talking point that the Koch brothers are the nexus of all evil in the world," Cruz said, acknowledging the event's organizers.
"I admire Charles and David Koch," Cruz continued. "They are businessmen who have created hundreds of thousands of jobs and they have stood up for free market principles."
The evening session's online broadcast did not include images of the audience so it was impossible to know if either Charles or David Koch were in the audience.

FDA could set millions of genetically modified mosquitoes loose in Florida Keys

KEY WEST, Fla. –  Millions of genetically modified mosquitoes could be released in the Florida Keys if British researchers win approval to use the bugs against two extremely painful viral diseases.
Never before have insects with modified DNA come so close to being set loose in a residential U.S. neighborhood.
"This is essentially using a mosquito as a drug to cure disease," said Michael Doyle, executive director of the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District, which is waiting to hear if the Food and Drug Administration will allow the experiment.
Dengue and chikungunya are growing threats in the U.S., but some people are more frightened at the thought of being bitten by a genetically modified organism. More than 130,000 signed a Change.org petition against the experiment.
Even potential boosters say those responsible must do more to show that benefits outweigh the risks.
"I think the science is fine, they definitely can kill mosquitoes, but the GMO issue still sticks as something of a thorny issue for the general public," said Phil Lounibos, who studies mosquito control at the Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory. "It's not even so much about the science — you can't go ahead with something like this if public opinion is negative."
Mosquito controllers say they're running out of options that can kill Aedes aegypti, a tiger-striped invader whose biting females spread these viruses. Climate change and globalization are spreading tropical diseases farther from the equator, and Key West, the southernmost city in the continental U.S., is particularly vulnerable.
"An arriving person would be infectious for several days, and could infect many of the local mosquitoes," Doyle said. "Within a few weeks you'd likely end up with several infected mosquitoes for each infected visitor."
There are no vaccines or cures for dengue, known as "break-bone fever," or chikungunya, which causes painful contortions. U.S. cases remain rare for now, but dengue sickens 50 million people annually worldwide and kills 2.5 percent of the half-million who get severe cases, according to the World Health Organization. Chikungunya has already overwhelmed hospitals and harmed economies across the Caribbean after infecting a million people in the region last year.
Insecticides are sprayed year-round from helicopters and door-to-door in charming and crowded neighborhoods throughout the Keys. But because Aedes aegypti don't travel much and are repeatedly doused with the same chemicals, they have evolved to resist four of the six insecticides used to kill them.
Enter Oxitec, a British biotech firm launched by Oxford University researchers. They patented a method of breeding Aedes aegypti with fragments of proteins from the herpes simplex virus and E. coli bacteria as well as genes from coral and cabbage. This synthetic DNA has been used in thousands of experiments without harming lab animals, but it is fatal to the bugs, killing mosquito larvae before they can fly or bite.
Oxitec's lab workers manually remove modified females, aiming to release only males, which feed on nectar and don't bite for blood like females do. The modified males then mate with wild females whose offspring die, reducing the population.
Oxitec has built a breeding lab in Marathon and hopes to release its mosquitoes this spring in Key Haven, a neighborhood of 444 homes closely clustered on a relatively isolated peninsula at the north end of Key West.
FDA spokeswoman Theresa Eisenman said no field tests will be allowed until the agency has "thoroughly reviewed all the necessary information."
Company spokeswoman Chris Creese said the test will be similar in size to Oxitec's 2012 experiment in the Cayman Islands, where 3.3 million modified mosquitoes were released over six months, suppressing 96 percent of the targeted bugs. Oxitec says a later test in Brazil also was successful, and both countries now want larger-scale projects.
But critics accused Oxitec of failing to obtain informed consent in the Caymans, saying residents weren't told they could be bitten by a few stray females overlooked in the lab.
Instead, Oxitec said only non-biting males would be released, and that even if humans were somehow bitten, no genetically modified DNA would enter their bloodstream.
Neither claim is entirely true, outside observers say.
"What Oxitec is trying to spin is that it's highly improbable that there will be negative consequences of this foreign DNA entering someone that's bitten by an Oxitec mosquito," said Lounibos. "I'm on their side, in that consequences are highly unlikely. But to say that there's no genetically modified DNA that might get into a human, that's kind of a gray matter."
Asked about these points, Creese says Oxitec has now released 70 million of its mosquitoes in several countries and received no reports of human impacts caused by bites or from the synthetic DNA, despite regulatory oversight that encourages people to report any problems. "We are confident of the safety of our mosquito, as there's no mechanism for any adverse effect on human health. The proteins are non-toxic and non-allergenic," she said.
Oxitec should still do more to show that the synthetic DNA causes no harm when transferred into humans by its mosquitoes, said Guy Reeves, a molecular geneticist at Germany's Max Planck Institute. To build trust in any cutting-edge science, a range of independent experts — not just the company that stands to gain or the regulatory agency involved — should have enough access to data published in peer-reviewed journals to be able to explain the specific benefits and risks, he said.
"Failing to do this almost inevitably means a potential for controversy to be sustained and amplified," said Reeves, adding that mosquito-borne diseases need more solutions. "We should not be closing down productive avenues, and genetically modified mosquitoes might be one of them."
With the FDA watching, Doyle and Oxitec's product development manager, Derric Nimmo, checked their frustration at public meetings in November and December, repeatedly fielding the same questions from the same critics.
Their selling points:
This experiment is self-limiting, using insects engineered to kill their progeny, not make them stronger. It is contained, since Oxitec's mosquitoes won't breed with other species. Killing off Aedes aegypti can protect human health while eliminating an invasive species. And most Key Haven residents responded positively to a district survey about the planned field test.
Using GMOs also could save money: The district spends 10 percent of its budget on Aedes aegypti, which represents less than 1 percent of the 45 mosquito species buzzing around the Keys.
Key Haven resident Marilyn Smith still wasn't persuaded. The Keys haven't experienced a dengue outbreak in years, and no chikungunya cases have been reported here, she said.
"If I knew that this was a real risk and lives could be saved, that would make sense," Smith said. "But there are no problems. Why are we trying to fix it? Why are we being used as the experiment, the guinea pigs, just to see what happens?"
If the FDA decides against the test, or the modified mosquitoes fail to work as promised, Doyle will still need to kill the bugs.
"I'm convinced the only way to fight this is using the mosquitoes to fight each other," he said.

WH, Feinstein make clear US won't negotiate with ISIS over hostages, interfere with Japan

Top Washington Democrats said Sunday that the U.S. won’t try to meddle in a potential hostage-prisoner exchange between the Islamic State and Japan but suggested that compromising with the ruthless extremist group is a step in the wrong direction.
California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein told Fox News that the negotiations are “obviously” between both sides and involve Jordan, where a female prisoner is being held in connection with a series of 2005 terror bombings, but she still doesn’t like the idea.
“I'm not for it candidly,” said Feinstein, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence’s top Democrat and former chairwoman.
Her comments follow a video released Saturday apparently by Islamic State with the message that the group executed Haruna Yukawa, a 42-year-old adventurer fascinated by war, and wants the release of the female prisoner to spare the life of the other Japanese hostage, 47-year-old journalist Kenji Goto.
Earlier Sunday, White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough on “Fox News Sunday” also made clear that the decision was Japan’s and stated the U.S. policy of not negotiating with terror groups over hostages.
“The policies are well set: The U.S. doesn't pay ransoms and will not do prisoner swaps. We will not discuss what the Japanese should do,” he said. “We are not going to advise Japan.”
McDonough also argued “cash fuels future kidnappings.”
President Obama has spoken out about the apparent killing.
“The United States strongly condemns the brutal murder,” he said Saturday in a statement. “We stand shoulder to shoulder with our ally Japan.”
Feinstein also argued that Islamic State, which has executed dozens of hostages in recent months, including three Americans, is asking for the release of Sajida al Rishawi -- the prisoner connected with the 2005 bombings at several Jordanian hotels in which 57 people were killed.
The explosive carried by al Rishawi’s husband detonated, but hers did not. Al Rishawi reportedly has also confessed to taking part in the attacks, allegedly orchestrated by al Qaeda.
“The prisoner that they want is a very high-level woman who participated in what was a devastating bombing,” Feinstein said.  
She also said that Congress can do little to stop the hostage taking that often includes online videos of the victims getting beheaded.
“That's very difficult to do unless you want to take anyone and everyone out of the country,” Feinstein said. “I think we're trying to combat it. We've got air missions attacking ISIL. … The battle against ISIL has been joined [by other nations]. The question that's going to come is how much will the United States put into that battle.”

America's first offshore wind project dealt major setback after utilities bolt

An ambitious and controversial push to erect America's first offshore wind farm has been dealt what some call a potentially "fatal" blow after two utility companies pulled out of commitments to buy energy from the lagging operation. 
The $2.6 billion Cape Wind project, a private operation benefiting from millions in federal subsidies, is attempting to pioneer offshore wind energy in pursuit of an eco-friendly, sustainable energy supply. Wind turbines would be installed off the coast of Massachusetts' Cape Cod in Nantucket Sound. 
But Cape Wind is now in limbo after utility companies terminated huge purchase agreements. They pulled out after the project failed to meet two requirements by Dec. 31: to secure financing and begin construction. 
The wind farm was relying on NSTAR and National Grid to purchase a combined 77.5 percent of its offshore wind power. 
But Greg Sullivan, a former inspector general of Massachusetts who now works at the Pioneer Institute in Boston, said Cape Wind was struggling to find a buyer for the rest of the energy. 
"And because they couldn't do that, they had to let the deadline slip with the utility companies. And they walked," Sullivan said. "And I would be very doubtful they would come back." 
Doug Pizzi, spokesman for the Massachusetts League of Environmental Voters, said he is "very concerned" about the future of the project.
"That's certainly a setback for Cape Wind. It sounds like a major one," he said. "But I don't know if that kills the project or if that's something they can overcome." 
Cape Wind argues the deadline to secure funding should be extended, saying the project was overwhelmed by lawsuits, wasting time needed to meet the requirements. 
Pizzi agreed. "If you have to fight something in court for ten years ... it's going to take a lot more time to break even and/or become profitable," he said. 
In a statement issued to Fox News, National Grid said it was "disappointed" in Cape Wind. NSTAR also faulted Cape Wind for missing "critical milestones" and choosing not to pursue financial measures that could have extended the deadline. 
NSTAR, in a statement, said strict deadlines are in place to protect the consumer from high-priced energy due to lack of supply. Sullivan added that with falling gas prices, "the contract began to look worse day by day" for the utility companies. 
Critics of the project with the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound called the utilities' decision "good news" for ratepayers. "The decision by NStar and National Grid to end their contracts with Cape Wind is a fatal or near-fatal blow to this expensive and outdated project," the group said in a statement. 
Still, Pizzi said Cape Wind isn't America's only hope for offshore wind, touting a federal auction to take place next week that would lease portions of the Atlantic Ocean to potential offshore wind farms. "That potentially could just set off a chain reaction of positive things for wind power offshore," Pizzi said, noting, "Obviously that's something that's going to take some time." 
But Susan Tierney, a former assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Energy who has worked with Cape Wind officials, predicted a slowdown for the nascent industry. 
"It may give a lift to opponents who feel emboldened to keep pounding on things and it may chill some developers who might otherwise really want to do it," she said in an interview with Watchdog.org. 
Cape Wind officials did not respond to a request from Fox News for comment.

Christie launches PAC in significant step toward White House run

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has taken a major step toward a run for president in 2016, forming a political action committee that will allow him to raise money for a possible White House bid. 
The creation of the committee, called Leadership Matters for America, was first reported by The Wall Street Journal early Monday. It also allows Christie to begin to hire staffers, build the foundations of a campaign operation and travel across the country as he weighs a final decision on a run.
The move comes one month after former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush announced that he he was launching a similar organization, which kicked off an aggressive race to lock down donors and may have drawn 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney into the race.
The PAC's staffers will include Matt Mowers, a former Christie aide, who is stepping down from his job as executive director of the New Hampshire Republican Party at the end of the month.  Christie is named as its honorary chairman.
"We believe there's a void right now in leadership throughout the country," Christie's chief political adviser Mike DuHaime told The Journal. "We aim to support candidates who are willing to take on tough problems and make tough decisions."
A mission statement on the organization's website echoes themes that Christie has focused in recent speeches, including remarks on Saturday in Iowa in front of conservative activists.
"America has been a nation that has always controlled events and yet today events control us. Why? Because leadership matters," the mission statement reads. "It matters if we want to restore America's role in the world, find the political will to take on the entrenched special interests that continually stand in the way of fundamental change, reform entitlement spending at every level of government, and ensure that every child, no matter their zip code, has access to a quality education."
Christie, a former federal prosecutor who passed up the opportunity to challenge President Barack Obama in 2012, turned quickly toward laying the groundwork for a 2016 campaign after winning a second gubernatorial term in the heavily Democratic Garden State in 2013.
In the past several months, he has held meetings to court donors, convened late-night briefing sessions on foreign policy and made repeated visits to early-voting states, including in Iowa over the weekend, where he vaguely referred to himself as "a candidate."
He takes his next step into the race with several advantages, among them having recently completed a banner year of fundraising as chair of the Republican Governors Association. The group raised more than $100 million on Christie's watch and helped Republican candidates win a series of unexpected races, including the nominally Democratic states of Maryland and Illinois.
Serving as RGA chief also gave Christie the opportunity to travel across the country and build relationships with donors and activists. He is also one of his party's most talented retail politicians, reveling in the kind of one-on-one interaction that voters in the crucial early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire demand.
But Christie also has challenges to overcome, including the still-pending federal investigation into accusations that former staff members and appointees created traffic jams as political payback against the Democratic mayor of a New York suburb by blocking access lanes to the George Washington Bridge into Manhattan.
He's also dogged by questions about the economy of New Jersey, including several recent downgrades of the state's credit rating and sluggish job growth. Christie is also viewed with distrust in certain conservative circles, while other question whether his brash persona and habit of confrontation will play well outside his home state.
While Christie has told supporters to "relax" about the timing of his entry into the race, he has faced mounting pressure to get started after Bush -- whose support and donor base significantly overlaps with Christie's -- said he would "actively explore" a run.
Christie's campaign is likely to focus on many of the themes he's spent years developing in New Jersey, including a pitch that he can expand the Republican Party's tent by appealing to independent, women and minority voters.