Rand Paul Totally Dissed John McCain In His CPAC Speech

National Harbor, Md. — Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul took a veiled shot at rival Sen. John McCain during his speech at CPAC here today, hinting that the Arizona Republican is part of the "stale and moss-covered" Republican Party.

"The GOP of old has grown stale and moss-covered," Paul said, adding slyly, "I don't think we need to name any names here."

“Our party is encumbered by an inconsistent approach to freedom,” he added. “The new GOP will need to embrace liberty in both the economic and the personal sphere.”

Paul's challenge underscores a growing conservative divide that is visible throughout CPAC, where panels on the Islamist threat seem remarkably out of step with the groundswell of support for Paul's civil liberties message.

And while Paul declined to name names, his target was clear to anyone who has been paying attention to his escalating feud with McCain. A national security hawk, McCain has been a vocal and persistent critic of Paul's civil liberties filibuster, and recently labeled the Kentucky Senator a "whacko bird."

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