WASHINGTON Tea party favorite Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) said in an interview published Friday that the GOP's proposed budget cuts were inadequate and fretted that his party may not have the courage to make a dent in the deficit.
"It's really not going to touch the problem," Paul told ABC News's Jonathan Karl. "There's a disconnect between Republicans who want a balanced budget but aren't maybe yet brave enough to talk about the cuts to come."
The Republican budget proposed Thursday offers $32 billion in spending cuts from a resolution funding the government in fiscal 2011 -- less than the party's proclaimed $74 billion in cuts, and far short of GOP promises to remove $100 from the budget prior to the November elections.
Paul, an ophthalmologist and son of Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), was elected to the Senate in November on a wave of tea party energy. Last week, he unveiled a plan of his own to slash spending by $500 billion, including drastic cuts to the Department of Education, minor defense cuts and the elimination of all foreign aid.
