(CNN) - Pressed about his aggressive campaign against Newt Gingrich, Texas Rep. Ron Paul said he feels responsible to show a different side of the former House speaker to the American public.
"I have to expose him for what he's been doing over the years. That's all we're doing. Trying to present the facts," Paul said to reporters at a town hall event in Des Moines, Iowa.
In the last week, Paul has been a vocal critic of Gingrich, a man he calls a "counterfeit conservative." The Texas congressman has frequently hit the GOP front-runner as a flip-flopper and Washington insider, and in an interview with CNN on Friday, he described Gingrich's new popularity as "bewildering."
Paul's campaign also released a round of negative TV ads against Gingrich in Iowa on Wednesday, which is now set to expand into New Hampshire, the first-in-the-nation primary state.
Paul's attacks follow a surge for Gingrich in the GOP presidential horserace, where he now tops the field in three out of four early voting states, according to a new CNN/ORC International Poll.
On the heels of a Congressional showdown over ways to pay for a payroll tax cut extension, Paul also weighed in Thursday on what he calls the worst debt situation "in the history of the world."
Paul, a former obstetrician, compared Washington spending to a drug addict who fails to recover because he keeps getting fix after fix.
"But, you know, if you don't get off the drugs, if you're an alcoholic, and you're about to ruin your liver, I tell you what, if you don't quit, the patient dies," he said.
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From CNN Politics
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The nasty campaign begins from the Republicans.
Go get'm doctor! I'm telling you Republicans your only hope to win is to nominate Ron Paul. He's the only non sleazebag in the bunch! Huntsman is ok too I suppose, but the rest of them are all shifty bigots.
Newt popularity isn't bewildering to me. He demonstrates just how dense the Republican voter actualy is. They whine about morals and ethics, and then pick a man who's cheated on two wifes that we know of, and been married three times. A guy who was thrown out of Congress by his own party for corruption and ethics violations. The reason Republican voters like him is because they are just as corrupt as he is, and they know it. He's definitly, "their man".
Children, children, children, can't we all just get along? Just kidding, keep up the good work tea clowns.
Negative Attacks? Since when is it a " negative attack" to tell Voters the truth? I applaud Dr. Paul. Everything he stated is verifiable.
Someone needs to expose him, it's hysterical that he's the darling of the family values crowd. Typical republican, no ethics, no values, no convinctions.
This is the most positive CNN article on Dr. Paul to date...
How could anyone in the GOP support Gingrich. He is an embarrasment to our Party.
We have one chance to appeal Obamacare. Do you think Mitt (Obama care is based off of RomneyCare in MA) or Gingrich (Mr. I am against individual mandates, no wait I am for them. Yes that is what the Health Care Companies paid me to say, I am for them) will appeal it? No. Ron Paul will along with a whole lot of other Deficit busting cuts. Our children's future depends on this election. Don't let them down, vote for Ron Paul and end big goverment.
Ron Paul has a chance to win votes from the independents as well as republicans and could actually win the election. I bet more US citizens claim to be independents everyday, because we are sick of the politics of the republicans and the democrats. You have to cut spending, welfare, war, etc. and increase taxes on the wealthy. A multi-millionare can live on capital gains, taxed at 10% and take no salary, while I have no appreciable capital gains and pay 25% on my middle class (barely) income.
Newt is only in the race to make money. He has already stolen 42000 dollars from his contributors by selling his own email list to his campaign. Seriously he sold his own email list to his own campaign and for more than what Ron Paul's Presidential salary would be. He will be out of the race by March. Mark my word.
Go get 'em, Ronald.
Newt Gingrich deserves to have this kind of shot lobbed at him. He is a man with no character, a political chameleon who does what it takes to profit off the situation. It's time for HONEST leadership.
He has to "expose" Newt?!? Are WIener pix next?
Ron Paul : The Greatest Patriot of our time
Let the fighting begin! Got to give it to you Mr Paul!!!!! you forgot to mention he is a old, sour face that looks like he is constipated, fat, prejudice pig , that cheats on his wife. Next time bring that up. ROMNEY-PAUL 2012
How quickly we forgot the sins of the past... I am standing with Paul on this one.... Just because he is the flavor of the week doesn't mea that he represents the right any more than any other failed campaigner has this year. It will all come down to who represents the party best. I am hoping that we wake up and realize that idiologically, we should be standing behind Ron Paul.
Keep up the heat Ron Paul! You're the one to beat and they are failing all by themselves.
Good for you Congressman Paul.
The past is the past.
No one should be judged by things 15-20 years in the past. Let's talk about things are are in current time, and not yesteryear.
Newt is a fraud, and I'm happy Ron is willing to do the media's dirty work because they are in the bag for the pro-establishment Gingrich.
Expose Newt? Just give him a 'wedgie' and we'll call it good, please?~
I switched my party from democrat to republican to vote for Ron Paul in the primary!
If he wins then Ill vote for him again in the general. If Newt or Romney wins, Ill be voting for Obama come November!
Ron Paul 2012!!! The rest are just nails in our coffin!!!
What I've never understood is why no one had the stones to call out Gingrich on his affair with Wife #3 (Callista) when married to Wife #2, while he was hounding Clinton for his extramarital activities? The most mention it got in the MSM was a fleeting reference in Vanity Fair to Callista being a "frequent breakfast companion" of Gingrich's when everyone KNEW he was cheating on his wife.
Go get him Mr. Paul. The American people (the majority of us) know the lizard for what he is, and we are not going to be taken in by his lies.
I think all old people are allowed to call each other names! Go Uncle Ron!
Just sent a big contribution to Paul's campaign. Newt Gingrich must not be allowed near the White House.
We already know about Gingrich, the problem is that people just don't care about those details.
Paul has some really good ideas and a different way of looking at things but then he has some tripped our ideas also.
I want to support him but I really do not think he could handle the job.
I admire Ron Paul, but do not agree with his policies. He is an honest man. Someone needs to expose Newt Gingrich to the unknowing american public. Gingrich is a very dangerous man. Someone in the Republican party needs to speak up about this man. He is very unstable, far out and capable of doing a lot of harm to the United States. Iwould hate to see him go against that nut in North Korea. Come on Republicans, be an American for a change.
I am a dem and I'd vote for Paul. It's not about partisianship, it's about honesty and integrity. Most politicians on either side of the fence have sold theirs to the highest bidder.
Paul for t3h win.
When he criticizes someone there's some actual gravity to it.
I'm a very moderate democrat.
I'd actually vote for Ron Paul (over Obama) if he were the GOP candidate.
I believe we have now solved the mystery of the Mayan calander, they were predicting the rise of Newt Gingrich. As a moderate conservative independent, the far right's (tea party inflicted) desire to do a Kamakaze mission on the country causes me anger. This election is far to important. We need to get America back to work, and simply can not afford four more years of the same.
Seriously, how is Newt a frontrunner? Do people just not give a damn about his history?
He has my vote, my father's vote, my mother's vote, my brother's vote, and several of my friends. I also had my Ron Paul sweatshirt on the other day while eating in a restaurant and a stranger approached me to shake my hand and compliment me. It felt great. I trust this man more than the the typical politicians who say one thing and operate differently behind closed doors. -Ryan, 24 year old high school social studies teacher! God Bless America!