Texas Rep. Ron Paul continues to discredit Republican presidential rival Newt Gingrich for accepting $1.6 million from Freddie Mac during a stint in the private sector.
“This is the epitome of the bailouts and the problem,” Paul said of the housing agency and its counterpart Fannie Mae. “They’re still in business of receiving taxpayers' money. It’s a deeply flawed system.
Appearing on NBC’s “Meet the Press” today, Paul said Gingrich should give the money back.
“Legally, he doesn’t have to, but I would think morally, him having received this money, yes,” Paul told host David Gregory. “I wouldn’t have taken their money.”
On the topic of the GOP field, Paul said Gingrich, the front-runner, and Mitt Romney, the former front-runner, “come from the same mold” and have philosophies that are “close,” adding that Romney is “more diplomatic.”
“They more or less support the status quo,” Paul said. “They’re all a variation of defending the status quo.”
He would not commit to endorsing a candidate if he loses in Iowa next month, nor would he say whether he would jump to a third party and continue his campaign.
Addressing the issue of the Middle East, which arose because of Gingrich’s debate comments about the Palestinian culture, Paul said the United State should steer clear of trying to interfere in the volatile region.
“A lot of people die over there — a lot of people die on both sides — and I don’t think we have the wisdom to sort that out, nor do we have the authority to sort that out,” he said. “That’s why I think it’s such a wise thing to do, to follow our founders and not pretend that we know who the bad people are.”
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