Paul questions Gingrich's draft deferment
Posted by
CNN's Kevin Liptak

(CNN) - Ron Paul issued a new hit on Newt Gingrich Thursday, suggesting his rival was incautious by taking a hawkish stance on U.S. defense while having deferred military service himself.

"He's probably as aggressive with the military as anybody," Paul said on Fox News. "He supports all the wars in the Middle East a thousand times more than I would. But you know in the nineteen-sixties when I was drafted in the military, he got several deferments. He chose not to go. Now he'll send our kids to war."

Paul, who has seen a recent jump in Iowa polls, served as a surgeon for the U.S. Air Force in the 1960s after graduating from medical school.

Gingrich was an active student during the 1960s, earning a bachelors degree from Emory University in 1965 and a masters from Tulane in 1968. He later earned a Ph.D from Tulane.

In his criticism of Gingrich Thursday, Paul noted an explanation the former speaker has given about his deferments.

"At that time he said that one person wouldn't make a difference," Paul said. "He didn't see how he could make a difference. So I see that as important information. People should know that. It reflects on him."

Thursday's comments aren't the first time Paul has gone after Gingrich. The Texas congressman released a round of negative television ads last week, painting Gingrich as inconsistent and not sufficiently conservative. The ads ran in Iowa and New Hampshire.

A spokesman for Gingrich did not reply to a request for reaction to Paul's comments.

  http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/15/paul-questions-gingrichs-draft-deferment/?iref=obnetwork