Paul: Gingrich 'chickened out' of military service

Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul on Wednesday said that a draft dodger like former House Speaker Newt Gingrich had no business sending kids to war.

In his speech following finishing fourth in the Iowa caucuses Tuesday night, Gingrich had said that Paul's "views on foreign policy I think are stunningly dangerous for the survival of the United States."

"I don't want to ever fight a war that's unconstitutional," Paul responded in an interview with CNN's Soledad O'Brien the next morning. "And I'm the dangerous person?"

"You know when Newt Gingrich was called to service in the 1960s, during the Vietnam era, guess what he thought about danger? He chickened out on that and he got deferments, didn't even go," Paul added. "Right now, he sends these young kids over there to endure the danger. ... So, Newt Gingrich has no business talking about danger because he's putting other people in danger. Some people call that kind of program a chicken hawk, and I think he falls into that category."

O'Brien also asked Paul about a tweet that seemed to be mocking Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman's last place finish in Iowa.

"Obviously, I didn't send it," Paul admitted. "I haven't talked about Jon Huntsman in a long time so I don't know what's going on there."

"It was sort of a snitty message that was sent out under your name -- under your Twitter handle, @RonPaul -- was sent to another candidate, fellow candidate and kind of a snarky message," O'Brien explained. "You're saying you don't tweet for yourself."

"Yeah, I have some help on tweeting," Paul replied. "Yes."

The Texas Republican has also recently claimed that he did not know who published racist newsletters in his name in the 1990s.

Watch this video from CNN's American Morning, uploaded Jan. 4, 2012.