Ron Paul Rejects Donald Trump Moderated Debate And Sparks Fly

By Jason M. Volack
[link to abcnews.go.com]

What started out as a simple dismissive email from Republican presidential hopeful Ron Paul rejecting a Donald Trump-moderated debate has turned into a full blown war of words between the two men.

The exchange got personal, with Paul questioning Trump’s financial competency, accusing him of mismanaging his finances, and Trump issuing a statement saying Paul was “willing to lie” and “either very jealous of Mr. Trump, stupid, or a combination of both.”

The exchanged started earlier today when Paul joined fellow presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman in bowing out of a Trump-moderated presidential debate sponsored by conservative website Newsmax.com and planned for Dec. 27 in Des Moines, Iowa.

Paul’s campaign chairman, Jesse Benton, distributed a scathing press release saying that Trump’s participation “is beneath the office of the Presidency and flies in the face of that office’s history and dignity.”

“Mr. Trump’s participation as moderator will distract from questions and answers concerning important issues such as the national economy, crushing federal government debt, the role of the federal government, foreign policy, and the like,” Benton said.

Benton called the choice of Trump as a moderator “wildly inappropriate” and said his presence at the debate will “contribute to an unwanted circus-like atmosphere.”

“Therefore, our candidate Ron Paul, the champion of the Constitution, has advised he will not attend,” Benton concluded.

Trump did not take the rejection well....