Gingrich and Paul Trade Blows on War Record and 'Chicken Hawk' Claim at NH Debate

Republican candidate for president Texas Rep. Ron Paul has called former House Speaker Newt Gingrich a "chicken hawk," for voting to send American troops into war while having never personally served in the military. The issue came to a head during Saturday night's ABC News Republican presidential primary debate from New Hampshire.

"I think people who don't serve when they could and they get three or four or even five deferments, they have no right to send our kids off to war," Rep. Paul said Saturday. "I'm trying to stop the wars, but at least, you know, I went when they called me up."

"Dr Paul has a long history of saying things that are inaccurate and false,"  Gingrich said when asked about his opinion on Paul's criticism of his deferment from the Vietnam War.  "The fact is I never asked for a deferment, I was married with a child, it was never a question. My father was in fact serving in Vietnam in the Me-Kong delta at the time he’s referring to. I think I have a pretty good idea of what it’s like as a family to worry about your family getting killed. And I personally resent the kind of comments an aspersions he routinely makes without accurate information."

Ready for Gingrich's response, Paul pointed to the fact that he was married with two kids when he was drafted but, unlike Gingrich, went. The audience applauded Paul's comeback, drowning out Gingrich's response that he "wasn't eligible for the draft."

ABC News video of the heated exchange:

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