Jay Leno to Ron Paul: 'You should be kicking someone's ass right now'

January 8, 2008 - In a freewheeling sit-down with the Tonight Show's Jay Leno just a day ahead of the New Hampshire primary, Republican presidential hopeful Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) called out Fox News, skewered GOP rival Rudy Giuliani and looked across the aisle to praise fellow presidential long shot Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH).

Kicking off the interview with a discussion of his exclusion from Sunday evening's Republican presidential debate on the Fox News, Paul accused the network of not airing views that deviated from the Republican mainstream.

"Maybe they're intimidated, maybe they're frightened," said Paul. "Maybe they don't want to know the truth...you know I've been trying to figure out what to do. And I thought, 'Well, maybe I ought to sue them.'...I've decided what to sue them over, and that is for fraud. Because of this 'fair and balanced idea.

Leno, who expressed disappointment that Paul had been snubbed from the forum, said the candidate had a right to be mad.

"You don't seem like that type," said the host, "but it seems like you should be kicking somebody's ass right now."

Turning his attention to party rivals for the GOP presidential nod, Paul said he feared that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney was losing support because of his Mormon faith.

"One thing I'm a little bit afraid of is that they might be doing that for religious reasons, and I don't like that," he said. " I disagree with Romney on some of the issues, and he's gone after me on the stage, but that shouldn't be the reason that he doesn't do well."

But Paul had no kind words for former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, with whom the congressman shared a heated exchange about the nature of terrorism during a Republican debate in May of last year. When Paul had asserted that U.S. policy was in part to blame for the Sept. 11 attacks, Giuliani demanded that the candidate retract his statement.

"You know when we had a little confrontation early on in the debates with Mayor Giuliani, you know - and he was confused about what causes terrorism - I sent him some books," Paul told Leno. "And I said 'Please read these books.' But so far, it doesn't sound like he's read his books. He hasn't done his homework."

Pressed by Leno as to whom he would support among Democratic contenders, Paul said that Kucinich had his respect - though certainly not his vote.

"He understands civil liberties," said Paul. "He understands a lot about foreign policy...I have a lot of respect for him, but we would disagree on economic policy."

The respect is apparently mutual. In November, Kucinich told supporters he was "thinking about Ron Paul" as a running mate should he win the Democratic nomination.