Ron Paul video hits Gingrich for 'serial hypocrisy'

GOP presidential hopeful Ron Paul released a scathing video attacking rival Newt Gingrich for what the Texas congressman calls "serial hypocrisy" on issues such as climate change and Medicare.

The ad uses Gingrich's own words to make its point that the former House speaker is not, as the Paul campaign says, a consistent conservative. In one example, there is a clip from a commercial Gingrich made with House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi that "our country must take action to address climate change."

In another example, Paul uses Gingrich's now-famous comments that a Medicare plan by House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., is "right-wing social engineering."

The Paul video also reminds viewers that Gingrich has received lucrative payments from Freddie Mac and health care companies since leaving Congress in 1999.

"Our campaign is making a bold move to debunk the myth that the Newt we are seeing on the 2012 campaign trail is the conservative he has been touted to be all along," Jesse Benton, Paul's campaign chairman, said in a statement Wednesday.

Paul's campaign said it plans to e-mail the video to its "far-reaching e-mail list of conservative voters" across the country, including in early voting states such as Iowa and New Hampshire. The campaign will also purchase banner ads on national and state websites that attract conservative readers.

Gingrich has risen to the top of national opinion polls for the GOP nomination, positioning himself as the latest candidate who can be an alternative to rival Mitt Romney.

He's called the commercial with Pelosi "the dumbest mistake I ever made" and apologized for his comments about the Ryan budget plan. And he has said repeatedly that he has not lobbied since leaving Congress, amid reports by Bloomberg News, The New York Timesand others that have shown he has earned millions for his post-speakership activities.

Gingrich has said he is "a lot more conservative than Mitt Romney," which has sparked Romney to fight back and say he is more electable than the former speaker.