Joseph Gerth and James R. Carroll

The Courier-Journal

Add University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto to the list of people speaking out against U.S. Senate write-in candidate Robert Ransdell, a neo-Nazi who used the school's Constitution Week to spew anti-Semitic hatred on campus.

"The remarks were offensive and appalling. And though cloaked in the garment of free speech, the words reflect a remarkable level of anger and ignorance," Capilouto said in a statement emailed to UK students and faculty on Friday.

"Everyone is free to believe what they believe; and say what they want to say. But the language of hate aimed at the diminishment of anyone has no place in our community and is contrary to the values of our University," he wrote.

On Wednesday, Ransdell, who earlier in the week placed yard signs in Northern Kentucky saying "With Jews We Lose," was invited to attend the event at UK to speak about the Constitution.

What angered people most about Ransdell's speech was that there were students from Hardin County High School, Louisville's duPont Manual High School, Corbin High School and Bethlehem High School in attendance.

The university said in a statement that Ransdell was invited to speak because he had qualified and registered as a write-in candidate for the November election. Furthermore, the school said it didn't know what he was going to talk about.

"The University Of Kentucky was not aware of the content of his remarks prior to him speaking and does not condone or endorse any political platform or agenda," spokeswoman Kathy Johnson said in a statement.

The Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League have been tracking Ransdell, who has been involved in white supremacist groups for years.

• Two views of Paul: He doesn't have a beard ,and as far as we know he doesn't spend much time on yachts or exotic islands.

And Kentucky's Rand Paul certainly doesn't say "Stay thirsty, my friends."

The Republican senator may not match the Dos Equis Beer man as "the most interesting man in the world," but Politico Magazine does call Paul "the most interesting man in politics."

"There's no doubt Rand Paul is turning out to be a different kind of Republican, bringing libertarian — and contrarian — ideas to the national stage in a novel and calculated blurring of Washington's otherwise rigid ideological battle lines," the magazine says in its September/October issue devoted to "50 Ideas Changing Politics (And the People Behind Them)."

The Democratic National Committee, on the other hand, is less intrigued. Ever on the lookout for ammunition to use against would-be 2016 Republican presidential candidates like Paul, the DNC sees the senator as a bundle of contradictions.

So much so, in fact, that the committee last week put out an ad in which Paul debates himself.

"It's been a big week for Rand Paul," the DNC says. "His shifting views on issue after issue have come under scrutiny. His aides continue to talk back his unpopular or ill-conceived positions. And Paul himself refuses to even acknowledge whether he has changed his mind or if he is simply trying to maintain contradictory positions on multiple issues."

• Ahead in N.H.: Paul is leading the potential Republican presidential field in New Hampshire, according to a new CNN/ORC International poll.

But it's within the margin of error.

Even so, that's a stronger showing for him in the first-in-the-nation primary state than in Iowa, where Paul last week was in third place in a poll by the same organizations.

Paul, who was in New Hampshire a little over a week ago, has the support of 15 percent of registered Republicans and GOP-leaning independents in the state, the CNN/ORC survey finds.

But right behind him are former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, each with 10 percent; New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee are each pulling 9 percent; and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum each have 3 percent.

The margin of error in the poll is plus or minus 5 percentage points.

• Tripping: As Paul is mulling his options for 2016, he's been including healthy doses of Iowa and New Hampshire stops in his schedule — with seven in all since last year.

His most recent two days in New Hampshire constituted his third visit to the state since May of last year.

Paul also has already hit Iowa four times since May last year.

That's the tally put together by NBC News.

Reporter Joseph Gerth can be reached at (502) 582-4702. Follow him on Twitter@Joe_Gerth. Reporter James R. Carroll can be reached at (703) 854-8945. Follow him on Twitter@JRCarrollCJ.