Democrat Jack Conway ran into trouble defending his accusations against Kentucky Senate challenger Republican Rand Paul on MSNBC’s “Hardball” Monday night, with host Chris Matthews drilling Conway for a campaign ad attacking Paul.

Matthews interrogated Conway on why, as the attorney general of Kentucky, he would take an anonymous source at her word about allegations of questionable behavior by Paul from more than 30 years ago – including accusations that Paul tied the unnamed woman up and forced her to kneel before an “Aqua Buddha.”

Matthews said he thought it was pretty flimsy for a candidate to base his entire campaign on an anonymous source making allegations of questionable, but not necessarily illegal, behavior that is three decades old – and asked, to no clear answer, whether Conway ever did anything out of line while in college.

Matthews backed off and asked a few softball questions before heading back into whether or not Conway was questioning Paul’s faith with his ad. Conway said he is not questioning Paul’s faith – he would only say, about Paul, “I think he has to answer why he mocks people of faith why he’s in college.”

WATCH: Jack Conway’s ad attacking Rand Paul

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BCa8xw9yGY&feature=player_embedded#