Ron Paul didn't shy from an attack ad he is currently running against Rick Santorum that dubs the former senator from Pennsylvania "fake."

Why did he say it?

"Because he's fake," Paul said.

He then added an equally nuanced analysis. "I think his record's so bad as a politician."

Santorum responded by reciting high grades he'd gotten from conservative groups. "I got a hero award," Santorum said.

Paul was unimpressed by the awards and ratings, noting that they come in comparison to a staggeringly unpopular Congress. "You can't just go by the ratings," said Paul.

Santorum defended his votes in favor of Social Security by noting that his elderly constituents needed the income. "All my rich seniors moved to Florida and Arizona," he said, raising the question of whether poor seniors would have carried less weight with him if the rich seniors hadn't left the state.

Santorum said that as president, he wouldn't be held back by the leash that is the moderate Pennsylvania. "Imagine now as president of the United States, with a Tea Party movement and a riled up Republican base," how much he could accomplish, he said.

Before Santorum had finished speaking, Paul's campaign had blasted out a press release noting the many votes Santorum had cast in favor of government spending.