Showing signs that he is in the GOP presidential race for the long haul, Rep. Ron Paul expressed further concern over Mitt Romney’s record on Wednesday morning.

Asked by Morning Joe co-host Mika Brezinzski if he thought Romney was a “big-government conservative,” Paul agreed with that label.

“I would think so,” he said. “If you go by his record, he certainly couldn’t be Governor of Massachusetts and really be a strict conservative. And I think that’s been rehashed quite a few times on the positions he’s held as governor and the positions he holds now.”

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He added: “The last thing we need is anybody who is sympathetic maybe for TARP fund bailouts and single mandates. I think we’ll get demolished in a general election if we’re tainted with that. Because once again, like Joe says, there’s a large base in the Republican party who are saying we’ve been stung too many times with people who aren’t convincing enough good conservatives.”

WATCH: Video from MSNBC, which was broadcast on January 11, 2012.

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