As Tom noted below, Ron Paul will participate in tonight's Fox News debate in Myrtle Beach, S.C. It's a good bet that the good doctor will get one if not more questions regarding this article by James Kirchick in The New Republic.

The article is damning stuff, as Kirchick uncovers newsletters published under Ron Paul's name dating back to 1978 that are full of racist rants and conspiracy-theory peddling.

Here's what Paul has said about the newsletters since the article came out:

"The quotations in The New Republic article are not mine and do not represent what I believe or have ever believed. I have never uttered such words and denounce such small-minded thoughts.

"In fact, I have always agreed with Martin Luther King, Jr. that we should only be concerned with the content of a person's character, not the color of their skin. As I stated on the floor of the U.S. House on April 20, 1999: 'I rise in great respect for the courage and high ideals of Rosa Parks who stood steadfastly for the rights of individuals against unjust laws and oppressive governmental policies.'

"This story is old news and has been rehashed for over a decade. It's once again being resurrected for obvious political reasons on the day of the New Hampshire primary.

"When I was out of Congress and practicing medicine full-time, a newsletter was published under my name that I did not edit. Several writers contributed to the product. For over a decade, I have publicly taken moral responsibility for not paying closer attention to what went out under my name."

Case closed? Read what was in the newsletters and decide for yourself if Paul's answer is sufficient. If he had no idea what was being published under his name for more than decade, it doesn't speak too well for Paul's capacity to be president.