LOUISVILLE — Republicans Trey Grayson and Rand Paul exchanged sharp words on the issue of Guantanamo Bay, and Democrats Jack Conway and Daniel Mongiardo squabbled about their alliances with coal.
During a heated forum for U.S. Senate candidates Thursday at a Kentucky Association of Counties conference, Secretary of State Grayson criticized Bowling Green eye surgeon Paul for supporting President Obama's policy of closing the $200-million detention facility for terrorists at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.
Grayson's supporters distributed copies of a page on Paul's campaign Web site in May that said Paul "couldn't agree more" with a comment by U.S. Military Chief Mike Mullen that Guantanamo should be shut down.
Paul, the son of Republican U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, who ran unsuccessfully for president last year, responded that Grayson should learn how to read.
In a later interview, Paul said the Web site Grayson referred to did not accurately state his position on Guantanamo.
He said the comment attributed to him was on a Web site that two students had used to draft him as a candidate and that the information was not correct.
Paul also apologized for saying Grayson should learn how to read.
"I lost my temper," Paul said. "He was just saying things about me that were not true."
Later Thursday, Paul's campaign posted a statement on his Web site that said he disagreed with the administration's decision to close the Guantánamo center and try terrorism suspects in U.S. civil courts.
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