Texas Rep. Ron Paul is running second behind Romney in Iowa, despite a recent controversy over bigoted comments published in a newsletter bearing his name in two decades ago. On Thursday, Paul continued with his campaign theme of criticizing the bailout of Wall Street firms.

Rep. Ron Paul: “Their special interests have benefited, the Wall Streeters get bailed out, and the debt is being dumped on the people. And that has to be reversed, let me tell you.”

Paul’s campaign received a boost this week after the Iowa chair of Rep. Michele Bachmann’s campaign joined his team. On Thursday, Bachmann told reporters the defection was due to financial reasons, a claim Paul denies.

Rep. Michele Bachmann: “He had told me specifically that he was offered money, a great deal of money, from the Ron Paul campaign, and that’s why he was leaving.”