recently published about 30 excerpts that many would consider inflammatory.

"You published a for-profit newsletter under your own name for decades, didn't know it included extremely offensive statements," Tapper noted. "Assuming what you're saying is 100 percent true, you did not see these sentences, doesn't this call into question your management style?"

"Well, yeah, I think so," Paul agreed. "But nobody -- I don't think anybody in the world has been perfect on management, everybody that's ever worked for them. So, yes, it's a flaw. But I think it's a human flaw."

Tapper also asked Paul about a former staffer who claimed that the candidate had suggested President George W. Bush had known ahead of time about the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

"That's complete nonsense," an irritated Paul objected. "About the conspiracy of Bush -- of Bush knowing about this? No, no, come on. Come on. Let's be reasonable. That's just off the wall."

In a statement to Right Wing News last week, former senior aide Eric Dondero wrote that Paul shared the beliefs of some so-called 9/11 truthers.

"He engaged in conspiracy theories including perhaps the attacks were coordinated with the CIA, and that the Bush administration might have known about the attacks ahead of time," Dondero said.