Boy, is it getting nasty out there. And I'm not talking the ads either.

Last week, when the candidates were still in Florida, trying to drum up primary votes, there was a little...how do you say it?...incident between a Ron Paul supporter and Newt Gingrich's security detail. Things got a little heated:

Yahoo!’s Chris Moody reports that [Eddie] Dillard, decked out in a “Ron Paul Rocks America” T-shirt and wielding a “Ron Paul 2012″ sign, became a target for Gingrich’s security personnel when he refused to move from one of Gingrich’s Primary Day campaign stops.

Dillard’s opposing signage was, apparently, too close to Gingrich and his wife Callista, so security attempted to nudge Dillard out of the way. Dillard held his ground until security decided to take action. Moody writes:

Gingrich aides and security personnel swarmed Dillard, trying to intimidate him into moving. One of Gingrich’s security agents stepped in front of him. When Dillard didn’t budge, the agent lifted his heeled shoe over Dillard’s bare foot and dug the back of it into his skin, twisting it side-to-side like he was stomping out a cigarette

Dillard attempted to photograph the action but his phone was knocked out of his hand. One Gingrich campaign aide shouted, “Just block him! …Everyone step on his toes!”

You know, I find these Ron Paul supporters annoying myself, but there's no call for that kind of behavior. Maybe simple humanity is too much to expect from a Gingrich staffer. You can bet money talks to them, though. And Dillard is making sure to hit them where they hurt, having filed a lawsuit against Gingrich and his security team for assault and battery, seeking an unspecified amount of damages.

Wonder if Sheldon Adelson is willing to bankroll Newt for that too.