Paul denies writing racist articles

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 (UPI) -- Republican U.S. presidential contender Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, said he didn't write articles containing racist remarks in a newsletter published in his name.

The newsletters, which were written in the late 1980s and 1990s, were published under Paul's name and didn't list any other authors, CNN reported Friday.

The newsletters include an article that said Los Angeles restored order after the 1992 riots when black residents went "to pick up their welfare checks" and an article that describes civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. as a "pro-Communist philanderer."

Paul said he didn't write the articles and he doesn't know who the true authors were.

"When you bring this question up, you're really saying, 'You're a racist' or 'Are you a racist?' And the answer is, 'No, I'm not a racist,'" he said.

However, David Gergen, a senior political analyst for CNN, indicated the articles could be damaging to Paul's reputation.

"I must say I don't think there's an excuse in politics to have something go out under your name and say, 'Oh by the way, I didn't write that," he said.