Ron Paul Debate: Congressman's 9/11 Comments Earn Round of Boos [VIDEO]

While New York Times Columinst and Nobel Prize-winning Economist Paul Krugman stirred up controversy with his Sept. 11 blog, presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul, R, Texas, followed suit, writing a blogpost on Sunday titled, Ask the right questions and face the truth.

In it, the congressman said the motivation for the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks was not a Muslim attack on the way life is lived in the West, but rather because the United States is forcibly occupying foreign countries.

We have to be honest with ourselves. What would we do if another country, say, China, did to us what we do to all those countries over there? Paul asked. If you were to imagine for a moment how you would feel if another country forcibly occupied the United States, had military bases and armed soldiers present in our hometowns, you might begin to understand why foreign occupation upsets people so much, Paul wrote.

But at Monday night's CNN/Tea Party debate in Florida, GOP presidential contender Rick Santorum was having none of it; forcing Paul to answer for himself a day after the 10th nniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.

The former Pennsylvania senator questioned Paul's post, calling it irresponsible, and saying: We were not attacked because of our actions. They want to kill us for who we are and what we stand for.

Paul categorically disagreed saying those sentiments keeps us in danger, and would, for as long as we believe them. Some in the audiences applauded, others booed.