Things are starting to heat up as those seeking the Republican presidential nomination are trying to stand apart from both Obama and each other. In particular, opinions on foreign policy have brought much debate and recently, some serious mudslinging.

In an interview on Monday, Senator Lindsey Graham (R- South Carolina) called Senator Rand Paul (R- Kentucky) weak on foreign policy. He went as far as to say that Paul was even less aggressive than President Obama.

“Generally speaking, [Paul’s] been more wrong than right,” said Graham. “He has an isolationist view of the world that I don’t share.”

Although reluctant to elaborate at first, Graham eventually opened up on how he thinks Paul compares with Obama or Hilary Clinton on foreign policy.

“Rand Paul is one step behind leading from behind. So yes, even Obama is more aggressive. Obama believes you can kill Anwar al-Awlaki without getting a court order. Obama believes you can hold enemy combatants, unlawful enemy combatants at Gitmo, with a criminal trial because this is law-of-war detention. So Rand Paul is behind Obama, not just Hilary Clinton.”

In a race that will most likely focus on international relations rather than the economy, these are fighting words. In less than 24 hours, Senator Paul responded in an interview on Fox News.

“These people are essentially the lapdogs for President Obama and I think they’re sensitive about that,” said Paul, referring to Lindsey Graham as well as John McCain.

The Kentucky Senator went on to explain how the two Congressman had been “wrong about every policy issue over the last two decades.”

“They supported Hillary Clinton’s war in Libya; they supported President Obama’s bombing of Assad; they also support President Obama’s foreign aid to countries that hate us. So if there is anyone who is most opposed to President Obama’s foreign policy, it’s me. People who call loudest to criticize me are great proponents of President Obama’s foreign policy — they just want to do it ten times over,” said Paul, reciting the list off the top of his head.

Senator Paul declared his intention to run for president in 2016 earlier this month. Senator Graham is currently “91 percent sure” he will run.