Republican presidential contender Rep. Ron Paul had some tough words for his Republican opponent Texas Governor Rick Perry, calling him “candidate of the week” and said his poll numbers would fall once voters get to know him better.

“He was the one saying, ‘Oh yeah, I’m all for secession,’ and that kind of talk,” Paul told the Associated Press referring to a 2009 interview  in which Perry said there was no reason for Texas to secede from the union, but suggested it was a possibility if Washington political leaders continued to “thumb their nose at the American people.”

“The only thing I would advise is looking into him, looking at his record, and not just taking him at face value. Texas has had a lot of changes in these last eight years, not exactly positive either,” Paul said.

Up until now, Paul had taken a very dismissive approach to Perry, telling a crowd in Fairfield, Iowa in August that Perry would be beneficial to Paul’s campaign.

“He appeals to the status quo, and we don’t represent the status quo. He will dilute the status quo, and he will enhance our campaign,” Paul said.

Paul also dismissed speculation he would abandon his Republican candidacy for another party. When asked directly by the AP whether he had ruled out a third-party bid, Paul said, “Essentially I have.”

“The reason I rule it out, the easiest way, and this is disgusting, because we don’t have a very good Democratic process here. … The Republicans and Democrats write the laws, so they make it very hard to get on the ballot,” Paul said.