Texas Governor Rick Perry,The Republican Presidential Debate and Flip Flops
Posted: Saturday, September 10, 2011
by Judge Dred
September 7, 2011's Republican Presidential debate featured Texas Governor Rick Perry's first appearance with his fellow candidates for the Republican nomination in the 2012 election. Of great interest to the viewing public was Perry's stance on Social Security, which was brought to light in his book, Fed Up. The Governor did not disappoint. He ran straight into a self constructed buzzsaw. This is what he had to say about Social Security:
The people operating the buzzsaw that Perry ran into included fellow candidate Mitt Romney, Karl Rove and the ever present Dick Cheney. After being verbally assailed, Perry apparently had a slight change of heart. On 9/9/2011, while in Newport Beach, CA, Perry was asked if he wanted to abolish Social Security because it's a Ponzi scheme. Perry's answer?
"I'd say that's misinformation. We just want to fix it".
An interesting turn of events. He was then asked if his record had been distorted. Perry's answer? Silence. His opinion went from Social Security being a "Ponzi scheme" and "a monstrous lie" to "just wanting to fix it". The Ponzi scheme turned into misinformation.In a matter of 48 hours, we witnessed Flip Flop#1.
Flip Flop#2
Perry rejected a 555 million portion of stimulus money for Texas in 2009. The funds would have gone toward unemployment benefits for out of work Texans. He did not accept the funds because he stated that Texas would have been obligated to expand unemployment coverage, which would have created a tax burden on the state.
What did this proponent of keeping the Federal Government out of state affairs proceed to do in July 2009? Ask the Feds for a 170 million dollar loan to cover....Texas unemployment benefits. Wouldn't it have been simpler to take the stimulus money?
Flip Flop#3
February 2010. 47 state and territorial governors sent a letter to the Obama Administration asking for more federal matching funds concerning Medicare. Who was one of the state executives that did not sign on to this letter? You guessed it, Rick Perry. On August 25, 2010, Perry wrote a letter that was not intended to be publicized to the Obama Administration, asking for the same Medicare funds. A case of Perry being against the funds before he was for them? Determined to keep those Feds out of Texas affairs?
Take a look at his letter here: http://www.texasobserver.org/media/k2/attachments/O-SebeliusKathleen201008250609.pdf
Flip Flop#4
Texas has been mired in heat waves and wildfires for the better part of 2011. In order to balance his most recent budget, Perry reduced funding to volunteer fire department assistance grants. In Texas, volunteer firefighters do 80 percent of the wildland firefighting*. This left these brave volunteers without much of the equipment needed to perform their tasks.
What did Governor Perry, the man who wants to make the Federal Government "inconsequential" do? Criticize the same Federal Government for not responding (in Perry's opinion) fast enough to his request for Federal funding to make up for the monies that he cut in his budget. He asked the Feds for disaster relief. Hey Rick, that'll show everyone how a real states rights governor works!
If Rick Perry wins the Republican nomination to run for President in 2012, President Obama may as well get fitted for his inaugural ball tuxedo right now. There won't be enough rubber in all of the United States to make the flip flops that Perry will have to wear back to Austin, Texas.
By the way, Perry lives in a rental mansion in Austin which has cost Texas taxpayers over $600,000 since 2007. Yes, the Governor's mansion was burned by an arsonist in 2008, but he will cut essential services (schools, firefighter funding) and continue to live in an expensive, gated community at taxpayer expense? No wonder he's the darling of the Tea Party. Thumbing his nose at middle and lower class, while living the splendid life on their backs. Couldn't find a place just a little cheaper?
I'm just sayin'......
Until next time.
JD
* Credit: Patrik Jonsson, Science Christian Monitor, September 7, 2011
This Article has been viewed 499 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
Top-level comments on this article: (3 total)InterestingHi Marijo,
Thanks, as always, for reading and commenting.
JD
Great article - I'm no fan of Rick Perry.Hi Jean,
The more I learn about "Slick Rick", the more wary I become. He's a real piece of work. Stay tuned, for the best is yet to come with Perry. Thanks for reading and commenting.
JDI've been living in Texas for about 25 years now and I can say Mitt Romney had it right when he said that being dealt 4 aces doesn't make you a good poker player. Perry can hardly take credit for anything here. He inherited it. His biggest contribution so far has been to cut business taxes even further against the advice of his own Republican state controller. She said it would lead to huge budget deficits, she was right. Perry is actually lucky that he can try to blame it on the national economy...Perry, if he has not already, will be exposed as the tell everyone what they want to hear politican that he truly is. I will post my thoughts on some of the goings on of the 9/12 debate today. Beware of states rights advocates in finely tailored suits....
Hi Greg,
I believe that you and I have probably drawn similar conclusions when it comes to Perry. Just listen to him answer a question. Ask him about what he had for dinner last night, and the answer is always the same....." why spend time talking about that, when I can talk about how I created jobs in Texas'. It wil only get better from here! Thanks for reading and commenting.
JD
We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.