"If he wins the presidency, Perry wants us to believe he'll strip that office of some of its power. Don't believe it."

Perry's words about government power contradict his actions

8/22/11

DeWayne Wickham
Statesman Journal
Copyright 2011

When Texas Gov. Rick Perry said the day he entered the race for the Republican presidential nomination that he'd "work every day to make Washington, D.C., as inconsequential in your life as I can," did he mean he wants the presidency to be as powerless as the job he now holds?

When Perry lobbed this potshot at President Obama — "You can't win the future by selling America off to foreign creditors" — was he thinking of his own failed attempt to use foreign investments and tolls to finance a controversial $175 billion road project in the Lone Star State?

When he said at the end of this speech that "the people are not subjects of government," government "is subject to the people," was Perry channeling the rage of the Texas farmers who successfully fought off his effort to seize their land to build that 4,000-mile Trans-Texas Corridor?

The newest addition to the long list of Republican presidential wannabes, Perry is the longest-serving chief executive of Texas, a state in which the lieutenant governor and House speaker, arguably, have more control over the economy than does the governor. This unusual distribution of power is the product of a state constitution written in the wake of the Reconstruction period when governors, often chosen by the federal government, ran Texas and other former Confederate states with a heavy hand.

If he wins the presidency, Perry wants us to believe he'll strip that office of some of its power. Don't believe it. Perry wants us to think that if he ends up in the Oval Office, he'll usher in an era of smaller government. That's probably not going to happen.

What's more likely is that he'll roll back those federal government roles he objects to and expand authority in areas that will advance his right-wing agenda.

How might he do this?

In his 2010 book, Fed Up! Our Fight to Save America from Washington, Perry abandons the "strict constructionist" view of the Constitution many Republicans cling to by arguing for an amendment that strips federal judges of their lifetime appointments. He also wants to tip the balance of power in favor of Congress by tweaking the Constitution to give federal lawmakers the power to overturn Supreme Court decisions.

If you think this makes Perry a champion of those who want to bring the reins of power closer to this nation's people, consider this: The tough-talking Texas governor wants to repeal the constitutional amendment that made it possible for voters of every state to elect U.S. senators. Until the 17th amendment was ratified in 1913, state legislatures elected senators.

This from the man who wanted to use his state's power of eminent domain to seize private farm land to build the Trans-Texas Corridor. Also, in an act that many right-wing advocates of individual rights saw as political blasphemy, Perry tried in 2007 to mandate that all sixth-graders in the state get vaccinated against HPV (human papillomavirus), a sexually transmitted disease.

While he seeks to portray himself as a Tea Party devotee, Perry is more of a have-it-my-way conservative whose record presents nothing so compelling as his mixed messages on the role of government in people's lives — and nothing more worrisome than the prospect of how consequential his presidency would be to the life of this nation.

DeWayne Wickham is a columnist for USA Today. Send email to DeWayneWickham@aol.com.


© 2011 Statesman Journal: www.statesmanjournal.com

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Ron Paul: "Rick Perry's poll numbers will fall quickly once voters get to know him better."

Tough talk from Ron Paul on Rick Perry

9/3/11

The Associated Press
Copyright 2011

Republican presidential contender Ron Paul likened Texas Gov. Rick Perry to a "candidate of the week" Friday afternoon and said his Republican opponent's poll numbers would fall quickly 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. "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."

In a 2009 interview, 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."

Paul's aggressive criticism — coupled with his rising media profile — threaten to taint Perry's image among some Republican voters. Paul finished second in the Iowa straw poll and enjoys a passionate following in early voting states like New Hampshire as well. And while he espouses libertarian views, Paul dismissed speculation he would abandon his Republican candidacy for another party.

Asked directly 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."

Since joining the Republican presidential contest last month, Perry has leaped ahead of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in two national polls.

But in an interview on a bike trail along Lake Massabesic Friday afternoon, Paul suggested Perry was simply another "candidate of the week."

"There are a lot of candidates who climbed real fast and went down real fast," Paul said.

The Perry campaign had no immediate comment.

© 2011 Associated Press: www.ap.org

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Rick Perry's “Fed Up!” For Dummies

With debates looming, Rick Perry’s ‘Fed Up!’ becomes required reading



9/2/11

By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
Atlanta Journal Constitution
Copyright 2011

Labor Day approaches, and if you want to understand Republican dialogue this month – we have three presidential debates in the next 20 days – then your weekend reading assignment is obvious.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s “Fed Up!” has suddenly become a required text.

From the NYT’s The Caucus this morning:

In “Fed Up!” Mr. Perry unleashes a passionate, conservative critique against the size, scope and power of the federal government that leads him to condemn Social Security as “a crumbling monument to the failure of the New Deal” and climate change as “all one contrived phony mess.” He also assails the federal income tax and contends that senators should still be selected by legislators instead of voters.

Since he announced his bid for the Republican nomination, Mr. Perry has defended the ideas in his book while allowing aides to distance his campaign from it. His spokesman has called it a “look back, not a path forward,” but when a reporter in Iowa asked him whether he stands by his statements, Mr. Perry claimed not to have “backed off anything in my book.”

Also this morning, Politico.com looks at the book as a treasure trove for Perry’s GOP opponents – particularly Mitt Romney:

Though it’s Perry’s name on the cover of “Fed Up!”, it’s actually not clear which sections of the book Perry composed himself. There are five people listed in the acknowledgments section as contributors, including a former U.S. attorney who is said to have “devoted himself full time to the completion of the original manuscript.” Also listed is Dave Carney, Perry’s senior political strategist.

The liberal Texas Tribune this week posted “Fed Up!” For Dummies, a quick review for those to busy or too cheap to send $16 to Amazon.com. It notes that, ironically, the forward was penned by Newt Gingrich:

Gingrich really likes Rick Perry, his book and his leadership in Texas. Many Californians, Gingrich says, became fed up with their state’s “socialist policies” and moved to Texas “where on average, they are safer, freer and more prosperous.” (Californians, no emails please. Remember, we did not fact-check the book.)

“His position as governor of Texas gives him a tremendous platform for helping us change course and return to sound conservative fiscal policies,” Gingrich writes, clearly not thinking Perry would become a rival for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination (we’ll be watching the upcoming Sept. 7 GOP debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library to see if Gingrich has changed his mind).

© 2011 Atlanta Journal Constitution: ajc.com

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