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EDITOR OF REDSTATE

Rick Perry’s Scandalous Skeletons Come Out of the Closet

By: Erick Erickson (Diary)  |  June 17th, 2011 at 01:27 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

At the Republican Leadership Conference this week in New Orleans and even prior to that, I have engaged in conversations with Republican politicos, donors, professional fundraiser, etc. about a possible Rick Perry bid for President.

Inevitably, the conversation goes like this:

THEM: What do you think?

ME: He could be the guy to seal the deal as the anti-Romney guy, but I’m not sure anyone can close the gap.

THEM: He’s a formidable politician and great at retail politics. Almost Clintonesque in how he connects with voters. Much better than Romney.

ME: Well, that’s an added bonus. i hear that about Tim Pawlenty too. And Bachmann fires up the crowd better than probably anyone but Cain.

THEM: Well, yes, but on Perry, the big downside (their voice grows deeper and whispering) is all his personal baggage. You know what I mean.

ME: No.

THEM: Well, he has all sorts of problems and they’ll destroy him with it. That’s why I don’t think he’ll get in. Everybody in Texas knows about this stuff.

Truth be told, I hear this about this with every candidate. Every Republican Presidential candidates is a closet homosexual who engages in mass orgies with women and boys while keeping multiple mistresses on the side hidden from their wives all while funneling highway contracts to their best friends for a kickback.

Every Republican is like that if you believe those candidates’ opponents within the Republican Party.

Rarely do these rumors ever actually become true.

Here’s the thing about Perry and why I typically call bull on these rumors.

Rick Perry was first elected to the Texas Senate in 1984.

In 1990, Perry challenged the incumbent Agriculture Commissioner of Texas and won. He was re-elected in 1994.

In 1998, Perry ran for and was elected Lt. Governor of Texas, then replaced George W. Bush when Bush became President.

Perry was elected Governor in his own right in 2002, again in 2006, and again last year.

Last year’s race saw Perry face Kay Bailey Hutchison, a ruthless politician who was backed by the Bushies with a unified front and Karl Rove, who trained under Lee Atwater.

None of the evil, awful Rick Perry skeletons ever made it out of the closet even against all that.

So we can keep playing the “Rick Perry has skeletons” game, but the odds are pretty damn good if there are any skeletons they’ll stay in the closet.

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  • irishfreedomfighter

    is this personal baggage? All I know about his personal life is that he’s been with his wife since he was a teenager.

  • irishfreedomfighter

    is this personal baggage? All I know about his personal life is that he’s been with his wife since he was a teenager.

  • http://www.peachpundit.com Icarus

    It’s sitting right there on the front lawn…

  • http://www.peachpundit.com Icarus

    It’s sitting right there on the front lawn…

  • Toby Calvert-Lee

    or else all would have been revealed by now. He’s our best candidate (besides, maybe, Bachmann) and he has been faithful to his wife since he was a teenager. You don’t win three terms as governor, and lt. governor, and ag. commisioner, with heavy personal baggage.

  • Toby Calvert-Lee

    Thats the only problem, which is a hell of a lot better then most of the other candidates. Thats the worst thing he’s done and in 12 years, thats not a bad record

  • izoneguy

    In the end it won’t matter.

    Rick signed an executive order. The social conservatives raised a snit.
    It was killed and girls were never given shots.

    The liberal dems were the ones who were devasted by the loss of the HPV shot.
    They wanted it free but now they will have to go pay for it.

    Rick never pursued it but believed he was right.

    Now if the liberal media wants to go visit that “skelton”. Get after it.

    Too bad the liberal media did not pay this much attention to Obama’s beliefs and actions before annoiting him King of America.

    CPAGUY has been beating the drum against Perry on this site.

    He links to a liberal trial lawyers PAC as evidence against Perry.

    His treasure trove of links is driven by a liberal trial lawyer who has a vendetta against Perry. Perry bodyslammed the trial lawyers with the new loser pays law.

    Follow the links:

    http://www.backtobasicspac.org/

    http://www.mostynlaw.com/bio/steve.asp

    http://www.thetruthaboutstevemostyn.com/

    http://www.thetruthaboutstevemostyn.com/files/contributions.pdf

    http://www.texaswatchdog.org/2011/02/texas-watchdog-to-democratic-megadonor-steve-mostyn/1297978639.column

    I will support Rick Perry over sleazy trial lawyers – ANY DAY

    Again, I ask is CPAGUY Steve Mostyn or is CPAGUY a cheerleader for Mostyn and trial lawyers?

  • blooch

    every time Naftie hits the off ramp in Texas lol.

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

    That’s a good one.

    Tell me another one. The one about the Build-a-burgers.

  • acat

    …isn’t the skeleton itself, it’s the whole “don’t talk about sex!” issue it brings along.

    Much easier to say “Don’t like Perry” than to try to defend innoculating prepubescent girls against an STD they may never even be exposed to.

    Mew

  • msctex

    Any Democrat who even mentions the word skeletons after supporting and electing Barrack Obama is opening a box which would make Pandora’s tame by comparison.

    This is of course predicated upon having a candidate who is willing to broach and then tell the truth about his opponent. If Perry is the nominee, at the very least, that is what we will have. The contrast between Perry and McCain will be amazing to behold, and only underscore the degree to which McCain intentionally handed the last election to Obama.

  • izoneguy

    Here is one of the hit websites that Steve Mostyn has bought and paid for with his millions scammed off the backs of Texas taxpayers.

    http://www.handsoffourland.com/getthefacts/

    ?The Trans-Texas Corridor is dead.?

    Even left leaning Politifact says it is mostly true.
    The left will try to tie ANY road project that is within 100 miles of the I-35 corridor as part of the “evil Rick Perry TTC”.
    I guess the left wants more stimulus money from the feds to grant highway projects to their union buddies. I guess you could always pave roads with unicorn crap.

    http://www.politifact.com/texas/statements/2010/jan/18/rick-perry/perry-campaign-says-blog-trans-texas-corridor-dead/

  • blooch

    but I could probably dredge up a tainted beef scandal if I squinted hard. Best I can do for now is Kinky Friedman blaming Republican Ag CommissionerTodd Staples for tainted meat in Texas schools…and You-Know-Who is a former Texas Ag Commish. Hmmm…(wink wink).

  • izoneguy

    Obama: But you tied down young girls to give them shots…..

    Perry: That progam was killed. No girls were ever given any shots.

    Obama: But you signed the executive order “mandating” that shots be given.

    Perry: Well Mr. President there you go again. Let’s talk about a law YOU passed that mandates every American buy insurance. ObamaCare is strangling America and I will repeal it.

    Obama: OK, lets see what the American voters think.

  • acat

    If so, especially if Perry may tend to promote Paul into any position in the executive branch, then .. I may have a problem with Perry.

    Mew

  • zaxour

    I would say his only other blemish is the in-state tuition for illegal aliens. However, he also signed a Voter ID law and has been pushing for tougher border enforcement. Not sure if this is a deal breaker for me even.

  • mustango

    I think there’s a case of not seeing the forest for the trees (I hope I used that cliche correctly) with Texans when it comes to Perry. Anyone in this state who is inclined to hold a grudge against the man can find something that’s happened in the last decade that would justify it.

    That’s just a side effect of something called “being in office”.

    There’s 49 other states that are distant enough to see the bigger picture. A state that gained four electoral votes while only one other state gained as many as two. A state that was minimally impacted by the housing crash (albeit largely because it also by and large sat out the bubble). A state to which jobs continue to flee. That’s gotta be a case of somebody doing something right.

  • izoneguy

    Ron Paul says fellow Texan Rick Perry is ‘very much the status quo’

    http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2011/06/ron-paul-says-fellow-texan-rick-perry-is-very-much-the-status-quo.html

  • blooch

    “The last time Paul ran for president, in 2008, Perry endorsed former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani (R), and not his fellow Texan.”

    http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/166787-ron-paul-dings-gov-perry-for-belonging-to-status-quo

  • izoneguy

    To git her done!!!

    And that is booting Obama out of office……

  • victrola

    but at the same time, I don’t think we should immediately dismiss all rumors against candidates we like, that’s a suicide pact. Just because someone shares our political ideology doesn’t automatically mean they have never had any moral failings.

    I have absolutely no idea of what rumors are floating around about him, but I think it goes without saying that I don’t want to throw an election against Obama because our candidate ended up having personal issues that we ignored because we liked his stump speeches.

    The Guardasil “scandal” will be a non-issue in the general, but I could see someone making some hay with it in the GOP primary. The general election worries I have with Perry are that he may comes across as fringe because of some of the offhand “secession” comments he made (even though I think it’s been blown out of proportion), and his “stemwinder” speeches may paint his as a rabble-rouser (I personally think he needs to tone it down), and also the lazy comparisons the MSM will make to try and morph Perry into Bush 2.0 because he was also Governor of Texas.

    No candidate is perfect, and sometimes you just have to put up with these flaws, but I can still absolutely see Perry beating Obama, and I think he would be a very solid conservative in office.

  • acat

    Good to know Perry seems to be steering well around Ron Paul.

    Mew

  • http://theminorityreportblog.com Repair_Man_Jack
  • Nuclearnerd

    Rick is great at what he does in Texas. The governor has very few powers in Texas. We don’t trust politicians so we limit all their powers. The US government is not like this. I do not trust Perry’s judgement or ability to pick the several thousand appointees he will need. He is also a career politician, 7 years as a farmer between Air Force and TX Senate. He is great for Texas, that does not mean he is great for the US.

  • msctex

    The most extreme, borderline pathological degree of capital “D” Denial is as much of what defines a true Progressive as anything. And if they don’t come to their senses very quickly, they are going to find themselves horrified as exactly what you describe transpires, only worse and over and over again. Every issue will be a home run ball.

    The true degree of Obama’s failure will not be recognized until he is out of office, and grownups have a chance to see the Books as they really are. (Imagine the “Clinton Surplus” in reverse.) But Perry in this scenario has more to work with than any candidate in American history, hands down.

  • tailfins1959

    Do a Google images search on Moe Howard and one on Rick Perry. I hope Perry visits an image consultant before he announces. And yes, I think he (Perry) would be a good nominee and/or President. However, I can’t stop laughing when I juxtapose the two photos.

  • Bill S

    I had the privilege of spending some time with Gov. Perry last summer, and I assure you he looks nothing like that.

  • izoneguy

    That is the issue here.

    We need to pick the person who will run against Obama.

    Last time it was McCain……

    Our country cannot afford to pick wrong again….

    Perry/Jindhal 2012

  • Jonbontx

    Rick Perry in the 2010 election, and even THEY weren’t able to come up with anything. Would have to agree with Erick that there may not be much else hidden.

  • Jonbontx

    Rick Perry in the 2010 election, and even THEY weren’t able to come up with anything. Would have to agree with Erick that there may not be much else hidden.

  • Tbone

    That seems to be the new litmus test.

  • http://www.gmsplace.com/ civil truth

    You rang the bell with this comment.

  • Nixons_The_One

    Well stated. The GOP’s last winning candidate, George W Bush, also had a very long time in the spotlight in Texas- as Rick Perry has, GW Bush as the governor for 6 years, as son of the president, and owner of the Texas Rangers. The DUI charge only came to light in the last few days of the 2000 election, and likely cost GW Bush votes in a very close election (Bush makes this point in his book).

  • jomo2009

    he once removed the tag from his new mattress.

  • izoneguy

    Interview with Democratic Donor Steve Mostyn
    This guy hates Rick Perry.
    He is probably on Redstate reading this.

  • wennejunk

    Its not enough to say who can beat Obama. Romney can do that. What needs to be asked is, “After beating Obama, who has the skill and courage to lead this country back to sanity and stability?”

  • Doc Holliday

    Many insiders and a significant percentage of the GOP electorate are afraid of their own shadows. The MSM ALREADY thinks our candidates have baggage, because they are Republicans.

    You know, I really don’t give a flying fish about what some operative digs up on our candidate. I don’t care if the guy stuffed a dear head in a mail box or a fish down his pants. The problem we have is we have a coalition that turns on itself at the drop of a hat. And one of the legs of the stool expect candidates to be the Second Coming.

    I expect man to be sinful and fallen, this is why I want someone to reduce the size of government. I want the lechers in government to have as little impact on my life as possible. I have my own problems, I don’t need theirs too.

  • izoneguy

    http://thesteadyconservative.com/wordpress/2010/09/01/funding-of-the-democratic-party-in-texas/

    You have to question the intelligence of someone who thinks exchanging Texas? more conservative policies with those of the liberal breed will be good for Texas. Just look around the country and see the difference between blue and red states during this recession. California anyone? Where has our common sense gone? In order for you to give your hard earned money to such a cause you either are not paying attention or you have an alternative motive.

    I would indeed say that is the case for Houston trial lawyer Steve Mostyn. He and his wife have pledged to spend $3 million dollars to elect Bill White and other Democrats in the state of Texas. He is the mastermind behind the ?Coward? ads circulating in Dallas and Houston. They are actually being run by the Back to Basics PAC, which is almost solely funded by Mr. Mostyn. I will let you mull over the irony there. Many Veterans including Marcus Luttrell are not taking the ad lightly.

    ?Bill White should be ashamed of himself for supporting the gutless attacks his supporters have levied against Governor Perry?While Bill White lacked the courage to serve in the military, Governor Perry enlisted in the Air Force after college and truly knows what it means to have served our nation. Bill White is a complete phony who claims to support the military but has instead tried to restrict military voting rights. Bill White needs to take a long look at himself and maybe he will see what a coward really looks like.?

    I would hardly say that Mr. Mostyn and the Democratic Party he is funding hold these values. It is more likely he holds the values of Nancy Pelosi who he met with on her recent fundraising trip to Texas (I guess someone had to meet with her, Democratic politicians were nowhere to be found). On a fundraising trip hosted by the Baron Family. (Fred Baron is another trial lawyer who became famous after admitting he paid off people to keep the John Edwards affair quiet. ) Add to that his displeasure with the new Social Studies curriculum fought for by the State School Board and you get a better picture of what he actually stands for. So you can excuse me if I do not buy into the websites propaganda. Here is another good one.

    ?They ignore Texas families struggling to pay some of the highest homeowner?s insurance rates in the country?

    Remember Mostyn is a trial lawyer. I made the connection above, but Preston puts it nicely I think.

    ?This Back to Basics PAC is bankrolled by Houston trial lawyer Steve Mostyn, a man who has made his millions filing lawsuits that have made Texans? home insurance rates skyrocket in the past few years, while making himself extremely rich. Mostyn?s agenda is to overturn Texas? successful tort reform so that he can keep filing lucrative lawsuits, and trial lawyer Bill White is only too happy to help out with that. If anyone is the coward here, it?s Bill White for hiding behind various front groups and attacking our great Governor from the weeds. Bill White should distance himself from Mostyn immediately and return all political contributions that Mostyn has given him.?

  • izoneguy

    2012 GOP: Mitt Romney, Rick Perry and their 800-pound gorillas

    Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/op-eds/2011/06/2012-gop-mitt-romney-rick-perry-and-800-pound-gorilla#ixzz1PZIq7Njv

    The fact is, the economic fallout has been disastrous for Massachusetts, causing an explosion in demand for services from newly insured people, which has in turn both greatly limited access to care and driven up its cost.

    As voters continue to scrutinize the performance of a state-level CEO and the impact of his policies in the state, it won?t help Romney that the Mercatus Center recently ranked Massachusetts as one of the least free states in the nation, coming in at No. 46, thanks to a morass of ?nanny-state? regulations, of which RomneyCare plays a huge part. (Meanwhile, Texas comes in at No. 14.)

    The lesson learned here is, as a politician with an otherwise good track record, you?re allowed to make a couple of blunders every once in a while?nobody?s perfect. And luckily for Perry, his bad ideas didn?t gain much momentum in Texas.

    Unfortunately for Romney, his whopper of a bad idea not only came to fruition in the state of Massachusetts, but traveled on to Washington to become the worst federal policy in decades.

    And in Republican theology, that?s an unforgivable sin that simply won?t pass muster for the White House nomination.

  • victrola

    and yes, the DUI revelation nearly cost Bush the election, had he got out in front of it early on, it would have been a non-issue. Dubya was someone who had been in the political world his whole life, so that hardly means someone has been fully vetted because they’ve been in the “game” for a while.

    I tend to think we’re going to win in 2012, but if there’s any personal skeletons in our eventual nominee’s closet, all bets are off. Scandals hurt GOP candidates WAY more than they do Democrats, and the MSM looks twice as hard to find them and will make sure they’re aired out 24/7. That’s why people like Newt are complete non-starters, their personal life is simply too messy, and I want to know what we’re looking at before we jump in.

    The 2008 election was the Democrats’ to lose, but can you imagine if Edwards had gotten the nomination? I want a full colonoscopy of all GOP candidates before we go up against Obama.

  • acat

    We may quibble about the details, Doc.. I likely wouldn’t use as much religious imagery.. but that right there? That’s the deal. I want government off my back, out of my career, out of my garage, out of my basement, out of my car, off my lawn, out of my life wherever possible.

    Get me a candidate who can win, and who supports that agenda – and Perry fits that to a ‘T’ – and I’m in.

    Mew

    p.s. – in order:

    My career – sarbox and hippa diverted money from projects that made business-sense to projects that made sense for the auditors, meanwhile tax rates have continued to climb and less and less can be written off.

    My garage – storage and disposal of hazardous chemicals like .. paint thinner, gasoline, old paint, fertilizers, weed killers..

    My basement – that’s where the hot water tank is so .. mandated hot water temperature standards, mandated hot water tank safety features like “won’t start if there’s gas fumes” that add to the cost of replacements even though I don’t store gasoline or paint thinner down there, and .. oh yeah, mandated efficiency for hot water tanks that make fast-recovery tanks difficult to sell…

    My car – fuel efficiency standards, air quality standards, fuel additive requirements, turbocharger waste gate standards, emissions checks…

    My lawn – floods a couple times a year .. so is it a wetland and can the EPA tell me I can’t change the drainage? Also, what about the local government, who can’t replace the undersized street storm drains because of a Federally mandated requirement that they build a detention pond rather than just dumping it into the river?

  • acat

    is “The most conservative candidate who can win in the general election”.

    We can certainly do better than Romney, what this discussion is trying to determine is if Perry is actually better.

    Who do you support?

    Mew

  • http://www.gmsplace.com/ civil truth

    …you need a different brand. Not sure that Romney can convince conservatives or swing voters that he’s offering a different brand rather than a low-calorie version of Obama. So far he’s not doing a good job.

    Gov. Perry offers a different brand. Whether he puts it on the market and whether the decision-makers like it sufficiently to distribute it nationally remains to be seen.

  • izoneguy

    Obama will beat Romney to death with RomneyCare – even though Obama has ObamaCare……

    The libs are afraid of Rick Perry. That is what we need.

  • victrola

    The voters that decide these elections unfortunately vote on the person instead of the platform. That’s why their “independent” voters, they can’t decide on an ideology, one election they’ll vote for Bush the next election they’ll vote for Obama.

    Of course it’s a ridiculous that someone would pick a President based on whether you’d like to “have a beer with them”, but unlikable candidates aren’t good vote getters, and a quick way to be unlikable is to look scandalous.

    A huge part of Reagan’s success was he was charming and beloved by Americans whereas Barry Goldwater came off with a scowl. One lost in one of the biggest landslides of all time and the other won the largest landslide of all time, even though their platforms were nearly identical.

    If a possible candidate had numerous affairs (like Newt), to me they’re instantly disqualified. I don’t really care how great the candidates’ platform is, at the end of the day, most voters (especially female) will be disgusted by a man that can’t be faithful to his wife, and that’s all they’ll see. I want a contest of ideas and the best way to make sure that happens is to nominate people with clean backgrounds.

    I want Rick Perry to be President, but if Republican circles are saying there’s rumors flying around about him, only an idiot would ignore that. My guess is there’s nothing to them, but no one is talking like this about Bachmann, Romney, Chris Christie, or Pawlenty, so it is of great concern to me.

  • Doc Holliday

    all presidential candidates are vetted one way or the other. We can’t please the MSM and many independents no matter what we do. It matters not whom we nominate, they will be smeared and their will be “scandalous revelations” prior to election, deal with it.

    We need to be on offense now, not on defense. Sometimes our biggest problem is ourselves.

  • Doc Holliday

    sp

  • tankertodd

    Yeah, God Forbid the man wanted to immunize people. How heinous.

  • phenry

    there’s just a little bit too much smoke for there not to be fire. That’s smoke in the media and smoke I hear under the radar. I guess if there’s really nothing on him he’ll run and prove everybody wrong. Well Perry, you should just know that should you run for president anything you might have done will come out, and if you’re not in the clear you’ll end up worse off than Weiner.

  • http://www.peachpundit.com Icarus

    * by executive order

    * with a drug that had just been approved for sale, with no long term studies of side effects

    * with the support of his former chief of staff who worked for the drug manufacturer

    * and the “people” were 11 & 12 year old girls who were being forceably immunized to prevent an STD

    If you don’t think this is an issue, you’re kidding yourself. Which you’re perfectly entitled to do, no executive order required.

  • http://www.peachpundit.com Icarus

    * by executive order

    * with a drug that had just been approved for sale, with no long term studies of side effects

    * with the support of his former chief of staff who worked for the drug manufacturer

    * and the “people” were 11 & 12 year old girls who were being forceably immunized to prevent an STD

    If you don’t think this is an issue, you’re kidding yourself. Which you’re perfectly entitled to do, no executive order required.

  • izoneguy

    Neglects to say that there was an opt-out clause.

    It’s right in the order – go read it.

    You make it sound like Rick Perry was a nazi prison camp commander.

    ObamaCare does not have an opt-out. And that is what we need to defeat.

  • dagnyt

    Agree completely.

    If this saves lives it’s worth it. There are lots of immunizations required that include risk of side effects.

    Getting a shot is not going to change someone’s behavior.

  • TopGun

    1 ? Was Al Gore?s Presidential campaign manager for the state of Texas.
    2 ? Switched from democrat to the Republican Party when Bush asked him to because he saw Texas moving more conservative, and knew his political career would end for a state-wide office.
    3 ? No respect for land owners rights ? TTC, Communists take away your land, not true Patriots.
    4 ? No respect for parental rights ? HPV vaccine, Communists overrule parental rights, not true Patriots.
    5 ? Refused to VETO the recent 2011 SBOE re-districting map, which was drawn behind closed doors and submitted at the last minute on the morning of the committee hearing without a chance for public debate, to eliminate Conservatives on the board. This recent action proves Perry is no true Conservative.
    6 ? Last but not least, he?s been talking and talking and talking and talking border security for ten years. He had a rainy day fund he could have used part of to protect the citizens of Texas, HE TOOK A SWORN OATH WITH HIS HAND ON A BIBLE??ON A BIBLE?TO DO, but he didn?t?PERIOD.

    Arlene Specter switched parties too years ago, and we heard the truth out of his mouth when he returned, ?I feel like I never left home.?

    When you step back, and look at the six facts above, no true American would even consider the traitorous actions above of attempting to inoculate a child for HPV against a parent?s wishes or stealing rancher?s land in the biggest land grab in Texas history. That is not how a freedom loving Patriot?s mind operates. It is however how a fox in a sheep?s cloths, A SOCIALIST?S, operates though.

    Perry never left the democrat Communist Party of the USA.

  • izoneguy

    http://governor.state.tx.us/news/bills/veto/

  • izoneguy

    And he was not too shabby.

    Looks like everyone in Austin is awake now.

  • izoneguy

    Perry aides fact-finding on Iowa

    http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hIXJeoYWiYK6x8o3Fi9W4PAvt6lg?docId=8a8c5b97885d40d8b5c451d1b2c40fc2

  • blooch

    It may not be coming from under the radar.

  • izoneguy

    On every post you make slamming Perry.

    There is enough info out there to refute all of your assertions.

    Rick has thrown Gore under the bus.

    The TTC is dead.

    Their was an opt-out in the HPV vaccine case.

    http://governor.state.tx.us/news/executive-order/3455/

    Parents? Rights.The Department of State Health Services will, in order to protect the right of parents to be the final authority on their children?s health care, modify the current process in order to allow parents to submit a request for a conscientious objection affidavit form via the Internet while maintaining privacy safeguards under current law.

    Border security -

    http://governor.state.tx.us/news/speech/9479/

    Feds again tell Perry no more guardsmen
    Homeland Security chief says governor can call up more units to border anytime ? at Texas’ expense

    Read more: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7206714.html#ixzz1PZqmja2T

  • TopGun

    Yeah, Reagan?s actions supported his switch just a tiny bit more than Perry?s actions support his switch. You don?t have to be a rocket scientist to see the truth.

    Thanks for the Austin reference to insinuate I?m a liberal / Communist. I?m always up for a good laugh. How many Communists do you know reference the Bible in a positive way? You might want to think about that next time you try to insinuate I?m a liberal / Communist.

  • TopGun

    A true Patriot would have…key word here…”never” attempted those items in the first place. Those thoughts would never have been evaluated in their mind.

    It does not matted what did not get passed.

    Patriots think how can I defend freedom. Socialists think how can I take away your rights / land / freedom.

    Understand?

  • TopGun

    Where’s the VETO of the 2011 SBOE re-districting map that eliminates Conservatives on the board?

    Huh? Hello.

    Where are the FACTS he supports Conservatives when he lets them get thrown under the wheels of the bus?

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

    Oh give me a break.

    Seriously?

  • izoneguy

    And reading material and making connections…..

    Why should the taxpayers in Texas pay for something that is a federal responsibility?

    The governor of a state cannot command federal employees to do anything.

    I will post this link again.

    http://governor.state.tx.us/news/speech/9479/

    Obama thinks border security is a joke.

    Texas border security situation is not a joking matter

    Read more: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/7570877.html#ixzz1PZvI7VgN

    By dismissively joking about moats and alligators, the president is ignoring the dangerous situation threatening our border communities. We need the Obama administration to finally get serious about securing what Sheriff Gonzalez correctly called an “unprotected, wide open and extremely porous” border with Mexico.
    President Obama should start listening to state and local law enforcement officials, stop treating border violence like a joke and get serious about securing the border.

    http://governor.state.tx.us/files/homeland/Border-Security-Report.pdf

    Members of the Border Security Council traveled along the border during the fall and winter of 2007 to listen to the concerns of the border residents and obtain their input. The Council heard from city and county officials, state leaders, and local citizens. Public hearings were held in five locations: McAllen, Laredo, El Paso, San Antonio, and Corpus Christi. The Council believed that it was important to travel to all areas of the border in order to get a comprehensive understanding of the issues and needs for different areas along the border, a coastal corridor, and a major inland metropolitan area.
    Major themes that arose out of the hearings included :

    The federal government has not done enough to secure the border.
    Governor Perry and the Texas Legislature have shown leadership on this issue.

    Border security should not undermine economic development.

    Current federal grant requirements are confusing and geared toward more inland cities, such as Houston.

    The State should not exceed the scope of its authority, such as funding local and state officers to conduct immigration investigations at the workplace.

    Resources should be enhanced to better detect and deter northbound and southbound smuggling.

    Local, state, and federal law enforcement along the border need an enhanced radio communications capability to support operations and better ensure officer safety.

    Overtime for law enforcement officers does increase patrol capacity but eventually exceeds the officers? ability to use it, and funding for additional local officers is needed.

    Unified policing operations such as Linebacker, Rio Grande, Wrangler, and Border Star are effective.

    The Salt Cedar and Carrizo Cane that grows unabated along the Rio Grande River impedes border security enforcement operations and poses a threat to local, state, and federal law enforcement officers.

  • TopGun

    I wonder how Archie would have responded to someone making fun of asking for a true Patriot?

    I guess it truly shows how far this country has fallen when simply asking for a true Patriot is looked down on.

  • TopGun

    that when an elected official places their hand on the Bible and takes a sworn oath to protect and defend the citizens of a state, he needs to honor that oath, regardless of what the Federal government fails to do.

    Try reading the Constitution of the State of Texas, and the rights the document gives the Governor to protect the citizens without reciting a bunch of federal rhetoric from the Communist-in-Chief .

  • izoneguy

    http://alicelinahan.net/2011/05/19/gov-perry-seemingly-let-texans-down/

    Rumor has it that a possible lawsuit may be mounted over Seliger?s rogue E120 because of its obvious gerrymandering of Midland County to hurt Republican conservative Charlie Garza?s chances of being re-elected in 2012. This pending lawsuit and the legal ramifications surrounding it might be the reason that Gov. Perry let E120 become law without his signature yesterday. Gov. Perry may be privvy to information that we citizens do not know.

  • TopGun

    Perry had a chance to VETO, and chose NOT TO, which would have sent it back to committee to be re-drawn, to protect Conservatives, and given the public a chance to debate.

    FACT: Perry FAILED to support Conservatives with his action.

    You can give it all of the window dressing you want to, to cover up the fact he failed to support Conservatives with his action, but history has recorded the truth.

  • izoneguy

    The federal government has not done enough to secure the border.
    Governor Perry and the Texas Legislature have shown leadership on this issue.

    If it were me I would have a daily naplam run.
    Gun turrets every 100 yards.

    Look at Arizona. They pass a lousy law and get jumped by the feds.
    I guess you would want Rick to push for secession?

    Once Rick becomes President you will see border security.

  • izoneguy

    Rumor has it that a possible lawsuit may be mounted over Seliger?s rogue E120 because of its obvious gerrymandering of Midland County to hurt Republican conservative Charlie Garza?s chances of being re-elected in 2012. This pending lawsuit and the legal ramifications surrounding it might be the reason that Gov. Perry let E120 become law without his signature yesterday. Gov. Perry may be privvy to information that we citizens do not know.

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

    Given that Archie Bunker, the fictional character, was a pro-union racist, if you’re siding with him I just have to ask again.

    Seriously?

  • TopGun

    When you say Ronald Reagan wasn?t too shabby, how would you consider ignoring the Constitution when he signed the Amnesty legislation:

    A ? Just a little Shabby
    B ? Not too Shabby
    C ? Shabby
    D ? Politically Correct
    E – FAILURE

    For extra points, would you consider the present illegal immigration invasion, not too shabby?

  • Scope

    http://tfninsider.org/category/donna-garner/

    I’ll make a bet that she supported Debra Medina.

  • gekster

    Ya gotta explain that to me.

  • David123

    For a parent to opt-out their child for reasons of consceince, they first had to make a request for an opt-out form.

    http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/immunize/school/school_faq_parents.shtm

    Then they have to fill out the opt-out form and submit it.

    So the default position would have been that the HPV vaccination was mandatory, and the opt-out process is cumbersome. Also it states that you opt-out as a conscientious objector. Now the way that worked with the draft is that you might be approved as a conscientious objector to all wars, but you were never approved as a conscientious objector to selective wars. If it worked the same way for HPV vaccination, a family whose religious convictions forbad all vaccinations could opt-out, but a family who merely wanted their daughter to avoid HPV vaccination could not.

    You did not mention this, but another opt-out possibility would be if a girl’s doctor felt that the HPV vaccination was contra-indicated for the girl for medical reasons. I do not know how complicated the medical opt-out would be.

    Bottom Line: a mandatory vaccination program for a disease that cannot be spread by casual contact is a poor idea, even if there is some way to opt-out from the vaccination.

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

    So who do you like? You hate Perry, You hate Reagan.

    Let me guess: Ron Paul?

  • TopGun

    What do I want Ricky to do? Hmm. Let?s see. Oh yeah, I know, howz about growing a spine, and being a man, you know, like standing behind your word. I think that would be known as standing behind your oath to protect and defend the people of Texas.

    Perry and the Texas Legislature have shown as much leadership as the federals have shown. All hat, no cattle. Just a bunch of drug store cowboy keyboard warriors sending out a public statement every once in a while to pacify the public.

    ?If it were me I would have a daily naplam run. Gun turrets every 100 yards.? Perry has this authority to use any means necessary to protect the citizens, so where, in ten years, has he acted to reduce the danger? It has become extremely worse, not better, but then when you actually live away from it?

    ?Look at Arizona. They pass a lousy law and get jumped by the feds. I guess you would want Rick to push for secession?? Secession? Nah. I love my country. Just need some true Patriots, not more RINOs acting as Conservatives. That Sheriff in Arizona has more backbone than Perry, and Texas has the slogan, Don?t Mess With Texas, hmm?.something doesn?t fit that or maybe it?s Perry doesn?t fit the slogan?

    ?Once Rick becomes President you will see border security.? Ten years of no serious action isn?t enough evidence for you? Wow?just Wow.

  • williamjameson

    spreading rumors hoping someone will bite.. This early you can’t trust what others will say, I doubt its true. Not really worth discussing beyond that.

  • TopGun

    Yeah, Archie had his bad points, but I believe the person he portrayed was an American loving Patriot overall.

  • cpaguy

    I despise Perry’s policies.

    He is the definition of a RINO (note to self: update Wikipedia to show Perry = RINO….lol).

    However, I have never heard anything about the guy’s personal life. No need to spend much time on hushed rumors.

    I can see why some GOP supporters are wary of Perry due to his policies….

  • TopGun

    When you create legislation that usurps the immigration laws, I believe that can be considered ignoring the Constitution, whuch you think?

  • Bill S

    Why don’t you tell us who YOU support and why.

    Second, dial it back. You have three moderators who are already weary of your demeanor here. On current course and speed, you won’t make it thru the night on this site.

    Third, in relation to this request – go read this before you post next.

  • gekster

    The Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA), Pub.L. 99-603, 100 Stat. 3359, enacted November 6, 1986, also Simpson-Mazzoli Act, is an Act of Congress which reformed United States immigration law.

    Blinders must be getting heavy. ;)

  • TopGun

    Let?s see, hmm, who do I like, oh yeah, nobody at this point. I guess that leaves me feeling the same as a lot of true Patriots right about now, doesn?t it?

    Hey Neil, don?t put words in my mouth I have not typed. I haven?t said I hate anyone, OK? I have simply pointed out flaws where people have not lived up to their oath of office, something I consider very honorable a person should execute if taken.

    And thanks for the fishing question to see if I?m a, what do you call them, Paulinistas? He doesn?t support Israel, end of story.

  • TopGun

    a repeater to go with your radio station, being you seem to want to repeat your postings instead of debating the facts I am posting or is completely ignoring the proof of someone’s actions not being Conservative count as debating?

  • aesthete

    There was a case-by-case reviews/appeal process by which a parent could attempt to prove a conscience/religious reason for exemption after the fact — that is nothing like a simple opt-out, and most Texan parents were not aware of it at the time. In fact, I’m pretty confident that I could find similar language for many of ObamaCare’s provisions — it’s typical language that is meant to cover fringe religious groups and a few others. (It also doesn’t cover parents who have non-religious reasons for wanting their children to be exempt.)

    I actually mildly like Rick Perry, but let’s not pee on people’s heads and tell them it’s raining.

  • aesthete

    Governers are going to do and pass things that quite frankly suck. There is no “pure” governor out there.

  • cpaguy

    Unfortunately, it will go on deaf ears here. However, the internet is ablze with people spreading the truth about Perry: OK guy…but a RINO who has engaged in cronyism.

    There are 2 serial spammers here who seem to be the Perry advance team or something…testing the grass roots support for him or something.

    I like Perry enough for Texas. He has little power, and usually, when he tries to take away Freedom from the citizens, the legislature and the grassroots rebel against him (though it sometimes takes them a bit of time to figure out what Perry is up to).

    There is nothing wrong with vetting a potential candidate.

    Additionally, candidates saying sorry for past decisions that are now politically harmful are not generally sufficient for them now to get a blank slate now that it is politically necessary for them to hold a different viewpoint.

  • TopGun

    Perry campaigned for Rudy Giuliani, and his team was working for NEWT, two RINOs, but Perry is a Conservative, gotcha [eye wink]?

  • aesthete

    as a negative stereotype of conservatives. He was later ret-conned into being more “politically incorrect” than outright racist because he was a lot more popular of a character than his weaselly son, but he was originally conceived by the liberal writers of the show as a flyover country foil to the enlightened protagonist.

  • TopGun

    I thought when you reform something, you are improving it. It sure looks like we went backwards.

    I think the politicians are the ones wearing the blinders, don’t you? I mean they are the ones running the show, and look where we are.

  • Finrod

    First off, let me state that I do not have a position on Rick Perry; if he decides to run I’ll take a look at him then. However, I have seen Perry mentioned more than once on the ESPN column Tuesday Morning Quarterback, who has several pet peeves and often rants on them. One of those peeves is about public officials using public money for unnecessary trips and bodyguards and the like. Perry has been the target of this more than once.

    From http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=easterbrook/101019_tuesday_morning_quarterback&sportCat=nfl :

    Wasteful Spending on Bodyguards Watch: Randall Emmons of Houston notes this story from the Houston Chronicle — Texas taxpayers have been bilked of nearly $1 million for security details to accompany Gov. Rick Perry and his wife on overseas junkets during Perry’s years in office. Considering that states are forbidden by the Constitution to engage in foreign relations, when governors travel internationally — usually with the cover story of a “trade mission” — it’s generally a taxpayer-provided junket.

    Suppose the trip was an actual attempt to promote trade between Texas companies and another country — setting aside why the governor, rather than the companies’ officials, would do that. Why would the governor of Texas, or of any state, need to be surrounded by taxpayer-funded bodyguards to meet with another nation’s commerce secretary? No one in Italy or Argentina knows or cares who the governor of Texas is — he stands no risk of being harassed as he walks the streets or enters a government office. No one overseas knows or cares who the wife of the governor of Texas is, yet she gets a taxpayer-funded bodyguard, too. Obviously the purpose is to allow Perry and his wife to strut around as if they were visiting heads of state, with bodyguards ensuring they receive the VIP treatment. Taxpayers’ money is wasted for a governor’s ego fantasy — and this by a governor who regularly accuses others of wasting tax money.

    Check this section from the story: “The Perrys have traveled together to the Bahamas, Italy, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, Grand Cayman, Israel twice — once in conjunction with a trip to Jordan — France and Sweden, and China. Perry also has traveled to Mexico five times, Iraq three times, Afghanistan, Turkey, and to Taiwan and Korea in conjunction with the China trip. Mrs. Perry has traveled to England three times, once in conjunction with a trip to Slovakia, Mexico, Japan twice, Germany twice, Malta, Italy and France, the Czech Republic, Azerbaijan (after France and Sweden with Perry), Canada, Spain, and Brazil and Argentina.” Clearly all those trips were essential to the administration of Texas state government!

    From http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=easterbrook/100921_tuesday_morning_quarterback&sportCat=nfl :

    Wasteful Spending on Bodyguards Watch: TMQ rails against the trend for minor government officials, including mayors, state-agency directors and public university presidents, to have taxpayer-funded bodyguards — not for any real security need but to make themselves seem more important. A reader from Indianapolis reports, “My wife works for a hotel in downtown Indianapolis. The governor of Texas, Rick Perry, attended the Indy 500 and stayed at her hotel. He brought eight Texas State Troopers with him, and had one on guard outside his hotel room at all times, as though he was the prime minister of a Middle Eastern nation. Indiana’s governor, Mitch Daniels, rode his own motorcycle in the Indy 500 Festival Parade and had no bodyguards or police escort.” Perry, the Texas governor, is renowned for railing against government waste. But, like so many politicians, Perry thinks “waste” is spending on other people, while for himself, he expects unlimited public largesse.

    From http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=easterbrook/100928_tuesday_morning_quarterback&sportCat=nfl :

    Last week a reader noted Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who pounds the table demanding the federal government cut costs, spends taxpayer money lavishly on multiple bodyguards to follow him around making him seem more important. Cost-cutting is for the little people! Peyton Lowrey of Houston reports last week’s column didn’t know the half of it: Perry just wasted $129,000 of Texas taxpayers’ money to have a large security detail accompany him on a 12-day trip through Asia. Even his wife had her own taxpayer-funded bodyguard. “Lawyers for the state have fought in court to keep secret the details” of security spending for the Perry trip, Kelley Shannon of the Houston Chronicle writes. So add to that $129,000 the cost of lawyers trying to prevent the public from finding out how the governor was wasting money.

    I haven’t investigated any of these allegations, I’m just the reporter on this one. Does Gregg Easterbrook have a valid point? I can’t say myself.

  • cpaguy

    To my knowledge (feel free to google it and prove otherwise…I’m too lazy), mandatory immunization is done exclusively for communicable diseases that have either crippling effects or result in a high incidence of death and often have an epidemic impact upon populations.

    I am not aware of mandatory vaccinations for STDs or cancers (given the nature of cancer, an HPV vaccine is not going to elimanate the incidence of cervical cancer to begin with).

    The cold and the flu kill more people than cervical cancer, but the vaccine for those ailments are not mandatory.

  • gekster

    You know, something along the lines of why you think it’s bad.

  • cpaguy

    Not a big deal to me.

    Though it is insightful to his demeaner and probably emblematic of how a guy who had been governor for 8 years was challenged so heavily in his most recent primary and why there is so much talk about his negatives.

    Be warned however, if you dare bring up facts that disparage the “Flavor of the Month,” you will be called names and be alleged to “work for Obama or Romney.”

  • JSobieski

    Its not an objective that I agree with, but you are throwing terms around in a way that shows you don’t understand what they mean.

    If Congress and the President want to, they can remove all immigration laws. There is nothing unconstitutional about that.

    The constitution authorizes the federal government to enact immigation laws, but it does not require any particular law to be in place.

    I am not in favor of amnesty, whether per se or de facto. But when words have meaning, and you are misusing them. The U.S. Constitution provides no prohibition against the loosening of immigration laws.

  • TopGun

    Here is my “argument”:

    Illegal Alien Crime in America:

    ? 12 Americans are murdered every day by illegal aliens. It translates to 4,380 Americans murdered annually by illegal aliens.*

    ? 13 Americans are killed each day by drunk illegal aliens drivers, for an annual total death toll of 4,745.*

    ? 8 American children are victims of sexual abuse by illegal aliens every day, for an annual total of 2,920.*

    * Quotes from U.S. Representative Steve King, R-Iowa.

    Is that Coherent enough for you?

    Is that “bad” enough for you?

  • JSobieski

    All Obama has to do is say “I believe the Constitution requires the government to do certain things because of the equal protection clause”.

    Changing a law is not a violation of the Constitution.

    Changing a law in a manner that violates the Constitution is a violation of the constitution.

    The Constitution permits an income tax, but it does not require the existence of an income tax. Do you understand the difference?

  • gekster

    You gave me reasons for being against amnesty, but no proof it’s unconstitutional.

  • gpclaw

    When you create legislation that usurps the immigration laws

    Are you suggesting that congress can’t create law, that makes changes to an existing law?

    By your logic, we’re stuck with ObamaCare, because any legislation that usurps ObamaCare would be ignoring the Constitution?

  • TopGun

    not following the immigration law of the land, giving amnesty, become considered not unconstitutional?

    unconstitutional
    ?adjective
    not constitutional; unauthorized by or inconsistent with the constitution, as of a country.

  • gekster

    The question is not about FOLLOWING THE LAW. it’s about congress changing the law.

  • JSobieski

    What provision of the U.S. Consitution was violated by the 1986 amnesty?

    Simply saying “I believe” something violates the Constitution does not make it so.

    Are you aware that the entire purpose of Congress is to allow changes to be made to laws? Using your logic, no changes would be permitted because the new law would supplant an old law, and in your view the old law is somehow enshrined in the Constitution.

    Either identify the specific language in the Constitution that was violated by amnesty, or just admit your school of constitutional interpretation is to rely on the “spirit” of the Constitution–i.e. what liberals do.

  • gpclaw

    The Constitution grants congress the power to establish a uniform rule of naturalization.

    Congress writes the laws, and makes the rules for the government. They can also make changes to the law, which is exactly what happened under Reagan.

    If you don’t agree with this, please provide what section of the Constitution was violated, or cite a Supreme Court case that backs up your claim.

  • JSobieski

    http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html

    I strongly encourage you to read it. Maybe you can enlighten all of us as to which provision(s) in the Constitution Reagan violated.

    I should point out that the word “immigration” does not appear anywhere in the U.S. Constitution.

    Section 8 authorizes Congress to enact a “uniform Rule of Naturalization”. Is this the provision you allege to be violated?

    How is amnesty a violation of uniform rule if the amesty rule is applied in accordance with a uniform rule?

  • izoneguy

    Who do you consider is conservative enough for you?

  • TopGun

    I said Reagan “ignored” the Constitution, meaning he ignored the present immigration law at the time, by replacing it with a new one instead of enforcing the present law on the books, period.

    And we have gotten off the topic of the thread by discussing Reagan…my fault.

  • izoneguy

    Who do you not “despise”?

    We know you hate Rick, we get it.
    Once I get my Perry/Jindhal 2012 bumper stickers I will send you a few for free.

  • gekster

    just how did Reagan “ignore’ the constitution by signing new immigration law.
    How did he “not follow immigration law” by signing a new law.

  • TopGun

    Where is it stated in the Constitution you can ignore the law of the land at will you have taken an oath to enforce? Amnesty is ignoring the law of the land.

    And AGAIN, I’m not a liberal Communist. I’m a Conservative. I’m sure you’ve already seen me type that fact.

  • acat
  • cpaguy
  • JSobieski

    It is within the authority of Congress/President to change the law. Nothing unconstitutional about it.

    The 1986 amnesty was not unconstitutional. Congress changed the law of the land in 1986 in accordance with the process of changing laws set forth in the Constitution.

    Just as a governor can pardon a criminal, Congress + President can grant amnesty. It might not be a good idea, but it isn’t unconstitutional.

  • JSobieski

    Changes to pre-existing laws are apparently unconstitutional in his view. Using his logic, George W ursuped income tax law by changing tax rates.

    I wonder if he considers the repeal of a constitutional amendment to be unconstitutional? Was the repeal of prohibition prohibited? It ursuped a prior constitutional amendment.

  • TopGun

    all laws are null and void being they never need to be enforced, simply re-write them to appease the law breakers when necessary.

    The founders never intended for laws to be added / changed, so it would provide an instrument for any person taking an oath to uphold the law of the land, a means around their responsibility.

  • Martin Knight
  • JSobieski

    You can argue that allowing laws not to be enforced is an abrogation of constitutional duty.

    You are absolutely incorrect in asserting that modification of laws in accordance with the law making function is unconstitutional.

    There is a critical difference here, and you won’t find one conservative legal thinker who will agree with your analysis.

  • Martin Knight

    Quite a lot of them do, actually.

    Especially when they’re trying to be “ironic” or mobying …

  • JSobieski

    Did you know that one of the first acts of Congress was to pass a law on patents?

    Did you also know that the law was subsquently repealed within 5 years by those same founding fathers?

    You really do need to read the Federalist Papers.

  • Martin Knight

    It is not worth it. TopGun does not know what unconstitutional means. Honestly, he thinks a President signing legislation violates the Constitution?

  • JSobieski

    You are of course correct.

    For what its worth, President Washington offered amnesty in response to the Whiskey Rebellion.

    http://www.crf-usa.org/bill-of-rights-in-action/bria-23-3-a-the-whiskey-rebellion-and-the-new-american-republic.html

    I leave “Top” gun to the inner recesses of his own mind.

  • Michael Dugas

    that are the result of HPV infection. And there IS a correlation. I don’t think you can compare the cold and flu to HPV as preventing exposure to HPV is realistically a lot easier due to its mode of transmission while with the flu and common cold there is no reasonably easy way to prevent transmission other than isolation in a sterile environment.
    I don’t agree with mandatory vaccination for HPV as it’s not the type of virus that can spread like wildfire with just routine contact with our environment.

  • TopGun

    “You are absolutely incorrect in asserting that modification of laws in accordance with the law making function is unconstitutional.”

    I never stated or insinuated the actual act of modifying a law by itself is unconstitutional, did I? No I did not.

    Go back and read the last paragraph as a “whole” instead of interpreting it differently from it’s original meaning.

    “The founders never intended for laws to be added / changed, so it would provide an instrument for any person taking an oath to uphold the law of the land, a means around their responsibility.”

    key words…”a means around their responsibility”.

  • TopGun

    always take a few brief words from someones writing, so you can misinterpret the intent and meaning of an authors writing like you just did?

    Also, repealing a law and re-writing a law, so you can ignore your sworn oath to enforce the said law, is apples to oranges.

  • acat

    to prove that Communism and community-living really mean the same thing….

    Mew

  • pat1

    I happen to think Perry will be a very strong candidate, but I can’t help remembering what happened to McCain in the South Carolina primary, when rumors circulated that his adopted daughter was actually his illegitimate birth daughter. If a primary opponent happens to quietly circulate the rumors about Perry – and a fellow Republican would have more credibility than a Democrat – that might be enough to do him in.
    I guess you’re right, if he runs it shows confidence that nothing can possibly come out, and all indications are that he’s in – so again, to me, he remains the most interesting candidate. As soon as he announces I think he’ll catapult to the front of the field.

  • JSobieski

    You provide no evidence, and complain when I quote you?

    If you can find one conservative legal scholar who agrees with you, cite that scholar. Otherwise, if your position is that everyone else on the earth is wrong and you are right, then I am more than content to leave you to your own delusions.

    I suppose you find the Presidential power to issue a pardon is also unconstitutional?

    If the President by himself can grant amnesty, it is silly to think that the law making process cannot.

  • TopGun

    ?Honestly, he thinks a President signing legislation violates the Constitution?? Where did I state this? Just as I thought, I never insinuated or stated what you wrote.

    Where does upholding a sworn oath to enforce the laws stop, and when does it become a violation of the Constitution to not enforce the laws you took an oath to enforce?

  • JSobieski

    he was acting unconstitutionally?

    What about the power of a President to pardon?

    There are plenty of data points regarding repeal and amnesty since the Constitution came into being.

    All pardons remove responsibility from the prior crime.
    All changes in law change prior responsibility.

    Your “logic” is highly flawed.

  • TopGun

    You purposefully misinterpret, take my posts out of context, and obfuscate just like a liberal does when I am tearing them up with facts.

  • JSobieski

    is not a failure to enforce the law. When the Constitution was amended to repeal the amendment against Prohibition, the people involved in that legal process were not acting unconstitutionally.

    So when people are involved in repealing a law using a process set forth in the Constitution, the people involved in changing the law are not acting unconstitionally.

    The only retroactive laws that are prohibited are laws that retroactively make something a criminal act.

    It is constitutionally OK to retroactively say that a criminal act in the past is retroactively no longer criminal.

    It is also constitutionally OK for civil laws to be changed retroactively.

    Since you haven’t bothered to answer the numerous questions I have posed to you and since you haven ‘t produced any supporting evidence or examples, I think I am done with you.

  • JSobieski

    You are a fool, and I am foolish for treating you as if you weren’t.

  • TopGun

    “Your ?logic? is highly flawed.”

    If asking for a person to uphold their sworn oath to enforce the laws of the land instead of writing legislation that allows them ?a means around their responsibility? is flawed Logic, then I will happily accept that trophy.

  • TopGun

    Yeah, pointing out someone not honoring their oath of office isn’t a fact in your mind I guess.

  • TopGun

    First off, the question wasn’t for you.

    Secondly, you are still comparing apples(repealing a law) to oranges(re-writing a law so you don’t have to honor your oath of office to enforce the present law)

    Oh, and all of the off-topic items you just wrote, I’ve known that for decades.

  • gekster

    “When you say Ronald Reagan wasn?t too shabby, how would you consider ignoring the Constitution when he signed the Amnesty legislation:”

    Implying that by Reagan signing the law yiolated the constitution.
    Martin was right. You have stopped and quit embarrasing yourself.
    (I would have said to stop beclowning yourself.)

  • aesthete
  • aesthete
  • Adjoran

    It had no impact on the primary whatsoever. The so-called “push poll” amounted to no more than 200 phone calls made by an upstate preacher, his daughter-in-law, and his wife in one day. There was one State Republican official who forwarded an email about it, he lost his job. There was nothing connected to the Bush campaign, ever. And McCain himself gave the story most of the press it did get.

    McCain lost that primary in the final debate when Bush challenged him on negative campaigning and McCain vehemently denied his campaign did any such personal attacks. Bush then reached in his coat pocket and pull out a flier which had been distributed the previous weekend (the debate was on Monday, I think) which were nasty attacks on Bush, paid for by the McCain campaign.

    McCain was caught lying to South Carolina on live TV. That’s why he got his butt kicked.

  • basokla

    Have fun with that.

  • acat

    I’m not from Texas, but .. around here, there’s two groups who do vaccinations. County Health Departments, and private doctors.

    Opting out would likely eliminate getting the vaccine from County Health, but .. nothing’s preventing asking the doctor to vaccinate against measles anyway. That is, a selective opt-out.

    Further, I’m not aware of any other vaccination that’d take place around the same time as the HPV vaccination was supposed to take place. So, just get all the other shots done and *then* “opt out”.

    In short, there’s a hole I could drive a semi through in your argument… and I continue to reject your assertion that vaccinating for a disease that kills people and causes problems with pregnancies (thus killing more people .. or fetuses, if you’re of the “not a baby until it’s born” school) even though it can’t be picked up from a toilet seat.

    Mew

  • acat

    To “spam”, one has to say the same thing over and over. It derives from a sketch by the Brit comedy troupe Monty Python. It’s on YouTube, go look it up.

    The closest thing to a “spammer” here is .. you. You keep bringing up the same issues, keep posting weak proof (when you bother to post any) and refuse to state who’s paying you even though it’s quite clear you’ve got an agenda.

    My guess is still that you’re the advance team for Romney… if you don’t strangle Perry’s candidacy in its’ crib, you know Romney can’t win. (Unlike Pawlenty, who I like, Perry won’t go soft in the debates)

    Oh, and your “I like Perry…he has little power” is disingenuous – yes, in the Texas system, the real power is with the Lt. Gov .. a position Perry *also* held. Did you “like Perry enough for Texas” then?

    Mew

  • radicalrighty

    “I will support Rick Perry over sleazy trial lawyers – ANY DAY”

  • radicalrighty

    If the Dems critiqued their candidates like the GOP does, we would never have an opponent in an election.

    Who thinks the DNC wringed collective its hands worring about Obama’s sweet home deal, or his associations with hate-mongering pastors and domestic terrorists, or possible drug-dealing past?

    Right, they didn’t wring their hands. The DNC backed the guy WHO COULD WIN THE RACE!!

    No. but not us. We’re “The Stupid Party.”

    We eat our own.

  • izoneguy

    Rick Perry’s First 100 Days

    http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303635604576391671267240408.html

    1.) Close Dept. of Education

    2.) Close Dept. of Energy

    3.) Repeal of ObamaCare

    4.) Reform of corporate income taxes

  • Bill S

    Which means he/she can NEVER have made an unwise decision, because that indicates that they’re actually a communist sympathizer and not a TRUE PATRIOT!!!!!11!

  • Duke

    you touched on exactly what I was thinking: American, in 2008, elected a guy President that didn’t have ‘baggage,’ his story was right there in his hands in front of the whole world. His friends were, at best, crooks and, at worst, murderers who wrapped their death in the cloak of “protest.” If any Republican candidate for President had a friend like Ayers he would have been banished from politics forever as a non-serious laughingstock. Barack gets elected by mouthing some platitude.

    Our Moonbat President has tons of so-called baggage yet to be explored in a reelection bid against the likes of Gov. Perry. All it takes is the right campaign team to exploit the items so overlooked by the media three or four years ago.

  • izoneguy

    Head of ATF Is Likely to Go

    http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304453304576392023631543738.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

    Popper – it’s a federal issue. I know you are numb from the neck up so I will give you a break.

    Perry/Jindhal 2012

  • izoneguy

    Toll Roads, Bridges Targeted for Major Fare Hikes

    Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/06/18/toll-roads-targeted-for-major-fare-increases/#ixzz1PdTX4HTg

    About Toll Roads

    http://www.texastollways.com/content/about-toll-roads.php

    The Texas Tollways network is giving drivers new timesaving options for bypassing congestion. Less time sitting in traffic means a faster ride home, to work or wherever your travels take you. Plus, spending less time idling on congested roadways reduces vehicle emissions and improves the quality of the air we breathe.

    Tolls also have the advantage of charging only those drivers who use the road. Drivers who prefer not to pay a toll will always have a non-tolled alternative. Texans can decide which road suits their needs best.

    So – if you don’t like Tollroads – DON’T DRIVE ON THEM

    Go look at this again.
    Toll Roads, Bridges Targeted for Major Fare Hikes

    Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/06/18/toll-roads-targeted-for-major-fare-increases/#ixzz1PdTX4HTg

    Many people that have a job commute that involves driving over a tolled bridge don’t really have a choice. I doubt many of them could afford a helicopter ride to work.

  • izoneguy

  • izoneguy

    Obama?s NLRB Uses Weight Of Fed Govt To Protect Illegal Immigrants

    http://www.redstate.com/tomtflorida/2011/06/18/obama?s-nlrb-uses-weight-of-fed-govt-to-protect-illegal-immigrants/

  • gpclaw

    Toll roads – preferably private toll roads – highlight what Conservatism is all about. Market based, private sector solutions benefit society in a far greater way than government central planning.

    The people who use a road, should be on the hook for funding that road. User fees ensure that money if funneled to where it is needed most, instead of going to an area simply because a politician is trying to win votes.

  • victoria_29

    I guess this complainer has missed noticing that Texas has created more jobs than any other state. MANY of the jobs were direct results of Gov & Mrs. Perry developing trade relationships….guess that doesn’t count. Everyone has something to whine about. BTW Houston Chronicle (& I am a born & bred 6th generation Texan) is a liberal rag that attacks all Republicans.

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

    I’m fine with you up to that bit about “preferably private toll roads.”

    Let’s not move into libertarian fantasy land now. :)

  • victoria_29

    He was heavily challenged because Gov Perry & the Bush family have been at odds for years, the Bushies put KBH up to challenging him-& what happened was her RINO butt got stomped in the ground & the Liberal Bill White followed shortly after in the general.

    I have to assume since you did not know this information concerning our last election that you must not be a Texan. Just like it is stupid to compare Rick Perry-who btw is a 5th generation Texan to George W. Bush who as a northerner that moved to Texas-there is major difference between the two.

    And on the shot, one thing that was NOT mentioned & I had a 14 yr old daughter at the time & health insurance is this. At the time when it was a pure “suggested” shot Blue Cross/Blue Shield would NOT pay for the shot & if you have money, job & income you can’t get free from health dept. To go to a private MD & have shot would have cost about 150.00. When Gov Perry signed the order, the insurance companies considered it mandatory just like the DPT shot & began paying for it so it was a 10.00 doctor visit co-pay. So things are not always as they seem, sometimes things are done that help just plain middle class Americans.

  • lineholder

    The DoJ has filed an amicus brief supporting the plaintiffs to kill a bill that supports voter ID in Arizona (hearing is Monday)

    10 Nations have filed amicus brief against illegal immigration legislation in GA
    http://www.redstate.com/lineholder/2011/06/17/when-did-foreign-nations-gain-the-right-to-tell-us-what-is-constitutional/

    I’d say the admin is taking a full-fledged shot at an end-around negating immigration and voting laws

    And we need to figure out what options we have to try to prevent this ASAP

  • gekster

    but it won’t matter.
    He is on an anti Perry agebda.

  • gekster

    but it won’t matter.
    He is on an anti Perry agenda.

  • gpclaw

    Toll roads only make sense if they are under some degree of private ownership. When the road is publicly owned and operated, there is no way of ensuring that the money generated by the road is not used simply as a slush fund for other programs. If a road can’t be operated like a business, where revenues are used to make improvements based on need, rather than politics, then it would be foolish to move away from the current system.

    And it doesn’t have to be 100% private. A public-private partnership, where state or local government builds the road, then leases the rights to operate, and maintain the road to a private company. This isn’t a radical idea, and can be seen today in roads, and other public services.

  • gpclaw

    Do you have any specific concerns concerning private roads? Maybe there is something you’ve thought of, that I haven’t.

  • izoneguy

    http://michellemalkin.com/2008/02/09/i-have-a-plan-to-destroy-america-by-richard-d-lamm/

    Obama is following the plan to a T.

  • ntrepid

    ?the ?God Forbid the man wanted to immunize people?/?If this saves lives it?s worth it? line of thought or the ?there was an opt-out clause? defense.

    Had the Governor offered free immunizations to all who chose to accept his generosity at the expense of the taxpayers of Texas, I might (only maybe) then invoke the Almighty with a hearty ?God bless him?. But the governmental imposition of an anti-liberty baseline condition with a potential reclamation of your rights via the generosity of the state bureaucracy is about as far from my version of conservatism as I can imagine?not to mention a near perfect scaled representation of the Obamacare waiver business model.

    (Here I resist to digress into a rant about elitism among our ruling class not being limited only to beltway snobs and the grotesque nature of, to quote Hayek, ?socialists of all parties?.)

    For what it?s worth, from my perspective here in North Texas, Mr. Perry is at his best (and quite good in general) during election years?during those off years he isn?t worth a warm bucket of piss.

    Ntrepid
    Proud Redstate Member since April 2006??

  • BigRedConservative

    You know below the comment box, where it asks you to be respectful?

    “a warm bucket of piss” doesn’t sound very respectful to me. Politeness costs nothing, you know.

  • lineholder

    One of the things we’re up against is how government usurps the freedoms and rights of citizens, and then bends us to their own will in order to regain any semblance of those rights and freedoms.

    It is this “helpful” subversion of our freedoms that we have to guard against the most, unfortunately.

  • Finrod

    This line of attack is already out there, though, and Perry needs to come up with an answer to it.

  • BigRedConservative

    The delivery isn’t.

  • devereaux

    You don’t have to support Ron Paul to know that the NAFTA superhighway was being discussed.

    http://www.eagleforum.org/column/2006/aug06/06-08-23.html

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens
  • izoneguy

    1.) Rick Perry “Mandates” HPV shots for girls with a parental opt-out.

    2.) Republican nominee Romney “mandates” health insurance for an entire state which has turned into a disaster.

    3.) The President of the US rammed down a health insurance “mandate” for 340 Million Americans, which is a disaster and will be the end of the republic if allowed to stand.

    Hmmmmm, which one would I rather take my chance with???

    1.) Warm bucket?
    2.) Warming Mitt?
    3.) Master of Disaster?

  • lineholder

    I can not only understand but also empathize with the frustration that broke through in how ntrepid responded. And I can assure that this isn’t typical for this ntrepid either.

    This really isn’t the time to be making excuses or justifying it when candidates under consideration may display weaknesses of priorities. There’s too much at stake. I happen to share ntrepid’s frustration on that point, because there’s been a lot of this going on lately.

    We need to be reviewing the hard cold reality of such things now so that we can make the best possible choice going into 2012.

  • devereaux

    While I won’t be supporting Ron Paul(Bachmann) the Republican party has moved in his direction. No one on the stage in the recent New Hampshire debate talked about widening the war in the Middle East. But bringing the troops home was a big subject. Peggy Noonan had a good column in Friday’s Wall Street Journal about it.

    The economy is where Republicans have really moved towards Ron Paul. No doubt about it.

    Bachmann, Pawlenty, Gingrich Join Gold Standard Tour. Besides Gingrich and Bachmann, other presidential contenders planning to participate include Herman Cain, Gary Johnson, Tim Pawlenty, and Rick Santorum. The tour will last 18 days, end with a rally in Des Moines on July 2, and be broadcast live by Tea Party Review online.

    http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/washington-whispers/2011/06/15/bachmann-pawlenty-gingrich-join-gold-standard-tour

    If Ron Paul were 65 instead of 75 he would be a viable candidate in 2012.

    As Paul left the stage, Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), one of the most conservative voices in the Senate, told him: ?I used to think you were crazy, Ron, but I?m starting to feel a little crazy myself.?

  • edintexas

    Sadly, Heritage is supportive of our involvement in Libya. I followed a link in an e-Mail from Eric – and lo – Heritage is offering their ideas on “the way forward” in Libya. And it didn’t include cutting off the funds, or our military assets.

    I’m not a fan of Ron (I do like Michelle Bachman – and Herman Cain to a lesser degree due to some situations of reported lack of knowledge), nor do I harbor a visceral hatred of him. Some of his ideas aren’t “crazy”, though some strike me as at least nearing the line.

  • edintexas

    I’m no fan of Perry’s Gardisil EO (and in an e-Mail I convinced Mark Davis I had a case, when he didn’t think it was any big deal). I was dead set against the Trans Texas Corridor (the thought of transferring sovereignty of a customs station location in Kansas to Mexico is a really, really bad idea). It is dead, and perhaps that is more the result of Oklahoma killing the link between Texas and Kansas permanently. On the other hand, I think Perry has been burned enough to have learned his lesson. I did vote for him in November, and (at this point) would do so again.

  • edintexas

    I interpret the call for being respectful as one calling for us to be respectful to fellow Red Staters. I do not believe, for one nanosecond, that it is intended to include non-posting politicians of whatever stripe.

    While I may not agree with his stand on Perry (although there are days…), he wasn’t dinging any Red State poster.

  • acat

    with private toll roads paralleling publically-funded highways. IIRC this was back in the late ’90s, not sure it ever got off the ground outside the Toronto area…

    I will at least point you to Illinois, where I-88 is a toll road that parallels I-80, a non-toll road – both heading from Chicago to Iowa. I-88 was built because the bonds that had paid for building the I-294 tollway were almost paid off, and without debt to service, the tollbooths would have come down…

    At one point, not sure if it’s changed, most people took I-80 for free and I-88 was a money-loser, funded by tolls from the rest of the system. That may have changed, not sure.

    Ironically, the Chicago Skyway was never part of the Illinois tollway system, in large part because the tollway was a suburban “republican” (NOT conservative) outfit and Chicago .. isn’t. The Skyway has now been privatized and, so far, results appear to the good.

    Mew

  • ntrepid

    ?thank you, lineholder for looking past my admittedly immature closing jab to see the greater point to my comment. You do get it.

    Secondly, BigRedConservative, I apologize for my crudeness. However, I tend to regard the ?Be Respectful? warning as applying to others posting comments and not these fragile politicos being discussed. (I?m sure Mrs. Palin…and many others?have never been so sullied on this bandwidth.) On that note, I was concerned that I was stepping across that line with tankertodd and dagnyt. That was not my intention?I just thought it best to address this issue directly. (The former has addressed me directly and effectively in at least one comment in the past and I am better for it. I should show more respect.)

    Lastly, iozoneguy, I would suggest that all three examples you pose point to a common tendency that I alluded to in my parenthetical non-rant above. The only difference is the amount of power involved at the time. The point here is that now is the time to find the better option outside of this list before we are forced to make the choice you describe. But you probably new that already.

    Thanks for playing.

    Ntrepid
    Proud Redstate Member since April 2006??

    (Thanks edintexas below ? I was getting there, just had to break for lunch.)

  • trutexan

    We can?t be like sports fans. ?Yeah maybe McNabb threw the winning pass but it wasn?t a tight spiral so it was lousy to watch.? Absolutely NOBODY is going to have the complete package. And if conservatives don?t watch out, we?ll pick each other apart and give the liberal media plenty of ammo to make the ignorant un-read public disregard all the stupid stuff the current administration has done.

    Let?s take Perry for instance. I was vehemently opposed to the TransTexas Corridor (it would run right through my land) and at the time, I just couldn?t stand the fact that this arrogant politician was going to pay a foreign company to build a toll road with no-build restrictions on either side of it for the next 50 years. It was eminent domain run amok. But I held my nose and voted for him in this last election because his democratic opponent turned Houston into a sanctuary city.

    Consider that just the presence of Perry is enough to send a streak of fear through the liberal Dems. His pressing that letter into Obama?s hand at the airport in Austin was priceless. That took what we call ?chon-es? and it was beyond impressive. There will be millions of Southern Democrats who will vote for this Texan feeling like they are getting some sort of redemption because the current democrat they helped put into office is such a miserable disappointment. They blindly voted for a democrat without realizing they were voting for socialism. The buyer?s remorse is rampant and the approval numbers show it.

    On a national level, I like Perry on the ticket. Sure, he?s a politician and he?s got baggage just like all of them. But he is our absolute best bet to win. He?s strong, solid, charismatic, a Christian, pro-life, supported by the Tea Party, knows all about the border problems & the effects of illegal immigration, a proponent for home-grown energy, and the economic record of Texas in the current economy shows he knows how to create a capitalistic pro-business environment that can get this country back on its feet. Perfect? No. Electable? Yes. And he?ll beat the pants off Obama. I have to consider that most important. I?m going to put aside my own personal feelings from the TTC memories and put the best interest of my country first. The guy or gal who is elected president, has a lot of un-doing ahead. And this time, I?d vote for Perry without holding my nose.

  • trutexan

    I’m totally against “mandated” vaccines. But…there are other factors at hand which I can understand since I’ve lived in South Texas the past 47 years and realize the culture down here. I discussed this very issue with my best buddy who happens to be Hispanic, a mother of 5, and has a masters in Biology and works at UT Health Science Center in San Antonio. She’s a big Democrat and even though she voted for Obama (she’s sorry about that), I still love her. Here was her take: (Warning – this is what we all say & know in private but won’t say publicly. It’s not PC).

    Texas is predominantly Hispanic. Texas has one of the highest teen birth rates in the country. Texas has one of the highest teen drop-out rates in the country due to teen pregnancies. Those facts can lead one to easily understand 1) Lots of teen Hispanics are getting pregnant and 2) they are under-educated. Research has shown that Hispanics are largely unaware of HPV and its next-of-kin cervical cancer – and culturally don’t care to know about it either. Many Hispanic teens become sexually active very early in life (ages 11 & 12 are sadly not unheard of) and thousands of those girls are contracting HPV. Since the majority of 6th grade girls in this state are Hispanic, with parents who are unaware of HPV, they wouldn’t blink an eye about taking their daughters to the free clinic to get a free vaccine because the school requires it. Those 6th grade girls without the vaccine then grow up to be 74% of the 4.6 million new cases (nationally) of HPV each year. But the point of the mandated HPV vaccine was what I detest – The government thinking it knows better than you what is good for you and/or your children. But in this case she pointed out, the government is mostly right and she was disappointed that a small majority of social conservatives got into a snit about this and canned it and now hundreds of thousands of Hispanic teens will become an HPV statistic. And the state certainly can’t make it mandatory only for Hispanic girls can it?

    From a dollar perspective: the State of Texas is going to pay for it either way. Which is cheaper? Paying for the vaccine? Or paying to treat cervical cancer, genital warts, HPV, etc.? Financially, I get it. From a government-intervention perspective, I hate it.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2874420/

    http://www.law.uh.edu/healthlaw/perspectives/2010/(CM)%20HPV.pdf

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2874420/

    http://www.law.uh.edu/healthlaw/perspectives/2010/(CM)%20HPV.pdf

  • David123

    Bachman and Pawlenty are already in the race, so either of them could stop Romney and go on to beat Obama. Minnesota does not MANDATE HPV vaccination.

    Perry has warning signs:
    mandatory HPV vaccinations, after his former chief of staff went to work for the drug company.
    former Democrat
    pushed massive NAFTA highway.
    Together these indicate a bigger-government mentality than I’d like to see in a president.

    At best, if Perry gets in the anti-Romney vote is split more ways making Romney the more likely nominee. Romney is not the strongest candidate because he cannot attack Obamacare as forcefully as the other candidates can.

    Although Perry has warning signs, I don’t think he has skeletons. A skeleton would be a presidential candidate who launched his political career from a terrorist’s house. Or a presidential candidate who attended a church for many years where hatred of America was frequently expressed in the sermons. We certainly wouldn’t want to elect a presidential candidate with skeletons like that.

  • acat

    we each come to this with our own criteria.

    NightTwister and others have stated they’lll most easily support a Governor. I believe executive experience in government matters and that a governor would have the easiest transition. That rules out Bachmann and Cain, eh?

    The Governors in or “loitering with intent” on the Presidential stage include Johnson, Palin, Pawlenty, Perry, Roemer, and Romney.

    Of those six, two are clearly squishy moderates – Roemer and Romney – one’s so libertarian he and Ron Paul can talk – Johnson – and two aren’t running – Perry and Palin.

    Pawlenty’s flirtations with statism – cap-and-tax – have already been explored on Red State, but this is the first time we’re getting a good hash-out of the Gardasil issue as it relates to the POTUS race.

    By my criteria, which I think I’ve gone over often enough, I don’t consider Perry or Pawlenty irrevocably damaged, and I think Perry’s the better public speaker, so .. has a better chance against the most recent media-candidate, Obama.

    Mew

  • acat

    Bachmann lacks executive experience, and that’s going to be a problem for some voters. I can say this because I’ve seen posts on Red State from long-time members for whom it’s a problem.

    Pawlenty has his own flirtation with statism – cap-and-tax. He’s said he was wrong on the issue and appears to have learned his lesson.

    If you’re not prepared to look at Perry’s actions and either cite why you believe Perry hasn’t learned his lesson, then I have to conclude your issue isn’t with statism, it’s with the nature of the vaccination, not the statism itself.

    Mew

  • ntrepid

    ?right up until the ?The government thinking it knows better than you what is good for you and/or your children. But in this case?the government is mostly right? part.

    Not directing anything at you personally, I can just try to drive home my point again: the government NEVER knows better than me. Additionally, if there is a case when the government thinks it knows better than me, it is its job to educate me to make that decision of my own free will (or not) and then leave me alone.

    I know that does not provide the neat, clean answer to address the miserable conditions you describe in south Texas but that is what liberty is all about?empowering/allowing the Governor to do such violence to my freedoms to address such an issue is wrong and exactly the type of action that must lead to tyranny. If this is allowed, what?s next?

    Finally, with respect to ?And the state certainly can?t make it mandatory only for Hispanic girls can it??, I say why not? As long as the Governor it assuming random authorities (and just plain making stuff up) there are no rules.

    Thanks for the very educational comment.

    Ntrepid
    Proud Redstate Member since April 2006??

  • Goldwater_Conservative

    what was wrong with pushing for a much needed north south highway, other than not pushing it all the way through?

  • ntrepid

    ?it is about acting on his natural impulses (being himself) when the election year spotlight is not on him. In my opinion, he has proven himself very deft at playing the conservative pol on the campaign circuit and then reliably turning around to be so much less than advertised while on the job. From my perspective, David123 has a pretty good list started here.

    Thanks for joining in.

    Ntrepid
    Proud Redstate Member since April 2006??

  • ntrepid

    ?was planned into the budget. (Oh, don?t get me started.)

    Seriously, I don?t pretend to remember all of the details involved but much of the resistance on that issue stemmed from how that deal was handled. The resulting perception falls (1) well within the purview of my non-rant above and (2) somewhat more than the innocent sounding ?pushing for? you suggest.

    Thanks for joining in.

    Ntrepid
    Proud Redstate Member since April 2006??

  • msctex

    Saddled with what is now undeniably the first disastrous American Presidency as well as poll numbers which reflect the fact, and given all the unopened luggage you cite above, the Democratic Party is now faced with a situation not at all unlike Carter in 1979, with Perry potentially playing the part of Ronald Reagan.

    They KNOW what will happen once a rational fiscal policy is implemented: quite possibly at least 12 straight years of Republican Presidential power, as the insane restraints they have placed on the economy are removed, and the engine roars back to life. So: how to best salvage the situation, and quite possibly save their Party from overdue extinction? I think Barry is going to have to come to understand this job is simply beneath him, in some form or fashion.

  • izoneguy

  • Goldwater_Conservative

    but I think that was one of the really good initiatives that he pushed for. The reasoning against it was centered around 1. a Spanish company would build it and get some of the toll proceeds (so what) and 2. it would use emminent domain (I hate abuse of this tool but using it is constiutional for this use and would be appropriate). To me those that agrued against it were doing so in total ignorance or having it based on some conspiratorital notion that a foreign construction company building it will lead to the downfall of Texas somehow.

  • acat

    People can and do (and most importantly – should) change as they grow into jobs.

    Romney hasn’t grown, Perry .. the jury’s out for this cat but .. if the worst is the Gardasil thing, then .. colour me unimpressed. I was an early Daniels backer, for crying out loud – Perry is head and shoulders above Mitch.

    Mew

  • acat

    is a fine sentiment for your life.

    How do you break this down for those who trutexan describes? Are you arguing that they really do know what’s best, and are making a deliberate choice?

    I’m not a statist, but .. I don’t see how this is any more overreach than the existing vaccination program. The problem seems to be that some folk just don’t know how to talk about the fact that kids are .. having much more non-casual contact .. than they’d like. In short, legislating based on the social mores of the minority…

    Mew

  • David123

    As you note, Pawlenty admits he was wrong. Also, when he made his error many people thought global warming was real. If your choice is either to burn up planet earth or enact Cap&Tax, enacting Cap&Tax sounds like a good idea. Of course, now that we see the East Anglia emails we know global warming is bunk, but earlier it was somewhat believeable.

    Perry has at least three actions which show big-government tendencies; I don’t see it as a fatal error, and given the choice of only Perry, Romney, or Obama, I’d pick Perry. However, we have more choices than that.

    As for Michele Bachman, I see executive experience as a very minor plus. Truman was a good president, and he didn’t have much prior executive experience. Carter had had plenty of prior executive experience and he didn’t work out so well. Obama’s big problem isn’t lack of prior executive experience; it’s the pro-Marxist anti-American attitude. Castro and Kim Jong-Il have lots of executive experience, and they’d make lousy presidents for the same reason.

    Too many people are too shy about labeling the biggest problems with Obama, so they use “lack of executive experience” as a euphemism. Then they hold our candidates to this phony executive experience standard – wrong!

    Michele Bachman isn’t shy about pointing toward Barrack Obam’s biggest problems – the skeletons that are in plain sight in Barrack Hussein Obama’s closet.

    Michele Bachman has good instincts when it comes to limited government.

  • acat

    I knew who he was when he was still a state senator voting present…

    Something for you to consider – what would, as you put it, “a pro-marxist anti-american” *with* executive experience have managed to accomplish? I’m very happy Obama lacks it, among other traits needed to be a success.

    To borrow from Rush, I’m glad he’s failing.

    That said, the inverse is most certainly true – we will need the best {darn} GOP president we can get – and I am *not* willing to give up executive experience to get good speaking skills. I want both.

    Perry has both. He looks like he’d be a great candidate.

    What I don’t know – and what you’re not helping me find out – is whether Perry would be a good president. You assert and you use your values to judge instead of just posting facts… even though it has to have dawned on you by now that I do not share all of your values.

    Pawlenty .. with a good speech coach might be a good candidate – and would be a great president.

    Bachmann .. gives a great speech and is fast on her feet in a debate, but … unless she has a time machine she can’t fix her lack of executive experience. I don’t think her experience as a tax lawyer will carry the day against the D.C. bureaucrats who will be out for blood if we win.

    So. You think the Gardasil decision was bad. I agree – but only because it should have gone through the existing public health system, not the governors’ office. I have no problem with tollways being privately held – it’s working well in Indiana and for the City of Chicago*. Both sold off their tollways to outside firms.. (IIRC, Canada did something similar, back in the ’90s, if you want to look it up)

    As for “former democrat”, give me a break. Until the 1980s, nobody in the South would vote for “the party of Abraham Lincoln”. The South used to treat the Dem primary as the “real” election – and there were both liberal and conservative Dems**. That’s all changed, but .. Perry’s old enough to have been under the wrong tag for part of his career. Heck, Perry isn’t even the only candidate in the race who used to be a Dem! Buddy Roemer, former governor of Louisiana, was a Dem for most of his career!

    In short, David, the arguments against Perry are sounding, to this cat, like small change, not nearly as bad as anything Romney has to offer. Unless you’ve got some real beef with Perry, I have to conclude the Gardasil thing got under your skin. You’ll be glad to know, then, that there’s another vaccine in the works for boys, so they won’t spread the disease around.

    Mew

    * Note – the Chicago Skyway is not, never was, and never will be part of the Illinois Tollway System. It’s simple – the Illinois Tollway System is dominated by crooked republicans, Chicago and the Skyway are dominated by crooked democrats.

    ** Note – Chicago still runs this way – whoever wins the Dem primary is going to win the general election without spending another dime so .. except in extremely unusual circumstances, that’s the race to watch.

  • izoneguy

    Texas eminent domain bill becomes law

    http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2011/05/23/texas-eminent-domain-bill-becomes-law.html

    Gov. Rick Perry signed into law a bill that further limits government entities’ ability to seize private property.

    The legislation, Senate Bill 18, was one of Gov. Perry’s so-called emergency initiatives for the current legislative session, which ends May 30. It strengthens a property owner’s right to defend against eminent domain from government agencies and private entities. Both the United States and Texas constitutions prohibit taking private property without just compensation.

    ?Today is a proud day for Texas landowners,? said Joe Parker Jr., president of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association . ?After years of hard work, Texas has new eminent domain law that will protect the private property rights of Texans; something TSCRA has been working toward for a very long time.”

    House passes eminent domain bill

    http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2011/04/14/house-passes-eminent-domain-bill.html

    ?Property ownership is an essential freedom for Texans and an important part of fulfilling the American dream,? the governor said, commending the Texas House for passing the bill. ?I look forward to seeing this important legislation reach my desk.?

    Provisions in the bill specify that taken property must be intended for public use, and that a property owner could buy back the land after 10 years if nothing is done with it. The House version of the bill gives the right to purchase the property at either the value of the land at the time it was targeted for seizure, or the current fair market value, whichever is less.

  • izoneguy

    http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/06/19/axelrod-targets-obamas-2012-opponents/?test=latestnews

    President Barack Obama’s chief campaign strategist is dismissive of the Republicans who want his boss’ job, saying they are eager to criticize the Democratic incumbent without offering substantive ways to help the country.

    Ahem, Mr. Axelrod,

    Rick Perry’s First 100 Days
    If he gets into the race, Gov. Perry will be offering the Texas model of economic growth to a nationwide audience.

    http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303635604576391671267240408.html

    At our meeting he suggested shuttering the federal departments of energy and education and criticized Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget plan on the grounds that it doesn’t cut deficits quickly enough. Still, Mr. Perry added that “it’s a very good step in the right direction” and called Mr. Ryan “one of the Young Turks that I admire.”

    snip

    Mr. Perry said that assuming a GOP victory over President Obama and a Republican takeover of the Senate, the first item of business would be a repeal of ObamaCare “in totality, and a great sigh of relief would be heard across this country.”

  • radicalrighty

    What else can be said when the United States Department of Justice is supporting, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Peru, instead of one of the UNITED STATES?

  • ntrepid

    I guess we all have our own pain thresholds for such things but, with all due respect, this one should be clear. Based on the discussion above we are to suppose that it is justifiable to separate all citizens from a right because a subsection of the public (1) may refuse to blindly accept a government giveaway that that government insists will improve their lives and/or (2) refuse to educate themselves (as parents in this case) to the potential benefit of a particular vaccination. Yes, it is slightly more complicated than that but?ultimately; I would say yes, they would be making a deliberate destructive choice. (Responsibilities come with citizenship.)

    I hate to imagine an America (or a state) where all citizens must incrementally give up ever increasing numbers of rights to protect every subgroup that willingly engages in risky behavior an remains ignorant of the consequences and potential solutions available to them.

    While you are entitled to your opinion?which may very well be more educated and valid than mine?I suggest we are at a point in our history when every encroachment on any right by government should be made against the stiffest of headwinds instead of just accepting them as close enough to some existing and already ?accepted? program. The mission creep that follows that mentality?particularly within well established governmental bureaucracies?can be very destructive. Look no further than the EPA?(again, don?t get me started.)

    Again, thank you and all who commented above for a spirited and civil dialog even though I came late to this discussion.

    Ntrepid
    Proud Redstate Member since April 2006??

  • rowdydfw

    On this issue I completely agree with Eric….

    And I won’t try to fool anybody with nonsense. At this point in time I will vote for an orangatang with an orange behind against the current resident in our White House. At the very least he knows how to manage his bananas and he doesn’t apologize to anybody for being an orangatang.

    Yes, we had to rather beat up a couple of times on Perry and steer him in the right direction. But he did listen when we had to march on the capitol to get his attention. There’s not a democrat in this country that’s going to veer from imposing their own ideology, period. No matter how loudly we scream. And that’s just the way it is.

    I myself have continued to enjoy prosperity in Texas and applaud Gov. Perry for his part in fostering that environment. Texas is very blessed with reasonable people who truly understand the principles of freedom fostered by those who fought and won it. Just like our country’s forefathers.

    We are the second or third greatest population in the country. And out of those, we are the only one with viable finances and PROOF that if your keep your taxes low, you will get the revenue needed to keep your finances viable. We have more employed people paying the sales taxes and property taxes that support our government than any other state.

    There’s only one other candidate that I may place first on my voting agenda. If I can’t vote for that candidate, Perry is my second choice. If I can’t vote for Perry, then the orangatang with the orange behind gets it.

  • TopGun

    “Popper – it?s a federal issue. I know you are numb from the neck up so I will give you a break.

    Perry/Jindhal 2012″

    Again try reading the Constitution for Texas and the powers it gives the governor to protect the people.

    Your refusal to acknowledge this truth proves you are the one numb from the neck up as well as you thinking a national ticket with two people from states right next to each other in the south would be a winning national ticket.

  • acat

    And I definitely agree that we all have different pain thresholds. And different “avoidance” thresholds .. that is, talking openly about vaccinations for an STD is very difficult for some.

    I agree Perry made a mistake here. I do not agree that it disqualifies him, although – given the nature of the vaccination – I think he’s got a tough job coming up with a narrative that’ll work. Stealing the “It’s the economy, stupid!” mantra from Clinton is probably his best bet to avoid the issue.

    Public health is a very tricky business for conservatives because it conflicts two ideals – right to individual choices is in direct conflict with mitigating the health risk to all caused by an outbreak of, say, rubella.

    In the case of HPV, a point trutexan made is that the kids (not just girls) most likely to be affected are also the ones most likely to be either abusing emergency rooms for health care or delaying treatment until it gets quite expensive .. then looking to Medicaid to pay for it. In short, the taxpayer is better off paying for prevention than for treatment.

    Finally, HPV can also cause complications with pregnancy, and can be passed from mother to child, so preventing it in mothers keeps more children from being affected, mortally or not.

    I don’t like the intrusion but, as with all vaccination “mandates”, this one comes with an opt-out .. and that puts it to where I can tolerate it.

    I’m actually more {annoyed} at the ongoing mission creep of school lunches, and the big business that they’ve turned into. In some schools where lunches are a fed mandate, there is no opt-out – if your kid attends, he or she will eat the mass-produced nutritionally-questionable swill. That seems, to me, to be the nose of the camel that we need to object to.

    Mew

  • kaptkane

    a Bildeberger skeleton in Perry’s closet. That’s enough to steer me away.

    ht tp://www.prisonplanet.com/bilderberg-behind-rick-perry-2012-run.html

  • ghflynt

    I listened to Governor Perry’s speech at the Republican Leadership Council in New Orleans. Great speech! He will destroy Obama in a debate where there are no teleprompters. Does Rick Perry have skeletons in his closet? Don’t know! Do know that he is our very best chance to win the Presidency in 2012. If he does for the nation what he has done for Texas, Americans will be much better off tomorrow than we are today. He Does have a pair and does not fear liberals or the liberal press. He seems to know that the best defense is a good offense and is unapologetic in his defense of conservative principles. I hope that he runs because I believe he will bring back solvency to our government, return the nation to our founding father’s principles of individual freedom and limited government and inspire a new and much needed confidence in the American people! If we do not get our national debt under control, we will end up being the servants of those who hold that debt.

    “Solvency is valueless without security, and security is impossible to achieve without solvency.”

    Winston Churchill

  • carolynr

    I have listened to the video from New Orleans…Republican Leadership Conference. This guy has to get into the race…and get in fast. I will try to see if I can get this video to go viral…because I can’t depend on the MSM. Thank you Red State…we appreciate the full context…and will get the info out to other Americans

    P.S. Bye…Bye Romney..who is nothing more than Obama..BIG GOVERNMENT

  • brojohn2

    I live in south Texas, Kinney County to be precise, we have illegals crossing our place on a regular basis, we go armed ourselves because the Feds care less about our border, and even less about our lives. I am also a retired Pastor, who is a conservative, and I would like to say that rumors are for children and democrats. Perry has lost battles such as the HPV and the Trans Texas Corridor, both of which were poorly thought out and even more poorly exectued. HPV should have gone through the State Health Department, and should still be offered to those parents who want it for the kids.

    Of course Perry has not said he will run, so maybe we are all putting the cart before the horse. I personally would vote for him even though I find some things a little left of myself, but not enough to make him another W who did after all start the TARP mess in the first place, and added to the cost of education without increasing test scores. W was a big government guy too. So, I say that if we want to find skeletons in closets, we can, but most of them are going to be bogus, and the ones that count, are already moot points. It is time for people to start working against the Democrats at every opportunity, and stop trying to pick apart every one who comes up to the plate.

  • dajeeps

    and other vaccinations that are required to attend school. And I don’t really have a problem with that concept – in the context of considering a candidate for president – as long they understand and confirm they understand the difference in role in society between the Federal govt and a state government.

    For me the case again Romney’s statism is a bit stronger because we was activly involed in pushing his solution at the national level in 2009. He says he holds the 10th amendment as a priority, but all other things considered, I think I need a rather large shaker of salt.

    I am not sure that any of this really matters, though. Judging by what’s going on with the farm subsidies, and other things like the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, just to name a couple, the House is still soaked with statism and it is oozing out of every committee — business as ususal. The real truth is that the political class doesn’t give a hoot what we think; tea party or no. It’s going to go on until it can’t anymore, and hope that it is soon.

  • Ausonius

    Conspiracy theory nonsense, or is there something skeletal here?

    ht tp://w ww.infowars.com/bilderberg-approved-perry-set-to-become-presidential-frontrunner/

    And:

    ht tp://w ww.infowars.com/bilderberg-2011-full-official-attendee-list/

  • jgparker

    The number one reason Perry should be the Republican Party candidate is that he is capable of beating Obama.

    …..he’s a native Texan, he’s a member of the world’s largest fraternity (Texas A&M graduate), an Aggie with a degree in Agriculture Science (not a lawyer), he’s an Air Force veteran, he’s married to his high school sweetheart, he was in business with his father before running for office…….

    …he’s a Patriot who loves this country and he’s an authentic fiscal and social conservative,..

    I heard him speak last month in Houston at our grand opening of King Street Patriots, a Tea Party organization……he held the crowd’s attention and thrived on our enthusiastic support. He speaks with passion with no need of a teleprompter. He’s knowledgeable and witty and sincere, folksy without being country. His knowledge of Texas and US history will serve him well on the campaign trail.

    Many writers on this post have nit picky objections to Perry….all of us must remember the goal and support the strongest candidate. ….. in my opinion, that’s Perry.

    When main stream media tries to steer support to Romney, be assured the determination has been made he’s the easiest to beat……..we don’t need another fiasco like McCain.

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

    It’s Infowars. Enough said.

    And seriously? You’re asking if a bilderberger conspiracy theory has something to it?

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

    Conspiracy theories are verboten around here.

    My NWO handler said so.

  • http://dreamsfrommyforefathers.com RoguePolitics
  • leefromok

    When you have a group of rhinos running against each other, a rhino is bound to win.
    The Bildeberger thing and the forced vaccinations both indicate elitist control.
    I voted for both Bushes and I regret it.
    They seemed conservative but both pushed us closer to the new world order.

    And, TopGun, stick to your gunns!
    Don?t let yourself be browbeat into silence.
    Continue to stand up for what is right!
    There are a few here that either can?t see the truth, or have an agenda.

  • Leon H. Wolf

    Can’t be having you insult the Bildebergers here at RS. Always a bad policy to insult the people who pay our bills.

  • Aaron Gardner
  • Flagstaff

    He has a delivery that simply oozes passion about his subject, even without shouting or waving his arms. He doesn’t have to shout “Obama is a ONE…TERM…PRESIDENT” to make his points.

    If, as noted elsewhere on this thread, he supported Rudy last time, he may have to convince some folks of his conservatism, but he can do it.

    I’m coming to believe that a Republican candidate for President can be stunningly successful even if s/he fails some of the Official Right’s litmus tests. (The Official Right is all those people who proclaim they will “never vote for X because s/he did ‘y’ some time ago.” But they each have a different interpretation of just what ‘y’ is.)

    The formula is simple: Be truly conservative on most issues. Speak with PASSION. State what your beliefs are, “conservative” or not, and why. Explain what you plan to do if elected as specifically as possible (but resist demands to deliver a finished plan–it’s OK to say “it’s a start”), why it’s a good plan, and how you’ll pay for it. Never complain, never explain, and never retract anything–if it’s retractable, it means you didn’t think it out. That means you won’t put out offhand opinions about issues you don’t understand. Answer questions about the issues you do understand head-on–if you think your answer makes sense, won’t voters agree with you? If not, maybe you should have a different opinion. Never mention the Democrats; let other people do that.

    An honest campaign along these lines gives folks a chance to disagree with you on some issues but still support you overall.

    BTW, I don’t think Bachmann would accept the second spot. Cain or Santorum will; I think Pawlenty would be a negative if added to Perry.

  • Ausonius

    THAT I found interesting!

    Has Drudge bought into such things, or thinks that there is something to it?

    Why bother listing it and giving it some legitimacy?

  • runner12

    everyone else he would need to be vetted thoroughly. He has shown some big government tendencies, which will be thoroughly discussed if he decides to get in.

    But I think a note of caution is warranted here. While we do not want to compromise our principles when selecting a nominee, we also do want to demand perfection. We must support the MOST conservative candidate who can beat Obama. There are 3-4 who have the potental to do that who are not Romney who are either running or thinking of running. Any of which would be better than Obama.

  • YnotNOW

    And therefore I am watching and keeping my options open right now.

    Competition and vetting candidates is a good thing!

  • williamjameson

    but its how dems and gop pushed bills through to pretend its a form of political cover. You’re right amnesty isn’t unconstitutional, its been used before and never beaten in the courts.

    http://thehill.com/homenews/house/86985-rules-memo-outlines-dem-plan-to-pass-healthcare-bill-without-actual-vote

    http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/03/16/4436482-explaining-deem-and-pass

  • williamjameson

    Seriously, prove it. I bet your a fan of media matters.

  • williamjameson

    You can’t take him seriously, you’ll get brain rot. At least Beck is believable 35% – 40% of the time. Jones is a far left extremist who no one trusts but the Tin Foil hat crowd.

  • Ausonius

    And now has a Politico story about rumors of divorce and homosexuality:

    http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0611/57381.html

  • http://moelane.com/ Moe Lane

    NT

  • gekster

    after the employees at McDonalds, Burger King, and Wendies complained.
    Rallys had no comment.

  • realvoice2010

    Very few in the country know about Texas politics, so I think your 3 question comparison really puts things in perspective. I’ve recently heard Gov. Perry speak and like what he said about american exceptionalism. We’ve got to keep scrutinizing the candidates(GOP), but we need to comment on the good things that our GOP candidates say . Remember what the ultimate goal for 2012 is, to make O a one time president, but also to keep the house and gain in the senate.

  • wennejunk

    Of the declared candidates: anybody but Romney, Paul, Gingrich or Huntsman. None of the last 4 are the incarnations of evil, however, just not on my list of reasonable solutions.