Perry to Conservatives: My Past Will Not "Embarrass" You
The American public got to see Gov. Rick Perry’s outreach to religious conservatives at the giant “Prayerpalooza” rally at Reliant Stadium in Houston a few days before he announced for president. A far more private but equally important plea for their support was delivered on a Texas ranch last weekend.
At a gathering of uncommitted social and evangelical conservatives at the Hill Country spread of mega-donor James Leininger, Perry spent several hours patiently answering queries on a range of issues, from his stand on immigration reform to the depth of his commitment to oppose abortion, people who were in ...
Comments (28)
John Paul
I just watched the video, he sure can preach it! I still think Ron Paul is a much more humble Christian who will fight our crooked government to do what is right.
sssdddd
No it is not the past that haunts us about Perry it is his vision of the perfect future.
The only difference between him and the KKK is lack of hate towards blacks. But since it appears he hates poor people he may well just be hating blacks too.
sssdddd
This Perry saga is just stomach churning.
Republicans, surely you can do better than this guy. I have met quite a number of perfectly reasonable Republicans. Please elect someone who is normal.
Dale H Curry via Texas Tribune on Facebook
This man is nothing if not an embarrassment!
Mary Ellen Graf via Texas Tribune on Facebook
It is embarrassing me now.
Kurt Rheinboldt via Texas Tribune on Facebook
what about the investment in the porn distribution enterprise?
J Patrick Miculka via Texas Tribune on Facebook
What does this guy do good? Well... he executes people... even if they're innocent.
Chris Thornton via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Only people that are sentenced by a jury of their peers, or by a judge, are executed. And anyone in Texas that gets the death penalty automatically receives an appeal. The state judicial system is responsible for executions, not the governor.
Bambi Clark via Texas Tribune on Facebook
What a dufus...
Thomas Jefferson
I have had enough fakers playing to the Christian community. I pray for discernment for these guys.
Perry is so compromised. Find an honest guy that the establishment guys dislike if you want change.
Ron Paul
No strings attached!
Rune D'Art
Good for him. I hear the constant drone of dissatisfaction from Perry's detractors but there isn't a candidate on the playing field that can touch Perry. Or another with a better chance of crossing the finish line in the general.
He had my vote before he even declared.
Nigel Richardson via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Most of those "religious conservatives" are so shameless about their own pasts that nothing could embarrass them. Dobson, Viguerie, Perkins.... Jeez.
Claudia Lynch via Texas Tribune on Facebook
"Perry promised that nothing embarrassing in his personal life would emerge during the 2012 presidential campaign." You realize he has just tempted fate here and fate will, no doubt, rise to the occasion. :)
WUSRPH
Most of us are more concerned with this "present" and his "future" than his personal past....However, his record in government and his total opposition to most of the achievements of the 20th Century should concern everyone.
sssdddd
Why cannot the Republicans put in someone reasonable?
It seems that with all the Obama hate out there, the Republicans could sweep the field with someone reasonable. Why blow the chance who writes a radical prescription for our country? Are the Republicans secretly plotting to get Obama re-elected so they do not have to put up with the challenges of governing?
Why put in a person with such radical, neandrathal views of what ales us. Is a confederacy retread the BEST MAN the republicans can offer?
I would accept a woman president however with this crowd in the Republican party I think that is impossible.
crack man
The nightmare in America happens when you wake up and Rick Perry is CEO of the USA and you are one of the over 50% of the population living in poverty and on the street but you still have a rifle and a 9mm that you know how to use......a¬nd it will happen----¬-but I'll be dead
crack man
I’ll be dead in a few years and in another world but the second civil war is coming to this country and you’re going to need an AK. A threat to America, Rick Perry, who never made a grade above a “c” in college, panders Patriotism and God better than a pimp panders hookers. A “cracker head fraud”, he is what we in Dallas, Texas refer to as a “west texas closet racist” which was very predominant in small towns in West Texas ( no longer in existence ) during late 50 and 60’s where there were minimal blacks and Hispanics. Heck, a graduating senior glass might have 3 seniors. These individuals have carried their bias all through their lives to positions of power. Perry talks out of his jock strap. There’s nothing there other than jock rot. He’s vapid. This parasitic sycophant to the Billionaire Oil Barons, Simmons, Pickens, Kochs, etc. reeks with hypocrisy, duplicity and is a political crook. The very fact that people listen and believe him is indicative of the Texas cracker head stupidity and racism that permeates Texas aka the most racist state in the US and being dummied down by the sycophantic ingratiating local and Texas media with their half truth spin promoting themselves as a standard bearer of truth. The entire state is a "cesspool of corruption¬" and "criminal enterprise¬ with "sweetheart deals" handed out by Perry as the CEO. Perry and his Billionaire Buddies will DO ANYTHING to continue the financial gang raping of the citizens of Texas and ultimately America. Texas even killed a President. Have you seen Obama in this “hate filled” racist state since the election? JFK came only once and you know what happened then. Then “Bozo Bush” goes to Washington after he and his stooges stole the election from Gore and our country was destroyed via costly and questionable wars and deregulation initiated by Texas Senator Gramm and his New York Jewish buddies aka Rubin, Summers and Schumer along with the “patsy” Republicans and their stupidity. These “cracker head” Texas Billionaires, "dirt burgers" and “west texas closet racists” now want to send a Jesus freak who caters to bible freaks and “white trailer park trash” to DC. The Texas media says nada and conducts no investigation of the fraud and gerrymandering down here overseen by this crook. You got a 38 % white minority per the 2010 census in the state and these cracker heads in Austin are gerrymandering the state where 62% of the congressional delegation is Republican....and by the way, I’m white for all you “crackers” and I’m a Democrat but am disgusted with how Obama sold out this country to the Wall and K Street elite who bought our politicians. They all need a one way ticket to another world or planet. Hell, 90% of the posters could do a better job of running this country that these 538 idiots whether you’re a Republican or Democrat.
Rune D'Art
sssdddd writes: "Why cannot the Republicans put in someone reasonable?"
I'll give 'Confederate retread' and 'neanderthal views' the attention they deserve and ask you to define 'reasonable' instead. I find Perry quite reasonable, as opposed to this 'radical prescription' you refer to. The country requires both jobs and entitlement reform. Whether you like it or not is immaterial, it is a Fact. Perry agrees and has proven over the last decade he's capable of providing the environment necessary to create jobs and is well aware of the pending insolvency of Social Security and the impact of Obamacare on the states.
Contrary to the CONSTANT liberal whiine, Texas added 73.4% of the nation's net new non-farm jobs since 2006 and has outpaced the nation in sorely needed wage growth, manufacturing jobs, aerospace jobs, energy jobs, professional & business services jobs, new finance jobs, and new construction jobs.
Texas schools provide more benefit *to the student* per dollar, have out-performed most states in closing the ed-gap, and meet or exceed national averages across the board for about $3500 LESS per pupil than other states - I'd say that's a benchmark the NEA would do well to target, but that's not what they're all about.
As for being socially conservative, I hate to break it to you but those views are representative of a majority in this country - even CA voted against Prop 8. The ONLY time liberal social views are made law is through legislation or litigation - they do not reflect either the Peoples vote or the majority view. And whether you'e a praciticing Christian or not, the Establishment Clause protects the people from a *state-mandated* religion - it does NOT mandate a politician attend only non-denominational services. So move along, nothing to see here but the squeaks and screams of breathless and empty opposition.
Re: a Constitutional Amendment: No matter which approach Congress would choose to take, it requires a 2/3 majority to *PASS*, and that's just in Congress. It would then have to be sent to the states for ratification by 3/4 or more of them, or the Amendment fails. That's an almost insurmountable bar, the process is provided for in the Constitution, it is not in conflict with a strong 10th amendment stance, and it is Not Statist, it is Federalist.
Regarding the Texas spending increase, I'll point out that the portion of the budget that Perry actually controls has shrunk by just under 1% everytime he's signed off on one - HIS spending has decreased, not increased. State programs historically supported by Fed money have increased over the decade. Is that the fault of Texas? No. It's attributable to Fed dollars being directed through the state, and in spite of that Texas has remained a donor state receiving fewer dollars back than the tax collectors have gathered.
sssdddd writes again: "I would accept a woman president however with this crowd in the Republican party I think that is impossible."
How magnanimous of you. When one runs that can win, we'll revisit that. Meanwhile you'll need to make do with Michelle Bachmann, who is in fact a woman AND a Republican running for President this very cycle. She has the same "Neanderthal views" (sort of the Republican platform, really) that every one of the other Republicans hold, but without the resume of executive experience and phenomenal job creation and wage growth that Perry has. Considering how the Liberals have been yammering on about both of those things for about a decade now I expect record numbers of them to vote for Perry.
patricia bird
Reminds me of the Utility company telling you "they" investigated your complaint and found "they" did nothing wrong...
Terry Hortman
I'm not worried about his past. He embarrasses me everytime he opens his mouth. We need to make sure that the coalition of the GOP, Tea Party, and the KKK does not install it's New Apostilic minister, Rick Perry. One more Republican President within 10 years and we will enter into war with Iran within 18 months. These religious zealots in the GOP are aching to fan the flames in the middle east and pick up where Georgie Boy an Dickey left off. Iran has the ability to engage in a prolonged war which is what Republicans live for.
adam kohler
Social "conservatives" are the worst part of America... nothing is further away from Christ than these ignorant fools. Pander to them and lose my vote. Classic BS from a group of people that I hope will continue to die off.
WHERE IS A SOCIALLY LIBERAL, FINANCIALLY CONSERVATIVE CANDIDATE WHEN YOU NEED ONE??
Nirav Patel
Funny how some of the most religious persons in this country are also the richest in this country. Not just conservatives.
Only Me
OMG "HE" is an embarrassment period. Is there anyone out there who sounds more ignorant? No!!!!!
sssdddd
Are you ready to follow his grand experiment in centralizing power within the hands of the Presidency? What would you think if all these powers he envisions were given to Obama and a democratic congress under Pelosi?
Or are you ready to turn our great country into a gaggle of arguing Balkan States? Trash our economic system by destroying the Fed? Or worse yet re-starting a second civil war?
This man is a clear and present danger to our democracy, the american constitution and for all that many have died for. Freedom from the tyranny of a theocracy, one nation, indivisible, and with enduring rights for all.
sssdddd
Rune D'Art
If Texas were not sitting on one of the richest plots of land in the world, there would be no economic miracle. So the question is who put the oil there? This is the person responsible for the economic miracle.
So are you suggesting that when Perry prayed for oil, oil appeared? Then the economic miracle occurred?
Or you you take us all so stupid that we do not know how our economy works in Texas so you can banter about any lie whatsoever?
Stephan Pickering
Shalom & Boker tov...Mr Perry's excursions into quackery squared are irrelevant: stem cell therapy has not yet been tested on those, like Mr Perry, who may likely have cerebral tissue damage from non-use. However: Mr Perry, a 'born again' pentecostal charismatic 4th reich acolyte, who can barely read or think critically (he did NOT write the book carrying his name, but his neonazi tantrums are his) poses a clear-and-present danger to the civil liberties and lives of Jews everywhere. An historical synopsis: 'Yeshua ben-Miriam' was a fabrication of a revelatory Graeco-Roman death cult, and crucifictionists did not then, nor now, have any covenant with G-d. What they created was a warrant for genocide, and the smoke of Auschwitz hangs over their empty tomb. For 2000 years, we have seen crusades, people/book burning, slavery, ghettoization, all leading to the gates of Auschwitz. An historical reality: I ignore Mr Perry's idolatrous blasphemies against Spirit (they do not affect my relationships with Spirit), but I cannot ignore the 1933-1945 exterminationist mind-set he insists on embracing. Mr Perry wants to finish the 1933-1945 'final solution'. As a Jew, I am his 'Jewish problem', because, as a Torah Jew, I know his warped lies of a 'Jesus' (how could we Jews murder a god man who never existed?) are what drives his protonazi mind into a frenzy. For him to speak of 'faith' was said by his Germanazi mentor. We are, indeed, seeing a repeat of the willing executioners...this time, using technology, antisemitism, and the 'media' to propogate a recapitulation of 1933 coded words. He attacks Mr Bernanke with the classic antisemitic screeds from 'The protocols of the sages of Zion' (with its whispering of 'international Jew bankers'), without quoting it directly -- but his comments are an unmistakable paraphrase. 'Evolution' is a process (Darwin never used the word 'evolution'), not a theory (Darwin/Alfred Russel Wallace's theory was 'natural selection'), and here, as well, Mr Perry's scientific illiteracy is predictable, as is his distortion of earliest Hebrew texts. He smears his computer screen with Wite Out, thinking this is thinking. To borrow from Samuel Beckett: every word he speaks is an unnecessary stain on silence and nothingness. America is in profound peril. One need only listen to the murderous antisemitic rage of the sycophants around him to discern what he is. STEPHAN PICKERING / Chofetz Chayim ben-Avraham
Richard Johnson
I'd have to say that, except for a few minor things like misspellings, I concur with pretty much everything, verbatim, that "crack man" shared on here ("I"ll be dead in a few years and in another world..."). Rick Perry as prezzy would make Shrub & Chumley (and their eight year festival of war and corporate whoredom) seem like golden hearted Boy Scouts leading their troop by comparison.
These ersatz "Jesus people" Perry hung out with at the ranch, Leininger et. al., must be wearing blinders if they think backing a closeted married man on the DL who spouts holier than thou Biblical sound bites (all the while executing an innocent man and then thwarting the investigation into the wrongful death) will be their ticket to another stretch of presiding over the planet in their corporatocracy-driven fever dream. The only thing missing from Perry's Prayerapalooza Festival of Hatred and Division in Reliant Stadium was the presence of the man who should have been their keynote speaker, Ted Haggard (you remember Ted, spouting hatred and judgment towards gay people, all the while having crystal meth sex flings with a male prostitute, albeit a hot muscle dude--I have to admit Teddy boy did have great taste in hot beefcake). As an openly gay man who is politically active and connected in the Austin area, and therefore knows the truth of RP's dual lifestyle, I can promise these Jeebus wingnuts that if Perry gets the nomination, they're going to be sorry they invested so much of their holy cash on him when his ex and/or current f**kbuds start coming out of the woodwork. Unless of course these RepugnantCons use a few corporate hitmen to take out all of Perry's "past embarrassments"--you know, guys, sort of like how Mike Connell, the IT-wiz who electronically rigged the Ohio votes for the lil shrubster's second term, died in an "accidental private plane crash" on the way to D.C. to testify against Rove, the same Karl Rove who had been threatening Connell's life via phone calls to the poor sod in the weeks prior to his untimely--and yet so conveniently timed--death. Maybe Leininger should start the wheels in motion right now, make nicey-nice with Mr. Rove, and get Rove to refer his peeps to some good hit men. I just know in my heart of hearts that Jesus would be okay if y'all murdered more people to get your Golden Boy (Rhinestone Cowboy) into the Oval Office. After all, what are a few, carefully chosen murders of gay men (any good Evangelical Dumbf**k knows that Jesus hates fags), when you counterbalance that with all the unborn fetuses you'll be able to save, and the billions you'll be able to reap in the ongoing corporate Forever war, once your DL cowboy takes charge. Awe, guys, the Shock and Awe of it all...
Gen Eric
God Bless you, Rick Perry!!! You are the one who can save America from Obamaism. The Obamacratic loyalists are exiting right with a few diehard radicals soon to follow. What a mess Obama has created. The nation has never had such a pitiful leader until Obama was elected in 2008, however, that is about to change as we elect the next President of these United States in 2012, Rick Perry!!!