Folks, beware of this guy, he basically wants to get rid of the federal government and pave the way for corporations and the wealthy to do whatever they want. Forget workers rights, clean air, water, etc. He basically turned TX into a 3rd world economy where the rich thrive and everyone else tread water with the bulk of the job growth being minimum wage, that's why corporations flock there, low wage workforce and deregulation. TX is one of the worst polluter states as well. Please read his book "Fed Up!" it will scare you if you haven't drank the republican kool aid already, this guy is far beyond "far right". He would basically gut the Constitution as we know it if he could. Top Ten wacky ideas from the book below:

— 10. Social Security Is Evil: According to Perry Social Security is “by far the best example” of a program “violently tossing aside any respect for our founding principles.” (page 48)

— 9. Private Enterprise Blossomed Under Conscription and Wartime Price Controls: Not only does he argue that the New Deal failed to end the Great Depression, but he asserts “recovery did not come until World War II, when FDR was finally persuaded to unleash private enterprise.” (page 48)

— 8. Medicare Is Too Expensive But Must Never Be Cut: Both establishing Medicare in 1965 and expanding it to include prescription drugs in 2003 are examples of “an irresponsible culture of spending in Washington” (page 63), but establishing “‘councils of experts’ and panels of various sorts” to assess the cost effectiveness of different Medicare-eligible treatments is a “frightening” “scheme” that “undermines freedom” and can be fairly labeled “death panels” (page 81).

— 7. All Bank Regulation Is Unconstitutional:Criticizing the Security and Exchange Commission’s rulemaking process under the Dodd-Frank financial regulation bill, Perry asserts that “if the Constitution were shown the appropriate respect, Washington regulation writers wouldn’t have to worry about underrepresented views, because they wouldn’t have control over them in the first place” (page 94).

— 6. Consumer Financial Protection Is Unconstitutional: Further reiterates his view that all federal financial regulation is illegitimate, listing the SEC on page 44 as part of a “federal alphabet soup” in which “undemocratic unelected Washington bureaucrats” are “now (dubiously) empowered to dictate their own preferences to the American people.”

— 5. Almost Everything Is Unconstitutional: Regrets the existence of jurisprudence construing the Commerce Clause to permit “federal laws regulating the environment, regulating guns, protecting civil rights, establishing the massive programs and Medicare and Medicaid, creating national minimum wage laws, [and] establishing national labor laws.” Perry makes a partial exception for laws barring racial discrimination which he says fulfill “the intent behind the passage of the Reconstruction Era amendments.” (page 51)

— 4. Federal Education Policy Is Unconstitutional:Cites the willingness of Republicans to vote for reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act as a “perfect example” of “losing sight of the fact that perfectly laudable policy choices at the local level are not appropriate (much less constitutional) at the federal level.” (page 87)

— 3. Al Gore Is Part Of A Conspiracy To Deny The Existence Of Global Cooling:Jokes that the Social Security Trust Fund “must be somewhere in Al Gore’s lockbox, right next to his notes from inventing the Internet and that global cooling data he doesn’t want anyone to see” (page 60). Argues that moderates oppose curbing greenhouse gas emissions because “they know that we have been experiencing a cooling trend” (page 92).

— 2. Not Only Is Everything Unconstitutional, Activist Judges Are A Problem: Having called the majority of the duly enacted modern welfare state and federal regulatory apparatus unconstitutional, Perry pivots to the complaint that “the [Supreme] court too often chooses to take it upon itself to govern and to develop policy” (page 114).

— 1. The Civil War Was Caused By Slaveowners Trampling On Northern States’ Rights: Rather than simply citing chattel slavery as an exemption to his “states’ rights are good” principle, Perry argues that slaveholder activism in the 1850s was an example of big government federal overreach. “In many ways it was was the northern states whose sovereignty was violated in the run-up to the Civil War,” he argues, citing the Fugitive Slave Act and completely ignoring the human rights of the enslaved African-Americans of the south. He says “we can never know what would have happened in the absence of federal involvement,” ignoring again the fact that federalism would have bought peace at the price of continued slavery.

Mav, Great information.

Of the entire Republican field running, the most scariest and dangerous to the country is Rick Perry. The DNC just needs keeps hammering the Perry record and statements and we the people will see that this Tea Bagging, Red Neck Cowboy fails.

At some point in this election these three, Bachmann, Romney and Perry will turn on each other. Then it will be a case of who is the farthest right so the Republican primary voters will get out and vote for them. Then it will be all over. This race in 2012 is President Obama's to lose. These three will eat each other and create lots of fodder for him. I hope he uses it wisely. I am afraid however, that he has surrounded himself with a bunch of chicken s#$ts lately. Please get aggressive against these far right idealogues. Keep harping on positive job growth and the end of social security and medicaire under their (Republican) rule.

Let me fix that post.

"Folks, beware of this guy, he basically wants to get rid of the private sector and pave the way for the government to do whatever they want."

Barack Obama, that is.

"Good question from the Texas Tribune: While Perry campaigns, who's in charge in Texas?"

Good question.

Hey, while Obama campaigns, who is in charge of the US?

Oh, never mind, Obama never shows any leadership in any event. He was never "in charge" of anything in his life.

If Perry gets elected, he had better hope he has a congress that will be mostly Repbs. If not, he has to remember that he can't pass legislation alone. If he has a Dem. congress and they don't work with him, he will be in the same boat as Pres. Obama. Enough said!

“In many ways it was was the northern states whose sovereignty was violated in the run-up to the Civil War,” he argues, citing the Fugitive Slave Act and completely ignoring the human rights of the enslaved African-Americans of the south. He says “we can never know what would have happened in the absence of federal involvement,” ignoring again the fact that federalism would have bought peace at the price of continued slavery."

Too bad you libs dont study history, you just spew the lame talking points.

There is truth in what Perry says. The South attempted to 'nationalize' recognition of slavery with the Fugitive Slave Act and the Kansas-Nebraska Act, and the Supreme Court decision in Dred Scott (which basically mandated recognition of a slave's status nationwide. )

Stephen Douglas argued slavery could be expanded and legalized in the US territories if voters approved(popular sovereignty) It was Lincoln and Northern Republicans who wanted slavery to be kept as a purely state matter, limited in its place in Southern states. Lincoln argued (in his famous Cooper Union speech) the Founding Fathers wanted slavery limited and eventually done away with.

I think it's so funny the Republicans want to run George W. Bush against Obama. Be my guest.

Gov. Perry hasn't said anything that shows he has the intellect to be president, and in fact has spouted off several statements that sound like bullying. He uses the word "treason" with abandon when he, in fact, has said things that could reasonably be called "treasonous." One can try, but not possibly imagine, Gov. Perry as a statesman. It will be interesting to see if the citizens of the US really want a "bully" President.

The Republican Party / Tea Party definitely does not care about the average American! To not see that, to ignore that, to deny that is absolutely ridiculous and for the average American it amounts to being totally self punishing. Everything they have done has continually and belligerently demonstrated their complete focus on their political ambitions above all else; all of their stubbornly sought positions clearly identify their self-serving concentration; and every statement they arrogantly make seeks to con, excite and manipulate public opinion into accepting and supporting their irresponsible partisan attitude. They are completely committed to doing whatever it takes to return to “more of the same”, Bush-Cheney style, which used government and America’s resources to benefit only Special Interests and the powerful, influential and extremely wealthy few, who strongly supported them and who completely dictated to them, all while giving the majority only apathy, the costs and an abundance of subterfuge to rationalize and confuse. That is all clearly evident and has been proven, just as the “trickle down” theory, which they continually support and try to push, has been proven by Bush-Cheney to be a totally irresponsible fraud that just makes the wealthy wealthier and solicits political support from those few who benefit.

They talk about jobs and the economy, constantly faulting Obama and the Democrats, yet they have blocked every effort, offered nothing constructive and just advocate giving more to the wealthy, which has already failed (the wealthy won’t ever invest without a sound economy to warrant it). Their strategy to have the problems continue and the Democrats faulted clearly demonstrates their irresponsible self-focus without any real concern for the people. They are cocky, being arrogant and confident in the power, influence and money provided by their supporters to be used to coerce and intimidate their own, to insure unity, and then to provide the substantial backing needed to con and manipulate public opinion; past successes have emboldened them in the manipulation of the Christian block (2000), with the Swift-boat propaganda (2004) and with the extremes and excitement generated by the Tea Party movement (2010 & now), all having been designed, organized, financed and guided by those intending to benefit. We see the manipulation by 3rd party groups like Norquist’s “anti-Taxes” pledge, like Rove’s and Cheney’s groups and several others all providing the substantial money and then their just as substantial demands. This isn’t conjecture as all of it is well documented and obvious to anyone who is willing to look and simply open to recognizing the corruption; just recognizing the truth in all that is stated here should prove the point beyond any doubt. The Democrats are not perfect, not even close, but really offer far more to the average American and this country really can’t afford to return to “more of the same”, Bush-Cheney style, which is what the Republicans are seeking.

"Perry’s word, record attract scrutiny"

A more accurate heading would have been, "Perry's word, record attract scrutiny from Liberal Press"

Except for Romney, these guys are all ridiculous loons. Bachmann has said plenty of crazy stuff, and if she makes it very far, the quotes will be used to show her true lack of intellect or understanding. Perry's book shows that he believes plenty of crazy stuff as well. What's with the pro-slavery and anti-gay stuff? Is the GOP turning into the cracker/regressive party? Unfortunately Romney is running away from every reasonable position he took as MA governor and may have to move so far right to win the GOP nomination that he will be unelectable in the general.