OH, MY: Rick Perry Just Ended the Creepy #ForAll Meme

@HarrietBaldwin nominates Governor Rick Perry for the Twitter Post of "the day, week, month"... and possibly year:

Well, I don't think we'll be seeing much more of the Obama campaign's embarrassing #ForAll photo bust.

You gonna put some ice on that, Messina -- if that is your real name?

Erick Erickson: Mark Levin and Sarah Palin unable to gauge true conservatism

I usually resist the urge to engage in internecine warfare, but RedState's Erick Erickson's attacks on Rick Santorum have moved me to action. As Rick Perry has faded in the polls after some disastrous debate performances, Erickson has likewise thrashed about trying to pump up the candidate. And similarly with Newt Gingrich, who -- after a brief surge in the polls -- has faded. Believe me, I'll happily support either, but right now Rick Santorum appears to be the most conservative candidate with momentum.

Erickson has been left with the proverbial dead parrot returned to his store, and must resort to arguing that it's still alive.

Owner: Well, he's...he's, ah...probably pining for the fjords.

Mr. Praline: 'E's not pinin'! 'E's passed on! This parrot is no more! He has ceased to be! 'E's expired and gone to meet 'is maker! 'E's a stiff! Bereft of life, 'e rests in peace! If you hadn't nailed 'im to the perch 'e'd be pushing up the daisies! 'Is metabolic processes are now 'istory! 'E's off the twig! 'E's kicked the bucket, 'e's shuffled off 'is mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisibile!! THIS IS AN EX-PARROT!!

Dear Erick,

So you're saying Mark Levin, who is a personal friend of Santorum's and knows him as well as anyone (Santorum was an early campaigner for Reagan in 1980 in Pennsylvania with Levin) is wrong?

That Mark Freaking Levin is supporting a big-government Statist?

That Santorum's leadership work on the 1996 Welfare Reform Act -- arguably the most successful re-engineering of an existing entitlement program ever -- is not worth discussing, especially now?

That Santorum's obvious knowledge and support of national security is to be dismissed as China prepares for war and the Middle East boils over?

That Santorum's brave battle for a Balanced Budget Amendment was all a sham?

That cherry-picking a couple dozen from thousands upon thousands of votes that Santorum cast -- many of which were thrust upon the GOP caucus by the big-spending Bush 43 administration -- are somehow representative of his personal interests?

That because he lost an election in a disastrous year for Republicans nationally, a year that swept the Democrats into power, as the most conservative Senator from Pennsylvania in the last half-century?

Why, didn't Barack Obama lose a Democrat Primary to Bobby Rush just a decade ago by 31 points? Uhm, yes. Yes, he did.

No. I don't get it. So Mark Levin and Sarah Palin don't know that Santorum is really a big-government guy, that he's fooled them for all of these years.

All candidates are imperfect, some more so than others.

But tearing down good conservative candidates like Rick Santorum to me makes no sense, especially when other good candidates like Gingrich and Perry appear to be losing momentum.

Some introspection, I believe, is necessary.

ACTION ALERT: Virginia GOP Changed Ballot Access Rules Last Month; Here's How to Contact Them and Demand Changes

Based upon several reliable reports at RedState, it would appear that Virginia's GOP establishment changed the rules of ballot access just last month. Front-runner Newt Gingrich, for one, saw his campaign hurt badly by reports that it bungled the Virginia ballot process. He and Rick Perry were excluded despite each turning in over 10,000 signatures. But if the new reports are true, the state GOP has a hell of a lot to account for.

Moe Lane provides the introduction:

...the very short version is that the VA GOP only certified Mitt Romney and Ron Paul for its primary ballot. Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich both had too many signatures tossed; Jon Huntsman, Rick Santorum, and Michele Bachmann didn’t even try. Of the seven candidates, one (Romney) had more than enough signatures (15K) to bypass the verification process entirely. All of this has caused a lot of agitation among Republicans following the primary process, of course; and not just from people who disapprove of what the VA GOP has done...

...There has been a good deal of defending of the outcome; and one argument heavily used in this defense has been that the campaigns all knew the rules and that previous Republican campaigns were able to get on the ballot, so clearly a competent current Republican campaign should have done so.

One small problem with that: as Winger argues, the rules were allegedly drastically changed. In November of this year.

So what changed?

...prior to the 2012 elections it was Republican party policy in Virginia to simply deem any candidate that brought in ten thousand raw signatures as having met the primary ballot requirements under Virginian state election law.

Under these rules, of course, both Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry would have qualified easily.

And why did the rules change?

...On October 24th independent state delegate candidate Michael Osborne filed suit against the Republican party of Virginia [challenging the signature review process and who performs it] ... according to Winger the VA GOP decided in response to bump up from 10K to 15K the threshold for simply deeming the requirements as being met.

...I think that John Fund’s general comment is correct: this is going to go to the courts. John was not discussing this specific wrinkle, but his larger point that Virginia’s ballot access policies have systemic problems gets a big boost when it turns out that the state party can effectively increase by fifty percent the practical threshold for ballot access – in a day, and in the middle of an existing campaign.

...If it is true that the Republican party of Virginia decided in November of 2011 to increase the threshold for automatic certification from 10K to 15K, then it is reasonable to suggest that this was a change that unfairly rewarded candidates who had previously run for President in Virginia.

Lane asserts that the state GOP has ultimate control of the ballot and could, if pressed, decide to certify Gingrich and Perry.

Either way, the issue is going to the courts.

And, either way, the Virginia GOP looks incompetent... or ill-intentioned against conservative candidates.

Action Alert: I urge you to contact the Virginia GOP and demand that they include Gingrich and Perry on the ballot. Be polite, but firm. There's no excuse for issuing new rules at the last minute that just happen to exclude the leading candidates. In fact, it's an outrage.

• Email: Contact Form
• Phone: 804-780-0111
• Fax: 804-343-1060
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/VirginiaGOP
• Twitter: @va_gop

Make contact now. Time is growing short.

Report: Virginia GOP May Have Improperly Excluded Signatures From Perry, Gingrich

Tom White has an exclusive that could be an important development in Virginia's ongoing GOP soap opera:

I know that it is highly improbable that I am the only person in the country that has actually read the Code of Virginia on Presidential Primaries, but the requirement that signatures also include an address IS correct for a statewide election, but not for a Presidential Primary, though the number of signatures are identical.

Anyone know an election attorney available on Christmas?

###

Various reports have stated that the signatures turned in by Newt Gingrich included at least 2,000 that were invalidated because there was no address given with the signature.

If this were a Virginia Statewide office, that would be correct. But this is a Presidential Primary. And while the rules are similar, they are actually addressed in two separate sections of the Virginia Code.

There is a requirement in a Statewide General Election that the address be included, but there is no such requirement for a presidential primary. The number of signatures are the same, 10,000 and 400 per Congressional District. But the address requirements are different.

Tom suggests that Gingrich and Perry request that the signatures excluded for lack of address be reinstated and a recount be initiated.

If this report pans out, it could be another huge story attributed not to legacy media, but to what I like to call the new mainstream media.

Shocking: Gov. Perry Receives Pension Along With Salary (Shhh: No One Discuss Michelle's $200K Raise After Hubby Was Elected to Senate)

Well, this is a stunning revelation (if you're a left-wing hack with a hate on for the U.S. Constitution):

Gov. Rick Perry is double-dipping, drawing retirement income from the state in addition to his salary as governor since late January, newly released records show.

Perry's move to begin drawing from his pension early this year while remaining governor, which his staff says is legal and consistent with state retirement rules, was unknown to the public until federal financial disclosures were made public on Friday.

...The governor's gross annual salary is $150,000; his net salary is $133,000. The net monthly annuity check Perry started receiving Jan. 31 is $7,698. Combined, his net pay from the state is now more than $225,000 annually.

To put this into perspective, the media was curiously silent regarding the timing of a raise of nearly $200,000 that Michelle Obama received after her husband was elected to the U.S. Senate.

Below you'll find a helpful chart and timeline explaining Michelle Obama's ultra-critical position at the University of Chicago Hospital (UCH), a position coincidentally created just after her husband's election to the Senate... and dissolved just minutes after she resigned to move into the White House.

Sandwiched, of course, by Sen. Obama's $1M earmark to UCH.

In 2002, Michelle Obama was hired by the University of Chicago Hospital as its "Executive Director for Community Affairs" at a salary of approximately $120,000.

In January of 2005, Barack Obama was sworn in as a United States Senator. "Coincidentally", in March of 2005, Michelle Obama was promoted to "Vice President for Community and External Affairs" and her salary bumped nearly $200,000 (from $121,910 to $316,962). This position was "newly created" for Mrs. Obama.

In February of 2006, Barack Obama requested a $1 million earmark for a new hospital pavilion at the University of Chicago.

Effective 9 January 2009, Michelle Obama resigned her position at UCH. And just five days later, effective 14 January 2009, Michelle Obama's VP position was eliminated, its functions absorbed into another executive's position. This prompted business writer Don Rose to ask "[If] that work can be folded into another guy’s, why was it separate in the first place?"

Operating with this kind of blatant double standard, you simply have to wonder how legacy media stays in business.

Although given their declining subscriber base, that question may be strictly rhetorical.

Photo: after Perry attack, Obama family reluctantly trudges to church

Rick Perry's nickname should be "Muezzin", cuz it appears he successfully issued a call to prayer for the President.

Texas Governor Rick Perry's recent campaign ad vow[ed] to end Obama's "war on religion.

President Obama publicly attended church on Sunday, and spoke about Christ's birth during a Christmas concert program that included Jennifer Hudson, The Band Perry, and Justin Bieber.

...The last time the family publicly attended church on Sunday was in April 2011 for Easter.

To be fair, there aren't any really good Black Liberation Theology churches in the D.C. area, which could explain the president's reluctance to attend services.

Good sign for Bachmann, Cain and Perry: Obama campaign preparing to run against Romney

Given the Obama administration's track record of failures (here's the short list: "Stimulus" programs, HAMP, HEMP, Cash-for-Clunkers, Obamacare, "Financial Reform", permanent 9% unemployment and 20% underemployment, the unlawful takeovers of GM and Chrysler, "Quantitative Easing", a new war, and $5.2 trillion in new Obama debt), I'd count this as excellent news for Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Ricks Perry and Santorum

Eight candidates took part in Tuesday's Republican presidential debate, but President Barack Obama's campaign focused its attention almost exclusively on one: Mitt Romney.

A day after Representative Michele Bachmann, businessman Herman Cain, and Texas Governor Rick Perry debated the economy with the former Massachusetts governor in New Hampshire, the Obama campaign held a conference call with reporters to zoom in on Romney alone.

The call was a sign the Obama campaign is preparing for the man most likely to take on the president in 2012, even if they cannot say that explicitly.

Shhh... no one tell the Axis of Fail that Herman Cain is currently leading Mitt Romney in the polls, having jumped 22 points in the last six weeks.

Super Happy Fun Quiz: Do You Have What It Takes to Become a Washington Post News Editor?

Question: which is the bigger story?

A painted rock at a ranch once rented by Rick Perry's father?

Or an Attorney-General who approved an illegal gun-smuggling operation that left 200 dead including two U.S. law enforcement officials and later lied about it under oath to Congress?

Correct Answer: Now, which Republican candidate saw that painted rock?

"Perry Panic" [Dan from New York]

Dan from New York:

WSJ, NOTABLE & QUOTABLE, SEPTEMBER 1, 2011

Politico reporters Ben Smith and Maggie Haberman on liberals' 'Perry panic.'

Reporters Ben Smith and Maggie Haberman in Politico, Aug. 30:



[Rick] Perry panic has spread from the conference rooms of Washington, D.C., to the coffee shops of Brooklyn, with the realization that the conservative Texan could conceivably become the 45th president of the United States, a wave of alarm centering around Perry's drawling, small-town affect and stands on core cultural issues such as women's rights, gun control, the death penalty, and the separation of church and state. The epidemic of lefty angst isn't just a matter of specific Perry policies though; it goes to the heart of the liberal worldview. His smashing debut on the presidential stage suggests that the victory of an urban liberal Democrat, Barack Obama, wasn't a step toward a more progressive nation, but just a leftward swing of an increasingly wild pendulum, now poised to rocket to the right.



###



At the rate they’re going, liberals (and some Republicans too) will be plum out of Perry canards even before primary season rolls around. Good.

The Truth About Rick Perry: Cliff Notes Version

"...if Barack Obama remains in office another four years there is a very good chance that he will have the opportunity to name between three and four Supreme Court justices either through natural death or retirement."

For those interested in an overview of PeskyTruth's two masterful articles describing the pros and cons of Rick Perry ("Want to know more about Rick Perry?" and "Seventeen (17) things that critics are saying about Rick Perry"), please consider the following "Cliff's Notes" version.

Want to know more about Rick Perry?

• Fifth-generation Texan; married high school sweetheart Anita in 1982

• After graduating, joined Air Force in 1972 as C-130 pilot. Left in 1977 with the rank of Captain.

• For the next seven years, Perry farmed cotton and tended the family ranch

• Entered politics in 1984, served in Texas House of Representatives, as Agriculture Commissioner and Lt. Governor

• Succeeded G. W. Bush in 2000 after latter resigned to run for the presidency; reelected three times since



• Supports repeal of Obamacare, which he says "puts many states on a collision course with bankruptcy"

• Strong supporter of Second Amendment, received "A+" from NRA

• Staunch supporter of Israel; visited in 2007; received "Defender of Jerusalem" designation in 2009

• In 2009 and 2011, endorsed a resolution supporting state sovereignty under the 10th Amendment of the Constitution



• Opposes regulation of greenhouse gases; believes in "all of the above" energy strategy

• Moved Texas "aggressively" into a large portfolio of energy sources including renewable, natural gas, coal and nuclear

• Texas has become a national leader in reducing emissions and known pollutants

• Texas has the world's largest wind farm, producing three times as much power as second-place Iowa



• Faced with a budget deficit in 2010-11, Perry became the first Texas governor since WWII to cut general fund spending

• Also balanced budget in 2003 by cutting spending in a challenging economic environment

• Rebated or cut taxes to business in 2007, 2008 and 2009

• Signed both Cut, Cap & Balance pledge and Americans for Tax Reform pledge not to increase taxes

• By several independent measures, Texas has the second lowest tax burden in the country for individuals and businesses



• Has twice formally requested that the Obama administration and DHS provide more support for border security

• Passed a "Voter ID bill" in 2011 after six years of "fierce partisan battling"

• Applicants for TX driver's licenses must be verified federal immigration databases to ensure they are in the country legally

• In 2008 stated his clear opposition to Amnesty; has advocated for secure borders and "sensible immigration policies"



• In the last five years, Texas has created more net jobs than the other 49 states combined

• In 2005, signed a state constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman

• Over the past ten years, teachers' salaries have increased 30%

• State budgets have consistently cut general spending while spending more, year-over-year, on education



• Appointed an African-American as chief justice of Texas’s Supreme Court; appointed the state’s first Latina justice

• Since 2003 tort reforms, more than 21,000 doctors have begun practice in Texas

• This year, Perry signed a "Loser Pays" bill into law, which should cut down on frivolous lawsuits

• Perry is said to have appointed only "unabashedly conservative" judges and would "carry this philosophy into the White House"

Seventeen (17) things that critics are saying about Rick Perry

• Gardisil is a vaccination designed to prevent cervical cancer caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV); the FDA approved the drug in 2006 and recommends vaccination in girls by age 12, before they become sexually active. Perry signed an Executive Order mandating vaccinations; this was overruled by a veto-proof majority in the Texas legislature. 18 other states, including New York and Michigan, had considered similar mandates, but none were actually implemented. Perry has since admitted his EO was a mistake, claiming he was motivated by his hatred of cancer (both of his parents are cancer survivors).



As of June 22, 2011, approximately 35 million doses of Gardasil® have been distributed in the U.S... the CDC says: “Based on all of the information we have today, CDC recommends HPV vaccination for the prevention of most types of cervical cancer."



• The Trans-Texas Corridor was plan introduced by Perry in 2001 that would have created a $175 billion program to build high-speed auto lanes; truck lanes; commuter and freight rail; water, natural gas and oil transport; telecommunications and other services. After eminent domain and "NAFTA Superhighway" concerns were raised, the corridor was killed off.



• Once a Democrat, he served as Al Gore's campaign manager in Texas. Perry had been raised a Democrat and Gore in 1988 "opposed the federal funding of abortion, supported a moment of silence in schools for prayer, approved funding of the Nicaraguan contras and was against the ban on interstate handgun sales." The experience with Gore's campaign helped convert him to the Republican Party, which he joined in 1989.



• He advocated secession. Actually, his real statement -- after a speech was interrupted with chants of "Secede!" -- was, "We’ve got a great union. There is absolutely no reason to dissolve it. But if Washington continues to thumb their nose at the American people, who knows what may come of that. Texas is a very unique place, and we’re a pretty independent lot to boot."



• Jobs created in Texas are low-wage. But, according to CBS MoneyWatch (4/11), Texas is ranked third among “Best States to make a living.” Texas has also seen its wages climb faster than the country overall. The "low-wage" canard was thoroughly debunked by Political Math.



• Texas ranks poorly in educational spending and high school graduations, both of which are true statements. However, differing racial makeups make states difficult to assess head-to-head. But according to The Nation's Report Card, standardized testing shows white students, black students and Hispanic students in Texas outperformed those in Wisconsin in math, reading and science for both 4th and 8th grades.



• Perry turned down $555 million in federal stimulus, but later asked for federal disaster aid for wildfires. Both assertions are true. But the Stimulus funds were a one-time payoff that had strings attached requiring Texas to continue paying the $555 million even after the federal funds had disappeared. Perry did accept other stimulus funds that had no such strings attached.



• Perry says he hasn't raised taxes, but he actually has in certain cases. Perry's actual statement was “we don’t raise taxes." But certain taxes have increased including tobacco, fireworks, diesel equipment, franchise, and unemployment. But, overall, Perry's record is stellar. The state ranks 45th in per-capita taxes with a 7.9% combined state/local tax burden versus, say, New York’s burden of 12.1%. Texas has no personal income or capital gains taxes; and Perry vetoed a proposed Internet state sales tax.



• "Perry has presided over the highest number of executions in the nation". This statement implies Perry was actively involved in the court cases, appeals and sentences when, in fact, he simply followed Texas law. Perry has commuted 31 death sentences, most for crimes committed as juveniles.



• Perry refused to commute the execution of a Mexican national though the White House and Mexico itself had requested it. True enough. And the Mexican national -- who is not immune from prosecution under U.S. laws -- was a despicable animal who kidnapped, raped, tortured, sexually mutilated and then murdered a 16-year old girl. He confessed to the crime to both the police and his brother. After 45 separate hearings and appeals, Perry (thankfully) allowed the execution to proceed.



• Did Perry preside over the execution of an innocent? Days before the execution of a man convicted of setting a fire that killed his three children, new evidence was presented by his defense attorney. Although Texas allows the governor to issue a 30-day stay of an execution, only the state's Pardons and Paroles board can issue clemency or commutation orders. This board reviewed the evidence and refused to recommend that Perry act.



• Perry supports giving in-state tuition to illegals. This is true. In 2005, Perry signed a law that allowed any student who lived in Texas for at least three years and graduated from a state high school to receive in-state tuition.



• "Rick Perry is gay" and "Rick Perry is homophobic". Politico and other magazines have inferred that there are questions about Perry's sexual preferences, These accusations remain unsubstantiated and there appears to be no evidence that Perry is either gay or homophobic. There is no question, however, that he supports the tenet that a marriage binds one man to one woman.



• Perry is a "weak" governor. This argument is used by critics to minimize Perry's role in an obviously booming state. However, an independent assessment indicates that "thirty other state’s governors were ranked as having more power than Texas’ chief executive, seventeen are ranked about equal, and three had even less power."



• Perry is "squishy" on immigration. He certainly has a mixed record; he has opposed an Arizona-style immigration law. But he recently added a bill that prohibited "Sanctuary Cities" (which didn't garner enough support to pass the legislature). Texas has earmarked more than $400 million for border security since 2005 with $152 million in the last legislative session alone.



• "Perry is a member of the Bilderberg cabal and therefore believes in a New World Order (NWO)". Although Perry attended a Bildeberbug meeting in 2007, so have Presidents Clinton and Ford, Timothy Geithner, George Stephanopoulos, Thomas Friedman, Senators Chris Dodd, John Edwards, Diane Feinstein and Tom Daschle. Perry attended the meeting for three days in 2007 and apparently received his instructions on how to implement an NWO during that time.



• Texas has an abysmal rating compared to other states in ___. Whether its "uninsured children", "uninsured adults" or "percentage of people living below the poverty line", the rankings are selected by critics to smear Texas and Perry. Look for the following characteristics of these claims: no citations, no credible sources, no dates and no original context. Put simply, any rankings comparing Texas to other states must account for a large Hispanic population, many of whom entered the country illegally.



I would encourage you to read both of PeskyTruth's articles on Perry in full:



• "Want to know more about Rick Perry?"



• "Seventeen (17) things that critics are saying about Rick Perry"



This is an outstanding set of articles that really helps the reader gain a better understanding of the Texas Governor and would-be GOP candidate.




Hat tip: Ace o' Spades.

Ruh Roh: Senator Joe Lieberman Unsure Whether He Will Support Barack Obama in 2012

Senator Joe Lieberman, ostensibly a political independent but who caucuses with the Democrats, is wavering on the President.

Senator Joe Lieberman ... told host John McCaslin on America's Morning News radio show on Tuesday morning that he had not decided if he would endorse President Obama in 2012:

MCCASLIN: Will you be supporting Barack Obama in 2012 or are you going to be putting your money on a Republican candidate?

LIEBERMAN: Well I haven't decided and I'm just waiting to see who the Republican candidate is and what President Obama's positions are at that point, so I got a little time as an independent not to feel rushed, because this is an important position. And I'm only one person but for every one of us who we support next year is going to say a lot about how our kids and grandkids are going to grow up in America, so I'm watching.

Senator Lieberman appears to be losing confidence that President Obama could actually win in 2012. The Connecticut Senator also told WLS 890 am radio's Don Wade on Tuesday, whether President Obama will be re-elected is, “an open question.”

And who can blame him?



Furthermore, Lieberman is defending the GOP presidential candidates over their strong religious convictions.

Senator Joe Lieberman ... defended Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (R-Minn), Texas Governor Rick Perry, and former Governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney against attacks they have received for speaking about their religious beliefs. Senator Lieberman says, " To me there's no good reason for it. If a person's faith matters, first its their right to say whatever they want. This is the history of our country. This country was founded on religious belief..."



[He was then asked], "Do you have a problem with Congresswoman Bachman, Governor Perry or former Governor Romney for their religious statements?" Senator Lieberman: "Oh God no, of course not. That's their faith. I give them all the credit. These kind of media attacks may backfire. Many Americans are turned off by that kind of sniping attacks."

Gee, but the Declaration of Independence only mentions God about six times, so I'm sure America's founders were intending to separate church and state.




Hat tip: Drudge Report.

Media Unearths Rick Perry's College Transcripts In Nothing Flat, But Somehow Unable to Find Any Record of Barack Obama's Existence

You may have missed the Left's preemptive attack on Rick Perry. The GOP candidate's transcripts were "mysteriously released" a few days ago, which smacks of another odd disclosure.



In 2004, Barack Obama's GOP opponent for Senate -- Jack Ryan -- "mysteriously" had his sealed divorce records un-sealed.



But I'm sure that's just coincidental.



You know, I find the media quite honest and diligent. It mocks and vilifies Rick Perry's college transcripts, yet somehow forgot about checking Barack Obama's:



1. Occidental College records and transcripts -- Not released

2. Columbia University records and transcripts -- Not released

3. Columbia Thesis paper -- 'not available'

4. Harvard University records and transcripts -- Not released

5. Medical records -- Not released

6. Illinois State Senate schedule -- 'not available'

7. Illinois State Senate records -- 'not available'

8. Law practice client list -- Not released

9. Certified Copy of Original Birth certificate -- Not released

10. Harvard Law Review articles published -- None

11. University of Chicago scholarly articles -- None

12. Record of Baptism -- Not released or 'not available'



But I'm sure that's just an innocent oversight.




Related: The secret scrapbook of Barry Soetoro Barack Obama