Rick Perry goes at it again, launches 2016 bid

[chuckd]

I normally don't use Wikipedia as it accepts writer contributions. Having said that, their concise wording often gets to the point much easier.

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The following from Wikipedia on Perry's early life after college.

"In the early 1970s, Perry interned during several summers with the Southwestern Company, as a door-to-door book salesman. "I count my time working for Dortch Oldham [president of the Southwestern Company] as one of the most important formative experiences of my life," Perry said in 2010. "There is nothing that tests your commitment to a goal like getting a few doors closed in your face." He said that "Mr. Oldham taught legions of young people to communicate quickly, clearly and with passion, a lesson that has served me well in my life since then."[21]

Upon graduation from college in 1972, Perry was commissioned as an officer in the United States Air Force and completed pilot training in February 1974. He was then assigned as a C-130 pilot to the 772nd Tactical Airlift Squadron at Dyess Air Force Base. Perry's duties included two-month overseas rotations at RAF Mildenhall in England and Rhein-Main Air Base in Germany. His missions included a 1974 U.S. State Department drought relief effort in Mali, Mauritania and Chad, and two years later, earthquake relief in Guatemala.[22] He left the United States Air Force in 1977 with the rank of Captain, returned to Texas, and went into business farming cotton with his father.[23]"

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Perry graduated from Texas A&M in 1972 and first entered politics in 1984.

Compared to HRC, he's a regular Bill Gates.

It would seem he has a birthright to wear boots or not, as his feet and personal choices dictate. BFD.

Wikipedia...the concise words of Rick Perry promoting himself, yadda yadda yadda....

Great response. That would earn you a D+ in your 5th grade class.

Look around, I am sure there are some old used Wendy Davis campaign ads you could use to make you look even sillier.

[chuckd]

The male Sarah Palin.

Because he forgot the name of ONE government agency, ONE time? What does that make a president who insisted that he has visited "fifty-seven states" in the USA?

Rick Perry graduated from Texas Agricultural and Military College with a GPA of 2.2 and a major in Animal Science.

Actually, Perry graduated in the top ten of his group of 13.

Exactly what the country needs....a guy who's made a living getting paychecks from the taxpayers only, nothing in private business.

"Exactly what the country needs"

Correct, exactly what the country needs.

Somebody that is not afraid to post his college transcript.

[Publicus]

Now, let's look at the political indictment issued against Governor Perry.

Following are comments issued by some main stream media and liberal commentators concerning the indictment.

1. Several Democratic commentators, including David Axelrod, Jonathan Prince, Matthew Yglesias, and Jonathan Chait have stated that they believe the charges are either weak or unwarranted.

2. The New York Times ("appears to be the product of an overzealous prosecution"),

3. The Los Angeles Times ("the courts are the wrong place to settle political scores"),

4. The Washington Post ("The grand jury, however, would criminalize Mr. Perry’s conduct by twisting the pertinent statutes into a pair of pretzels")

5. USA Today ("Politics as usual should not be a violation of criminal law")

6. Harvard Law School professor Alan Dershowitz stated that "The two statutes under which Gov. Perry was indicted are reminiscent of the old Soviet Union — you know, abuse of authority. The idea of indicting him because he threatened to veto spending unless a district attorney who was caught drinking and driving resigned, that's not anything for a criminal indictment. That's a political issue."

7. Eugene Volokh, UCLA School of Law professor, said that the Texas Constitution gives Perry the right to veto bills and he cannot be prosecuted for using his lawful and constitutional authority as Texas Governor and he also stated that Perry's threat to veto the funding is protected by the First Amendment, according to the Texas case of State v. Hansen.

lifted from Wikipedia here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Perry

These guys need to read some of the state statutes in Texas. As has been pointed out by the Texas Observer.....

What the Pundits Don’t Get About the Rick Perry Indictment

The Public Integrity Unit is largely funded by the Texas Legislature. That money [$7 million] isn’t earmarked for Rosemary Lehmberg; it’s earmarked for the oversight function of the Travis County DA’s Public Integrity Unit. It is that money that Perry threatened to line-item veto if Lehmberg did not resign. When she did not, and Travis County opted not to remove her, Perry then yanked the funding.

The criminal case against Perry centers on his “coercion” of a local elected official using threats and promises. It is not premised—as has been repeatedly misreported—on the veto itself. Craig McDonald, the head of Texans for Public Justice and the original complainant, told CNN:

“The governor is doing a pretty good job to try to make this about [Lehmberg] and her DWI conviction. But this has never been about his veto of her budget and about her. This is about his abuse of power and his coercion trying to get another public citizen to give up their job.”

http://www.texasobserver.org/pundits-dont-get-rick-perry-indictment/

There is nonetheless something additional about the veto in and of itself, which is that using public funds to attempt to force an elected public official to resign is a crime in Texas; and when those public funds exceed $200,000, the crime becomes a first degree felony. Moreover, in Texas there is no probation for criminals convicted of a 1st degree felony – only hard prison time.

Had Perry simply cut funds for any of a dozen perfectly legal and ordinary reasons, without demanding that Lehmberg must resign, Perry’s act would have almost surely been lawful. But it is not lawful which is what the indictment successfully secured by the special prosecutor is about.

Silly boy, James Richard "Rick" Perry....very silly boy.

Edited June 7, 2015 by Publicus

[Chicog]

^ Explains why he's had no success asking his lawyers to get it thrown out so far (at the taxpayers' expense of course).

[Jai Dee]

An off-topic post referring to Steve Perry the singer has been removed from this thread

[Publicus]

Rick Perry seems to have persistent memory problems, this time with two items....

A few months ago, not long after he was indicted on two felony counts, then-Texas Gov. Rick Perry ® forgot what crimes he’d been charged with. “I’m not a lawyer, so I don’t really understand the details here,” he said in August.

The likely Republican presidential hopeful was nevertheless certain that he didn’t do whatever it was he was accused of doing, and Perry’s legal team still hoped to have the charges thrown out.

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/criminal-case-against-texas-perry-moves-forward

James Richard "Rick" Perry is charged with two criminal indictments.

Judge Refuses to Toss Rick Perry Abuse of Power Case

JANUARY 27, 2015

The special prosecutor in the case, Mike McCrum, praised [Judge] Richardson’s ruling.“I think it’s the right ruling in many ways,” said McCrum. “I think the judge showed a lot of wisdom through the complex allegations made by the defendant.”

Last November, Richardson rejected Perry’s attorneys’ efforts to get the indictment thrown out on a technicality.

http://cw33.com/2015/01/27/judge-refuses-to-toss-rick-perry-abuse-of-power-case/

Looks like Perry's lawyers don't have much to try to hang their case on. Both the judge and the special prosecutor are btw registered Republicans. The judge who appointed the special prosecutor is a Republican.

[Publicus]

Texas state Judge Bert Richardson said the legal Bill of Particulars filed by Special Prosecutors Michael McCrum and David Gonzales need to go to a jury.

Former governor Rick Perry has been indicted by a special grand jury on two felony counts which the Bill of Particulars filed in February itemize in specific detail, to include as follows.....

“The state will prove that defendant Perry did not approve of historic and current management decisions regarding the operation of the Public Integrity Unit and therefore wanted to coerce Ms. Lehmberg into resigning her elected position and/or stymie or obstruct the continued operation of the Public Integrity Unit,” the prosecutors wrote.

"As governor, Perry was obligated to execute the duties of his office for the sole benefit of the people of Texas and not for the benefit of any private or individual purpose, private business, political party or other,” the prosecutors said.

Perry violated that obligation, misusing government property that was under his control, by using “the lawful power of gubernatorial veto for an unlawful purpose,” they said.

The bill of particulars also expanded on the reasons behind Count Two, coercion, saying prosecutors will present evidence that Perry “is criminally responsible” for communicating the veto threat in an effort to force Lehmberg out of office.

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/prosecutors-clarify-charges-against-rick-perry/nkBN5/

Rick Perry is going to look great in a long orange pullover suit. I wonder who'll be zipping him up the back...

Another Republican flying right winger howling at the moon.

Edited June 7, 2015 by Publicus

[chuckd]

If threatening to veto a bill is grounds for "abuse of power", where does that put Barack Obama as it pertains to abuse of power?

Perry was performing his constitutionally provided power under the Texas Constitution.

This indictment is nothing but a political act of revenge by a drunken Democratic party operative. All it does is throw red meat to the hungry jackals.

[Chicog]

If threatening to veto a bill is grounds for "abuse of power", where does that put Barack Obama as it pertains to abuse of power?

Perry was performing his constitutionally provided power under the Texas Constitution.

This indictment is nothing but a political act of revenge by a drunken Democratic party operative. All it does is throw red meat to the hungry jackals.

Seems you misread the piece above.

The act of withholding funding in itself is not a crime.

The act of doing it to threaten - or force to resign - a public official is.

They're Texas state laws, aren't they?

You'd a thought they woulda thunk it through....

Seems pretty black and white... "prosecutors will present evidence that Perry “is criminally responsible” for communicating the veto threat in an effort to force Lehmberg out of office.".

Edited June 7, 2015 by Chicog

[chuckd]

Yeah, that's what the same prosecuting office said about Tom DeLay.

He was convicted...until the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals declared him innocent of all charges by a vote of 8-1 and dismissed the conviction.

I read the link enough to know it is run by a bunch of Democratic operatives and progressive greenies. None of them will like Rick Perry.

Edited June 7, 2015 by chuckd

[sdanielmcev]

Travis County prosecutors have been abusing their position for decades. Both Republican and Democrat. I for one am glad he threatened Lehmberg. She needed to go. Anstinking drunk. I definitely like Perry for going after her. She was not fit for dogcatcher, let alone prosecutor. As a liberal bastion in Texas, Austin is a laughingstock, as are most liberals. The facts of the case will not hold up. Ask Tom Delay or Jim Mattox.

[JDGRUEN]

Travis County prosecutors have been abusing their position for decades. Both Republican and Democrat. I for one am glad he threatened Lehmberg. She needed to go. Anstinking drunk. I definitely like Perry for going after her. She was not fit for dogcatcher, let alone prosecutor. As a liberal bastion in Texas, Austin is a laughingstock, as are most liberals. The facts of the case will not hold up. Ask Tom Delay or Jim Mattox.

It is just another form of Saul Alinsky -- Rules -- Destroy your opposition - ruin their reputation ... with inflated and even flash charges... They were successful before - in the short term -- but knock Delay out regardless of the truth of the matter.

Anything goes -- never mind the truth - keeping Liberals - Leftists in power is worth the effort. The end justifies the means ... even and especially dirty politics.

[Pinot]

Rick Perry is simply too dumb to be President. Everytime he opens his mouth on a national stage, he puts his foot in it.

It doesn't really matter. HRC is a slam dunk. This nonsense about the Conservative Movement rising up to elect any of these candidates, is just ridiculous. It's the Fox News thought process in action. If all your info comes from Fox (and the rest of the right wing propaganda media) you begin thinking everyone thinks like you. Sorry, the vast majority of the American people don't buy into the delusional right wing crap. Put a stake in Rush Limbaugh and turn the lights out. It's over before it begins.

All these Republican candidates are badly flawed. Thinking Bush, Perry, Rubio or (pick one of the 16) can run with the big dog (HRC)...you're delusional. First they have to get the nomination from the right wing base. The winner of that is the next loser of the 2016 Presidential Race.

I know it's hard for Republicans to accept. With all those candidates, they don't have anyone electable. Not one of them can even make it a race.

With the landslide victory for HRC will come a Democratic congress. California is now a prosperous state controlled by the Democrats. That model is going national in 2016.

That reality makes the teapublican heads explode.

Edited June 8, 2015 by Pinot

[thaibeachlovers]

Rick Perry is simply too dumb to be President. Everytime he opens his mouth on a national stage, he puts his foot in it.

It doesn't really matter. HRC is a slam dunk. This nonsense about the Conservative Movement rising up to elect any of these candidates, is just ridiculous. It's the Fox News thought process in action. If all your info comes from Fox (and the rest of the right wing propaganda media) you begin thinking everyone thinks like you. Sorry, the vast majority of the American people don't buy into the delusional right wing crap. Put a stake in Rush Limbaugh and turn the lights out. It's over before it begins.

All these Republican candidates are badly flawed. Thinking Bush, Perry, Rubio or (pick one of the 16) can run with the big dog (HRC)...you're delusional. First they have to get the nomination from the right wing base. The winner of that is the next loser of the 2016 Presidential Race.

I know it's hard for Republicans to accept. With all those candidates, they don't have anyone electable. Not one of them can even make it a race.

With the landslide victory for HRC will come a Democratic congress. California is now a prosperous state controlled by the Democrats. That model is going national in 2016.

That reality makes the teapublican heads explode.

California is now a prosperous state controlled by the Democrats

. You just can't make it up.

[chuckd]

Rick Perry is simply too dumb to be President. Everytime he opens his mouth on a national stage, he puts his foot in it.

It doesn't really matter. HRC is a slam dunk. This nonsense about the Conservative Movement rising up to elect any of these candidates, is just ridiculous. It's the Fox News thought process in action. If all your info comes from Fox (and the rest of the right wing propaganda media) you begin thinking everyone thinks like you. Sorry, the vast majority of the American people don't buy into the delusional right wing crap. Put a stake in Rush Limbaugh and turn the lights out. It's over before it begins.

All these Republican candidates are badly flawed. Thinking Bush, Perry, Rubio or (pick one of the 16) can run with the big dog (HRC)...you're delusional. First they have to get the nomination from the right wing base. The winner of that is the next loser of the 2016 Presidential Race.

I know it's hard for Republicans to accept. With all those candidates, they don't have anyone electable. Not one of them can even make it a race.

With the landslide victory for HRC will come a Democratic congress. California is now a prosperous state controlled by the Democrats. That model is going national in 2016.

That reality makes the teapublican heads explode.

California is now a prosperous state controlled by the Democrats

. You just can't make it up.

Thaibeachlover:

You beat me to it by about 32 minutes. It doesn't get much dumber than that post by Pinot.

[chuckd]

Here is a site listing 60 companies that left or were planning to leave California and set up shop in Texas.

http://www.statesman.com/interactive/california-jobs-coming-to-texas/

This is from 2012 and the listing would be in the hundreds by now.

California and its Democratic party leadership are the laughing stock of the world.

Some people spend too much time watching Fox News hoping to pick out minor errors than watching what is actually going on around them.

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Another example is the CEO of Carl's Jr. and Hardees being interviewed on Yahoo Business claiming the time involved in getting permits to open a restaurant takes 60-63 days in Texas, 280 days in Los Angeles and an unknown time in San Francisco because nobody has ever been able to open a new restaurant there.

They are planning on opening 300 restaurants in Texas, each of which will generate about 100 jobs in direct hires and support staff.

They plan to open NONE in California other than replacement restaurants, if required.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-business-is-leaving-california-for-texas-174227275.html

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Tell us again what a good job that California Democratic party leadership is doing!

[Jingthing]

As Texas guv, he could POACH from other states.

As president, which he will never be, poaching between states is more dicey.

More reason to reject him.

He has shown support for Texas independence before, hasn't he?

I would question his fairness towards non-Texas USA as president.

[chuckd]

As Texas guv, he could POACH from other states.

As president, which he will never be, poaching between states is more dicey.

More reason to reject him.

He has shown support for Texas independence before, hasn't he?

I would question his fairness towards non-Texas USA as president.

I seriously doubt even Perry could convince a business owner or CEO that they should move to Texas unless it was to their benefit.

He didn't POACH anybody. He offered them sensible alternatives and many of them accepted the offers.

Governor Perry was doing his job and doing it very well.

Maybe you should ask what Governor Moonbeam was doing while all this POACHING was going on.

[Jingthing]

Let's get real.

Perry has a better chance of being President of Texas than POTUS.

[chuckd]

I never said otherwise. Perry probably won't even be nominated by the republicans but he's one hellufalot better than what the Democratic choices are coming down to.

Lincoln Chaffee? Bernie Sanders? Walter O'Malley? And, ta da, Hillary Rodham Clinton, the candidate that 58% of the voting public does not trust.

Let's get real, indeed.

[Publicus]

Here is a site listing 60 companies that left or were planning to leave California and set up shop in Texas.

http://www.statesman.com/interactive/california-jobs-coming-to-texas/

This is from 2012 and the listing would be in the hundreds by now.

California and its Democratic party leadership are the laughing stock of the world.

Some people spend too much time watching Fox News hoping to pick out minor errors than watching what is actually going on around them.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Another example is the CEO of Carl's Jr. and Hardees being interviewed on Yahoo Business claiming the time involved in getting permits to open a restaurant takes 60-63 days in Texas, 280 days in Los Angeles and an unknown time in San Francisco because nobody has ever been able to open a new restaurant there.

They are planning on opening 300 restaurants in Texas, each of which will generate about 100 jobs in direct hires and support staff.

They plan to open NONE in California other than replacement restaurants, if required.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-business-is-leaving-california-for-texas-174227275.html

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Tell us again what a good job that California Democratic party leadership is doing!

Off topic post.

Very off topic post.

As a party politics post focused on California, and which fails to mention Rick Perry or his campaign for prez even once, it is a completely off topic post.

Off topic!

[Publicus]

Travis County prosecutors have been abusing their position for decades. Both Republican and Democrat. I for one am glad he threatened Lehmberg. She needed to go. Anstinking drunk. I definitely like Perry for going after her. She was not fit for dogcatcher, let alone prosecutor. As a liberal bastion in Texas, Austin is a laughingstock, as are most liberals. The facts of the case will not hold up. Ask Tom Delay or Jim Mattox.

It is just another form of Saul Alinsky -- Rules -- Destroy your opposition - ruin their reputation ... with inflated and even flash charges... They were successful before - in the short term -- but knock Delay out regardless of the truth of the matter.

Anything goes -- never mind the truth - keeping Liberals - Leftists in power is worth the effort. The end justifies the means ... even and especially dirty politics.

Were you talking about Rick Perry somewhere in all of that flying right wing ideological spam?

[Chicog]

I never said otherwise. Perry probably won't even be nominated by the republicans but he's one hellufalot better than what the Democratic choices are coming down to.

Lincoln Chaffee? Bernie Sanders? Walter O'Malley? And, ta da, Hillary Rodham Clinton, the candidate that 58% of the voting public does not trust.

Let's get real, indeed.

I'd pick any of those above the gaggle of clowns fighting for the Koch Brothers nomination.

[Publicus]

As Texas guv, he could POACH from other states.

As president, which he will never be, poaching between states is more dicey.

More reason to reject him.

He has shown support for Texas independence before, hasn't he?

I would question his fairness towards non-Texas USA as president.

I seriously doubt even Perry could convince a business owner or CEO that they should move to Texas unless it was to their benefit.

He didn't POACH anybody. He offered them sensible alternatives and many of them accepted the offers.

Governor Perry was doing his job and doing it very well.

Maybe you should ask what Governor Moonbeam was doing while all this POACHING was going on.

The California governor is not under formal indictment nor is he facing a trial on felony charges. Nor has the present governor of California ever been up on formal official charges.

Let's keep this in Texas and in the realm of Rick Perry and the Republican party presidential primary elections and campaigns. I am among the many people who like to slow down to take a good look at clown car crashes when it's only the clowns that get hurt after running their red polka dot express into a gulch...with Perry at the wheel.

In 2012 each of 'em got the lead for a while to include Perry but this time around I seriously doubt he'll be able to finagle his way through to that. The once and future loser.

[chuckd]

I never said otherwise. Perry probably won't even be nominated by the republicans but he's one hellufalot better than what the Democratic choices are coming down to.

Lincoln Chaffee? Bernie Sanders? Walter O'Malley? And, ta da, Hillary Rodham Clinton, the candidate that 58% of the voting public does not trust.

Let's get real, indeed.

I'd pick any of those above the gaggle of clowns fighting for the Koch Brothers nomination.

Of course you would...if you had a vote.

[Publicus]

I never said otherwise. Perry probably won't even be nominated by the republicans but he's one hellufalot better than what the Democratic choices are coming down to.

Lincoln Chaffee? Bernie Sanders? Walter O'Malley? And, ta da, Hillary Rodham Clinton, the candidate that 58% of the voting public does not trust.

Let's get real, indeed.

I'd pick any of those above the gaggle of clowns fighting for the Koch Brothers nomination.

Of course you would...if you had a vote.

Well, I couldn't vote in the Texas races for governor cause I don't live in Texas and I don't vote in Texas, haven't ever lived in Texas, never voted in Texas.

Can I criticize Texas former governor Rick Perry?

Perry is running for the R party nomination for prez, but I'm not a registered Republican so I can't vote in any single Republican party state primary choice vote, not at a caucus, not in a referendum, the works, unless I want to restrict my right to vote which I choose not to do.

Can I criticize him?

Or do I need to wait until Rick Perry is the nominee

[Scott]

I think we can slow down some of the rhetoric here and stay focused on the candidate and a little less on other posters.

It saves on reports and having to suspend members.

[chuckd]

Saved in the nick of time.

[Chicog]

Saved in the nick of time.

And you would have got away with it if it wasn't for those pesky mods....

[JDGRUEN]

Rick Perry scores a big conservative backer in Iowa

Sam Clovis, a talk radio personality, professor and former U.S. Senate candidate, said in an interview late Thursday
that he has signed on as Perry's Iowa state chairman and will campaign Friday with the former Texas governor when he visits Iowa.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2015/06/04/rick-perry-scores-a-big-conservative-backer-in-iowa/