Overview for texas

Perry's Money Machine Sputters

Back in August, which was a couple of political lifetimes ago, I wrote a piece about Texas Governor Rick Perry's strong fundraising base, specifically his unique ability to access a key part of the GOP's fundraising base--wealthy Republicans in Texas. Well, it looks like that money machine is …

Written by Mark R. Yzaguirre on Friday November 18, 2011

Rick Perry's Chutzpah

Rick Perry is calling for legislators to be thrown into jail for insider trading. Perry's comments are particularly bold given that allegations of insider trading have followed him through his own political career. Most people forget that Michele Bachmann's original criticism of Perry's HPV …

Written by Noah Kristula-Green on Tuesday November 15, 2011

Texans for Oligarchy

And speaking of oligarchy , Rick Perry in an interview with Univision endorses the idea of granting illegal aliens the right to work in the United States--but not the right to vote. If you were seeking to concentrate wealth and power even more tightly than today, you could not do better …

Written by David Frum on Friday November 4, 2011

Perry: Media Bubble Boy

Texas Governor Rick Perry has had a tough week politically because of his weak performance at the last GOP presidential debate. He's had to backtrack from comments he made and his standing in the polls has taken a hit . There's been a lot of commentary regarding why Perry hasn't done as well …

Written by Mark R. Yzaguirre on Friday September 30, 2011

The Texas Non-Miracle

About all those new jobs created under Gov. Rick Perry... The Center for Immigration Studies reports some facts that should sprinkle a little cold water on over-heated claims for the low-wage/high-immigration Texas economic model. Of jobs created in Texas since 2007, 81 percent were taken …

Written by David Frum on Thursday September 22, 2011

Perry's Wit: It May Not Be Good, But It's Slow

At the CNN/Tea Party GOP debate, Mitt Romney questioned whether Rick Perry truly deserved the credit for Texas' strong job performance. ROMNEY: Well, look, I think Governor Perry would agree with me that if you're dealt four aces that doesn't make you necessarily a great poker player. And …

Written by David Frum on Thursday September 15, 2011

Res Judicata: Perry's Faux Federalism

Is Rick Perry a real supporter of federalism? I have my doubts. As I wrote last week, the concept of federalism is based upon the allocation of powers between the federal government and the states. Article I §8 enumerates the specific subjects reserved for Congress. The Tenth Amendment …

Written by Howard Foster on Tuesday September 6, 2011

Rick Perry's Land Deals: Why They Matter

Jim Geraghty replies to our blogposts on Texas Governor Rick Perry's uncannily successful land dealings: Last year the Democrat gubernatorial candidate in Texas, Bill White, tried to make an issue of it , and Texans largely yawned. Some of these deals go back to Perry’s time as Texas …

Written by David Frum on Wednesday August 31, 2011

Perry's Land Deals: He Discloses, You Decide

What does the law say about Gov. Perry's land transactions? Simple: they are clearly legal. As long as the profits from the sales were not contingent on Perry doing a specific favor for whomever he sold the land to, Perry has nothing to fear from the law. Connections, favoritism and inside …

Written by Noah Kristula-Green on Tuesday August 30, 2011

Is Perry Dumb?

Politico asks the question out loud. The answer from Perry's friends and supporters is not reassuring. “If he should know about John Locke, he’ll know about John Locke,” said [Tex lobbyist and Perry supporter] Bill Miller. “If it’s not on his schedule, it’s irrelevant to him.” In …

Written by David Frum on Monday August 29, 2011

Kinky Friedman Flip-Flops On Perry

I wrote a piece on August 19th about how Texas Governor Rick Perry may have changed his mind about certain issues over the years. I now want to write about another Texan who appears to have changed his mind - Kinky Friedman. For those readers who are unfamiliar with him, Kinky Friedman is …

Written by Mark R. Yzaguirre on Friday August 26, 2011

What Sort of Democrat Was Rick Perry?

Texas Governor Rick Perry has been under criticism for comments he made in his book em> Fed Up!

Written by Mark R. Yzaguirre on Thursday August 25, 2011

What Has Perry Done for Hispanics Lately?

As Governor Rick Perry begins his presidential campaign, Hispanic voters open to the idea of voting Republican are wondering which Rick Perry will show up. In Texas, Hispanic voters concerned about immigration issues and undocumented immigrants have witnessed two Perrys: the good Perry who …

Written by Tim Mak on Wednesday August 17, 2011

Rick Perry's Shrewd Move

Texas Governor Rick Perry may have just made a very shrewd move. No, I'm not talking about declaring himself to be a candidate for president on the same day of the Iowa Straw Poll. I'm talking about this : John Sharp, the former Texas comptroller who was student body president at Texas …

Written by Mark R. Yzaguirre on Tuesday August 16, 2011

Bright Spots in Perry's Road Building Record

For all of his Tea Party bombast, Rick Perry has actually been a pretty good Texas governor. While Perry’s Trans-Texas Corridor (TTC) plan flopped (as Tim Mak reports) the Texas governor can still point to his road building record with some pride. A drive in just about any big Texas city …

Written by Eli Lehrer on Tuesday August 9, 2011

Perry's Highway to Nowhere

On Saturday, Texas Governor Rick Perry will announce that he intends to run for president. Perry will bring a lot of conservative rhetoric to the GOP field, but what about his actual record? The truth is, not all of Perry's policies have been successful and some of them may not fit the Tea …

Written by Tim Mak on Tuesday August 9, 2011

Perry Nomination Will Alienate Young and Educated Voters

In an AP interview on Saturday, Rick Perry managed to swiftly steer into two topics – gay marriage and evolution – on which his views will likely alienate young and educated voters should he make it into the general election. On gay marriage, Perry said “I am for the federal marriage …

Written by Stephen Richer on Monday August 1, 2011

Rick Perry Talks Like He is Running

Spend a couple of hours watching Rick Perry on YouTube, and you have to think, "Yes, he's running." Spend a couple of hours watching Rick Perry on YouTube, and you have to think, "Yes, he's running." Here he is in New Orleans a couple of weeks ago, speaking both about compassion and the …

Written by David Frum on Tuesday July 5, 2011

Rick Perry: Too Lucky to Rule Out

It’s a mistake to underestimate Rick Perry's chances as a presidential contender. Throughout his political career he's exhibited an uncanny talent for luck and timing. There's been increased chatter this week about the presidential ambitions of Texas Governor Rick Perry. Governor Perry has made …

Written by Mark R. Yzaguirre on Saturday May 28, 2011

With Daniels Out, Is Perry the Answer? No

Conservatives are once again looking for a white knight to save the GOP field and the newest name being promoted is Texas Governor Rick Perry. With Mitch Daniels announcing that he will not seek the party's nomination, conservatives are once again looking for a white knight to save the Republican …

Written by Tessa Berenson on Saturday May 21, 2011