Tweet of the Day

.@GovernorPerry: Every blue-collar worker should be listening when I say I'm going to lower the corporate tax rates.” #Hannity

— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) July 21, 2015

I laughed my ass off when I saw this tweet. I can guarantee to Gov. Rick Perry that working class people aren't concerned about corporate tax cuts. The level of disconnect Perry has with the working class is staggering.

Headline of the Day

This headline and picture at The Huffington Post perfectly captures the sentiment behind Rick Perry's announcement.

Quote of the Day 2

“We need to look at the states, which are lavatories of innovation and democracy, reform. We need to unleash the competition between the states for jobs, innovation and opportunity.”

Rick Perry, at the Americans for Prosperity event on Friday in Manchester, New Hampshire.

Comparing states to toilets is Perry's idea of testing the waters for another presidential run. This man is so unbelievably stupid.

Write A Caption: Rick Perry

Nothing says responsible gun owner like pointing a gun at an angle that could shoot someone.

Quote of the Day

"If he’s going to pick Rick Perry’s brain, that’s the definition of slim pickins."

Paul Begala, on President Barack Obama asking Gov. Rick Perry on advice on immigration.

Rick Perry Mistakenly Thinks He's In Florida

Gov. Rick Perry can't keep from making gaffes. Perry was at the RedState Gathering in New Orleans. Last time I checked, the city of New Orleans was in Louisiana. Perry thought he was in Florida.

“There are many other states that embrace those conservative values, the approach that we’ve taken over the years,” he continued. “I’m in one today in Florida. You look at South Carolina, you look at Florida.”

“You’re in Louisiana!” an audience member shouted.

“I know,” Perry responded. “And I said that. I’m in one of those states that reflect those today in Louisiana,” he deadpanned, drawing audience laughter and applause.

Perry's message of red states being more successful than blue states is bullshit. Red states have had job gains but this have been crappy service industry jobs. People without health insurance was highest in conservative states before Obamacare and remains that way, because of Republican opposition to health care reform. Kenneth J. Bernstein did a really good breakdown of how red states as a whole fair more poorly than blue states.

Florida & Texas Will Not Steal Businesses From California

Gov. Rick Scott has a novel idea on how to steal businesses from California. Put a billboard somewhere in California. It doesn't matter where.

"I'm working on putting up a billboard out there that has Jerry Brown's picture and mine. We both have the same haircut," said the similarly hair-challenged Scott at a Republican Party meeting in Sarasota County last week. "It's going to say: 'Same haircut, no income taxes. No. 1 in teacher quality. Move to Florida.'"

Scott's idea is so original. It is strange that it sounds a lot like an idea by America's favorite intellectual Gov. Rick Perry. Perry released a radio ad in California declaring that "next Silicon Valley." Does Texas have a place that computer programmers and rich gay people both reside. Otherwise, they aren't the next Silicon Valley. Perry would have at least sounded like he knew what he was talking about if he said next Palo Alto.

Scott had this to say about California's economy.

"Unlike Florida, it is clear California does not have a climate for businesses to succeed," Scott said in announcing that letter-writing effort.

Actually, that is false. California has the biggest state economy in America. California has a bigger economy than many nations. KPCC's business analyst Mark Lacter made this point about how Perry's radio ad is not likely to succeed.

Steve Julian: Mark, what's working for or against him?

Mark Lacter: First off, Steve, his timing in trying to recruit businesses out here is pretty bad. Job growth in California has been outpacing the nation, the state's fiscal situation is improving, the housing market has been coming back over the last few months – this is not the place it was just a few years back. As for Texas, yes, job growth has been strong, but those jobs are often the low-wage, low-skilled kind, and they could easily move from Texas to some other state (or some other country) where the wages are even cheaper. One other point Gov. Perry neglects to mention is the disastrous health care system in Texas. Roughly one quarter of the population is uninsured – that's the highest level in the nation, higher even than California, which itself is pretty bad.

Julian: Then why is he making a big stink about the federal Affordable Care Act?

Lacter: He believes Medicaid should be turned into a block grant for the state, which many experts say could make a bad situation a lot worse. In any event, it's worth pointing out that there hasn't been any great exodus of California businesses and people to Texas. Sure, companies have left over the years in slightly larger numbers than companies coming in, but what's often not factored is the large number of business start-ups in California - way more than in Texas. To give you an idea, more than half of all venture capital funds in the U.S. involve California companies.

Jerry Nickelsburg, senior economist at UCLA's Anderson School of Management, splashed cold water on Scott's billboard idea luring any businesses out of California.

"It is unlikely that these actions would induce a business to move," he said.

Scott and Perry think they can lure Apple or a major movie studio with a billboard or radio ad. That shows amazing stupidity.

Rick Perry's Anti-Gay Marriage Argument

Gov. Rick Perry makes the twisted argument that people that support gay rights are bigots.

“The underlying problem is that there is this very vocal, very litigious minority of Americans willing to legally attack anybody who dares utter a phrase or even a name that they don’t agree with,” Perry said. “In a twisting of logic, they insist on silencing the religious in the cause of tolerance. Now I ask you, where is the tolerance in that?”

Perry doesn't realize it, but he made the arguyment that the Defense of Marriage Act is constitutional. The First Amendment states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." Perry and others like him wish to legally impose their religious views on other Americans. That is clearly unconstitutional and religious bigotry. Perry doesn't realize that people in America have the right to disagree or not paticipate in any religious faith. America isn't Afghanisthan under the Taliban.

Personally, I think Perry is doing some projection with his comment that gay rights advocates are intolerant. If Perry really was a devout Christian he wouldn't be so willing to execute immates. The Bible repeatedly states that murder is a sin. I doubt Perry supports a literal interpretation of Leviticus 24:17.

Anyone who takes the life of a human being is to be put to death.

That passage could be used by Perry to support his use of the death penalty. A selp-proclaim biblical literalist like Perry would also have to sentence himself to death, in order to obey God's law. I would advise Perry to ignore that passage of the Bible.

Quote of the Day

"2016 is way down the road, but I'll assure you one thing, if I decide to run for the presidency in 2016, I'll be way in before the summer of 2016; 2015, even."

Gov. Rick Perry on the possibility of another presidential run.

Right now the writers of The Daily Show are high-fiving and hugging each other.

Frank Luntz Rips Bachmann & Perry

GOP pollster Frank Luntz compared Michele Bachmann to the Glenn Close character in Fatal Attraction. Luntz goes on to say that Rick Perry is President George W. Bush minus the intellect. Ouch.

Rick Perry's Bogus Retirement Raise

Gov. Rick Perry officially retires as a Texas state employee. The catch is that Perry will remain as the governor. Someone should explain the definition of "retiring" to Perry. If this seems unseemly that is because Perry receives a raise for his retirement.

“Perry makes a $150,000 gross salary as Texas governor. Now, thanks to his early retirement, Perry, 61, gets a monthly retirement annuity of $7,698 before taxes, or $6,588 net. That raises his gross salary to more than $240,000.”

Perry is one of the few politicians whose net worth went up while in office.

Parodies of Rick Perry's 'Strong' Ad

Rabbi Jason Miller does a parody of Rick Perry's gay bashing campaign ad.



Second City takes the atheist point of view to skew Perry.

The Rick Perry Comedy Show

This is hysterical. Rick Perry issued a debate challenge to Hous Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

Perry wrote, "I am in Washington Monday and would love to engage you in a public debate about my Overhaul Washington plan versus the congressional status quo."

Of course, Perry really doesn't want to debate Pelosi. Debates between politicians are usually planned well in advanced. Perry made his offer to debate today. Perry knew fill well that issuing a debate with little warning was likely to make it not happen.

Perry then says this partisan nonsense.

"Should you choose not to respond or engage in such a healthy discussion, I will take it to mean you will continue your obstructionist ways in the face of much needed Washington reform."

Exactly what has Pelosi obstructed since the Republicans have taken over the House. There is no filibuster in the House and Republicans control the committees. If Pelosi had the power to obstruct the Republicans the Ryan Plan would have never gotten through the House.

Pelosi did have fun mocking Perry's inability to name three cabinet-level departments he would cut from the federal government.

"He did ask if I could debate here in Washington on Monday. It is my understanding that such a letter has come in. Monday I'm going to be in Portland in the morning, I'm going to be visiting some of our labs in California in the afternoon, that's two. I can't remember what the third thing is I'm going to be doing," Pelosi joked at her weekly press conference on Capitol Hill today.

Perry's campaign is in trouble and he is resorting to gimmicks to draw attention to himself. Bashing Pelosi will play with the base but it won't help Perry against Mitt Romney.

Rick Perry Advocates Nuclear War in Middle East

Rick Perry's Israel policy (or lack of) has become more scary. Perry would support Israel launching a nuclear preemptive strike against Iran. Perry is so stupid I am not even sure he knows what he is saying. This is an example of how the neoconservative movement has taken over the Republican Party. Don't believe. Perry told Sean Hannity about his advisers.

You know, I have some great foreign policy conversations with Liz Cheney and with John Bolton, I mean, people who actually understand intimately where these countries are.

Apparently, Perry's qualification for foreign policy advisers is being good at geography. Liz Cheney has zero foreign policy experience. John Bolton advocated for blowing up the United Nations.

"If the U.N. secretary building in New York lost ten stories, it wouldn't make a difference."

The sick irony is Bolton later attempted to get confirmed as U.N. ambassador. Bolton's confirmation could not get passed a Republican-controlled Senate.

Perry's foreign policy advisers are the daughter of a vice-president Dick Cheney. Cheney was so unpopular in 2008 that he did not appear at the Republican National Convention. Bolton flirted with running for president. The result was Bolton becoming a punchline. Perry has surrounded himself with advisers too radioactive for Republicans.

This leads to a bigger problem. Perry's recent bizarre speech in New Hampshire leads me to believe the guy is crazy. Perry now publicly advocates for Israel starting a nuclear WWIII in the Middle East. This goes beyond pandering to the base. There is something seriously wrong with Perry.

Bizarre Rick Perry Speech

Watching this video made me think that Marcus Bachmann and a Comic Con teenager are fighting for control of Rick Perry's body. The video must be watched in its entirety to truly appreciate just how weird Perry is.

Side note: strangely this video humanizes Perry. Unfortunately for Perry, a little too well.

It's Over For Rick Perry

Put a fork in Rick Perry. He's done. Anyone willing to follow Donald Trump down the birther rabbit hole will never be president.

JOHN HARWOOD: Mitt Romney after the President released his birth certificate earlier this year said that issue's done and settled, I accept it. You chose to keep it alive in your interview with Parade magazine over the weekend. Why'd you do that?

RICK PERRY: I-- it's a good issue to keep alive. Just-- you know, Donald's got to have some fun. So-- and the issue is this.

JOHN HARWOOD: But it sounds like you really do have some doubt about it.

RICK PERRY: Well, look, I haven't-- I haven't seen his-- I haven't seen his grades. My grades ended up on the front page of the newspaper. So, let's-- you know, if we're going to show stuff, let's show stuff. So. But, look, that's all a distraction. I mean, I get it. I'm-- I'm really not worried about the President's birth certificate. It's fun to-- to poke and add him a little bit and say hey, how about-- let's see your grades and your birth certificate.

RICK PERRY: But here's what's really serious. Is we got people sitting around watching this interview while the president has killed 2 and a half million jobs. That's serious. And that's what we got to better get right.

JOHN HARWOOD: But are you saying that your comments about that are kind of a joke? Or do you seriously have unresolved questions like Donald Trump has about them?

RICK PERRY: I don't have a clue about where the President-- and what this-- birth certificate says. But it's also a great distraction. I'm not distracted by it. If those of you in the media want to talk about it that's fine, but I hope what you'll really get focused on is how are we going to get this country back on track.

Perry is questioning President Barack Obama's citizenship because it is fun to "poke" Obama. What a clown. The Bush people are pounding Perry for his comments.

Quote of the Day

"The question we must ask today is not what we can afford to spend on our military but what it costs to remains secure and free."

Gov. Rick Perry

Governor, someone needs to sit you down and explain that you should not use an oxymoron in a sentence.

Pam Olson: Rick Perry's Florida Campaign Co-Chair

Pam Olson of the Tallahassee House of Prayer (IHOP for short) is the Florida co-chair of Gov. Rick Perry's presidential campaign. Olson has a history of being anti-gay and anti-abortion. Olson describes God as if he is having a seizure.

God is shaking. If anybody looks at the news and has just seen what's been happening recently with the floods, the fires, the tornadoes, God is shaking. Yeah I think you have God shaking, sure you have the Enemy shaking, you have both and I don't want to say oh that's the judgment of God or that's the Enemy. But the reality is God is judging us, and I think it's going to get worse.

What an inspiring message of fearmongering.

In 2:33 of this Keith Olbermann video, Olson talks about who she will bring back from the dead. I shit you not.



Judging by how Perry did in the P5 straw poll, Perry would have done better if he selected a co-chair that knew more about campaign and less about necromancy.

Rick Perry Dancing With The Rabbis

Every politician has to do embarrassing things to get votes. This is one of them. In Rick Perry's defense: this isn't nearly as embarrassing as Alex Sink shaking her booty. Campaign managers and political consultants should throw themselves at their clients whenever they decide to get their groove on in front of cameras. Barack Obama being the exception. The President has some moves.

Herman Cain Wins Florida P5 Straw Poll

Straw polls are taken too seriously by the Republican party establishment and the media. That said, Rick Perry and his staff have to be going ballistic over all the money they wasted on the Florida P5 straw poll. Perry lost to the poorly organized Herman Cain. What does it mean?

Perry placed too much emphasis on a straw poll and put himself in a vulnerable position. Mitt Romney knew the hard-right conservative that take part in straw polls won't support him. Romney saved himself money and embarrassment. Romney spent a ton of money and won the Iowa straw poll in 2007. The result was Mike Huckabee winning the Iowa caucus.

Cain won the American Policy Summit straw poll earlier this year. Cain winning the straw poll in Florida is not that surprising. Cain has either not taken the time to polish his message or study the issues. Perry is not a policy wonk, but he is a polished politician. Cain fumbling the question on the Palistan two-state solution tells me that this has always been a vanity campaign for Cain. Cain is neither polished or takes policy seriously.



Cain's campaign his staffed with tea party activists that has never worked a campaign. Cain released a bizarre internet Western-themed ad that hardly discussed Cain's positions. The ad made me realize that Cain is the Mike Gravel of this election cycle.

Update: Team Romney is getting really cocky.

One Romney aide, speaking on the condition of anonymity, overstated Romney's strength but underscord the team's cockiness when he said, "It's over. Perry's toast."