Posted on 10/01/2011 1:40:24 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
Voters encountered a confident and combative Rick Perry last night at the first New Hampshire town-hall meeting of the Texas governor's presidential campaign.
After uneven debate performances, Perry didn't hesitate as he took questions from voters about job creation, Social Security and global warming at the Adams Memorial Opera House in Derry. Throughout, he pitched himself as the Republican candidate who presents the clearest contrast to President Obama.
"We need a nominee for the Republican Party that is a clear contrast with Barack Obama," Perry said. "Ronald Reagan said it pretty good when he said 'Now is the time for bright colors, not pale pastels,' and let me tell you I am that bright color."
Perry needed little prompting to repeat his earlier characterization of Social Security as a Ponzi scheme, a description that rival Mitt Romney has seized upon. When state Rep. Al Baldasaro, a Londonderry Republican, praised Perry as the "only candidate that has stood up" and used the comparison, Perry said the government must reform the program so it will be there for younger generations.
"If we have not addressed this issue of Social Security it will not be there for them," he said. "And that is in essence the description and the characterization of a Ponzi scheme, for them to pay into it and those that are in first get the money and those that are in last don't get it."
He advocated allowing states to opt out of Social Security and create their own programs. Perry also said states should receive block grants to pay for Medicaid.
"Washington, D.C., has to get a lesson," he said. "And the lesson is all wisdom does not emanate out of Washington, D.C. They need to let the states be greatly more involved in how our Medicaid populations are taken care of."
When Cindy Brasier, a 56-year-old from Salem, asked if she would lose a portion of her Social Security benefits under his plan, Perry assured her that she would receive her payments in full. He said a new program should be created for people who are still young but said he doesn't know what age should be the cut-off.
Earlier, state Rep. Phyllis Katsakiores, a Republican from Derry, told Perry seniors are having a hard time, in part because their Social Security benefits have not risen in recent years. Perry responded that the government could help seniors by bringing down energy costs. That could be done by reducing environmental regulations that stifle domestic energy production, he said.
"Allow those energy sectors to compete against each other, and that will drive down the cost of these seniors' expenses because they're on fixed income," he said. "Everything that we can do to drive down those fixed costs for our seniors citizens."
One man challenged Perry about his skepticism of global warming. The man charged that Perry had ducked a question in a previous debate when moderators had asked him what sources served as his evidence.
"I'm ready for you this time," Perry said, prompting a laugh. He went on to say that in recent weeks a "Nobel laureate of some acclaim," whom he did not name, had decided there is no definite proof that global warming has been caused by humans. The audience applauded.
"For us to take a snapshot in time and say what is going on in this country today and the climate change that is going on is man's fault and we need to jeopardize America's economy," he said. "I'm not afraid to say I'm a skeptic."
Perry said that Texas substantially reduced its levels of certain greenhouse gases during the decade after 2000.
When the questioner tried to interject, Perry responded, "Hold on, I got the mic here. You got your question, and I'm going to answer." But he let the man speak again afterward.
Throughout the meeting, Perry spoke of the need to foster a strong economic climate by lowering taxes, limiting regulation and erecting barriers to frivolous lawsuits. He also got into the discussion about whether New Hampshire should adopt a right-to-work law, which would prevent unions from charging fees to non-members. The state Legislature passed the legislation, but it was vetoed by Gov. John Lynch. Perry told the crowd last night that New Hampshire could become one of the most competitive states if it adopted the policy.
"Right-to-work is not anti-union bill, it is a pro-jobs bill," Perry said. "And our friends who have chosen to be in unions, they'll have more access to more jobs."
The town hall was moderated by John Stephen, the 2010 Republican gubernatorial candidate, who selected the questioners. Perry took questions for a little more than half an hour. He kicked off the meeting by signing an anti-tax pledge before Tom Thomson, the son of former governor Meldrim Thomson.
But his problematic issues on the border, ...
It’s the Fed’s Constitutional responsibility to protect the border, not the individual States’. Texas has spent over $400 million of taxpayers’ dollars in trying to stem the flow of illegals, drugs, human trafficing, etc. There are special teams of Texas Rangers and TX Guardsmen supporting the Border Patrol. A recent addition is a marine squad of the Texas Rangers, using gunboats on the Rio Grande.
Folks saying Perry is an open border guy are full of it, and most probably have never been anywhere near the 1250 mile border between TX and Mexico. That border is not suitable for building a tall fence, due to the river and terrain which is not as flat as it is in CA and AZ.
Perry has said that the illegal problem has Texans’ hands tied because of the inaction of the federal government - he needs to pound this fact loud and clear! He has also said that if he is elected president - he will correct the problem of illegal entry.
Some people just refuse to hear what they don’t want to hear
A) We’ve been lied to and abused by our own on this issue for years now.
B) Perry calling us heartless bigots and giving in-state tuition to illegals, smacks of pandering and coddling so his statements that he will secure the border do not ring true.
C) Due to his (at best) inept speaking style and horrible communication in the debates I cannot foresee how he is going to change the minds of those (myself included) that he so abrupty turned off in the last debate.
D) The man cannot even effectively attack Romney w/o making a damned fool of himself. ROMNEY! Good God that’s like hitting a pinata that is lying on the ground with a sledgehammer! That whole “before, before, after, uh...uh” episode was stark raving embarrassment. So basically it looks like we have Bush part II here. An illegal alien lover that can’t friggin’ speak.
Why don’t you come to Texas and walk the border all the way from Brownsville to El Paso? And right down the border.
Not on one side or the other but right down the middle. And while you’re walking, ask the farmers and
ranchers how they will like having their water supply for their livestock effed up. Then come back here and tell us what your findings are.
No one is saying a fence eliminates the need for boots on the ground. It would be part of a comprehensive approach. If fences are so ineffective, then why do all secure facilities have them?
That is absurd. A state chair of a presidential campaign in 1988 that went no where had nothing to do with Gore’s future as an eco-nut. He was a Southern Senator at the time, and the more conservative of the candidates. Gore became VP in 1992 and that had nothing to do with who chaired a single state campaign committee. A statewide elected official like Perry is GOING TO SUPPORT A CANDIDATE OF THEIR PARTY 100% of the time.
Gore was always and environmentalist and global warning guy, as was pretty much anyone on the left. He went wacko crazy on the issue after his 2000 beating, and had nothing left but to make a name and money on this issue.
I have said this before in another thread, and the fence crowd ignored it.
So, you want a fence, eh? We have one here. It is called 18 to 100 miles of sea water between the UK and Europe. A slightly more effective barrier than a poxy 30 foot fence, right? We still get between 600k and 1 million illegals coming in per year.
Italy has 50 to 200 miles of sea as their fence - they get the same sort of infulx - every year.
Don’t talk crap about fences. Boots on the ground!
“The calls for Christie are coming about because of their fear that Perry is going to come out on top even after their minions at FOX gave it their best shot to knock him out at their last debate.”
Chris Wallace did NOT make Perry stammer like a drunk. Chris Wallace actually set him up perfectly to attack Romney, and then Perry opened his mouth and George W Bush popped out.
Chris Wallace did not make Perry attack 81% of the electorate by calling them heartless(last debate) bigots(two debates ago), Perry opened his mouth and George W Bush(vigilantes) and Lindsay Graham(bigots) and John McCain(lazy) popped out.
We’ve been hearing it for years from our own side. We recognize it when we hear it again.
OTOH, how much is Mr. Perry’s DREAM Act costing the citizens there?
RICK PERRY HOLDS TOWNHALL MEETING WITH NEW HAMPSHIRE VOTERS.
I have a hard time imagining what goes through a person’s mind that they are willing to sacrifice their reputations and integrity just to support Illegal aliens and politicians who support illegal aliens. Say the words below out loud and think about how absurd they sound.
“America put men on the moon in the 60s, Live in outer space, built cities full of towers of steel concrete and glass, some over 1000 feet high, split the atom and can drill for oil in 13,000 feet of water, but we cannot make a fence with a couple pipes, reservoirs and animal-sized holes in it.”
"Angelo Mozilo, thank you"
--Governor Ricardo Perry
--Tuesday, December 14, 2004
http://governor.state.tx.us/news/speech/10202/
It's comments like this that make me wonder sometimes if Perry truly isn't incredibly stupid. Right-to-work laws are anti-union. So what? Why shouldn't businesses and workers have the right to decide if they want to join a union or not? If Perry actually believes in his heart-of-hearts that right-to-work laws are not anti-union then he must also believe that labor-rights laws or closed-shop laws are not pro-union.
SOURCE Tuesday, December 14, 2004 http://governor.state.tx.us/news/speech/10202/
Mozilo and Ricardo had just pulled off a $20 million heist from the TEF---so there were plenty of thank you's to go 'round.
"We got into this economic mess because of misplaced government interference in the first place. The mortgage crisis that triggered the collapse of our financial markets was rooted in a well-meaning but wrongheaded desire to increase home ownership among people who could not yet afford to own a home.Politicians on the right AND left wanted to take credit for an increase in middle-class home ownership. But the rules of the marketplace are just as constraining as human nature. Government cannot force financial institutions to give loans to people who can't afford to pay them back and then expect that somehow things will all magically work out. Sooner or later, reality catches up with us. "
Source: Going Rogue, by Sarah Palin, p.388 Nov 17, 2009
" ...we are unveiling its crowning jewel. I am proud to announce that the state of Texas is investing $20 million from the Texas Enterprise Fund to help Countrywide Financial""You can consider the Countrywide expansion to be “Exhibit A” as to why we need to continue to invest state dollars in the Texas Enterprise Fund.
Angelo Mozilo, thank you"--Governor Ricardo Perry--Tuesday, December 14, 2004"Rampant fraud in the mortgage industry has increased so sharply that the FBI warned Friday of an "epidemic" of ...--September 17, 2004|"For the Pritzker family of Chicago, the 2001 collapse of subprime-mortgage lender Superior Bank was an embarrassing failure.."Got Due Diligence?"We'll help you out"-- BoA/Countrywide to Perry, 2011
What was the vote in the house and senate on this “dream”
act?
Did it pass with a slim margin and could he have vetoed it
if he wanted to?
Prez Bush was in the same situation during his last two years, when the Dems had majorities in both the House and Senate. ....The years when outrageous spending became rampant and led to the constant lies about Bush leaving a bad situation that Obama inherited.
You didn’t address my remarks except to question my integrity. Did you question President Reagon’s
integrity or patriotism when he signed his amnesty act in the 80’s? This is no where near the same thing and neither is your analogy.
>>Bush leaving a bad situation
Best RATs and RINOs money could buy.
Four TX lawmakers voted no, out of the entire cast.
Four.
At the time I was about 20 and still learning about politics, but I did indeed think it was a horrible idea.
That aside, look up what the Reagan amnesty was SUPPOSED to do and what Tip O’Neill and the dems immediately did to change it’s provisions. Then look what the dems did over the next couple years to gut it totally.
You don’t think America can build a fence that gets water to the ranchers/farmers? Seriously?
America wants that fence. We even had it in the process before libs and RINOS killed it. So what to I do? Side with people I agree with the majority who were and still are in favor of that fence or do I say to hell with it because some guy on the net refuses or just does not want to think we have better tech than China of a few centuries ago. They built one heck of a wall...by hand... and repecced a lot more determined enemy than we have in Mexico.
And if I’m wrong,I sincerely apologize for earlier and now. But I am fed up to the freaking gills with my fellow Americans ready to roll over because they have taken Obama’s “No we can’t” BS attitude regarding the fence, illegal aliens and a number of other issues.
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