Thursday, September 24, 2009

Perry: Washington Republicans got us in this mess


Jason Embry at the Austin American-Statesman reports that Rick Perry and his Chief of Staff, Ray Sullivan, attended a donkey roast of a meeting with Washingtonian republicans:

Gov. Rick Perry’s broad criticisms of Washington Republicans aren’t sitting well with Washington Republicans.

In a closed-door meeting Thursday in Washington with Perry chief of staff Ray Sullivan, several top aides to Texas Republican U.S. House members expressed anger over the language Perry is using as he tries to fend off a challenge from U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. Perry often criticizes Hutchison in code by complaining about Washington.

Stoking their anger was a Sept. 14 fundraising letter in which Perry contrasts Texas’ relatively healthy budget climate with the Washington model of “more government, pork barrel spending and fiscal ruin.”

But instead of just talking about Democratic congressional leaders or President Barack Obama, the letter calls out Republicans.

“Let’s be frank,” the letter says. “Washington Republicans got us in this mess.”

Later in the letter, Perry writes, “If Washington Republicans hadn’t spent like Democrats for 12 years, they might have maintained enough votes to actually kill Obamacare.”

Hutchison’s campaign sent the fundraising letter to Republican chiefs of staff on Capitol Hill.

One would think Perry switched back to the Democratic party after reading Embry's post. We tip our hats to Jason's muckraking style of reporting. Embry's report continues with:

According to two sources in Thursday’s meeting who did not want to be named because they did not want to draw attention to their bosses, Sullivan was unapologetic. “He was nice, but he said, ‘We’re running against somebody from Washington and that’s the strategy,’ ” one source said.

Another said of Sullivan’s reaction, “I think there was shock and awe with the arrogance of it all.”


6 comments:

boadicea said...

Rick Perry's arrogance surprised someone?

Have they been in a coma?

Unknown said...

Does anyone doubt that we would still have control of Congress if the congressional Republicans did not spend like it was no one else's money? Just a hint, but the Tea Parties weren't aimed at a party...they were aimed at Washington.

Anonymous said...

The tea parties are almost more anti-RINO than anti-Dem, and Perry is dead on. KBH is a RINO.

packeryman said...

Lets all Democrats and Independents vote for Kay Bailey Hutchsion in the primary. We must rid the stste of photo-op Perry. Then vote the candidate of choice in the general election.

Anonymous said...

Gov. Perry is doing a fantastic job with OUR state during this time of American economic crisis. He loves his job and cares tremendously about the sovereign state of Texas. I think this quote shows his passion for Texas, and also is an attempt to keep the Republican senators in Washington D.C. accountable and up to task.

Mikhail Silverwood said...

Living in a different country, Australia, it's hard for me to properly appreciate all the facets of American politics properly.

One thing that confuses and fascinates me in the Federalism v Statism debate.
It's a battle has is extremely present in the US, but it is almost non-existent in Australia.

I would've figured it would be far more partisan than that: all Republicans are connected via politics; all Democrats are connected via politics; etc.