Texas Governor Rick Perry has certainly made a splash in his first week on the campaign trail to be the GOP nominee for President. In fact, his first view under the national microscope finds some disturbing things on the Governor's wish list for America. He has captured headlines all week with his brash demeanor, and blunt vision for the Country, but while the Tea Party crowd eats it up, will the rest of us be able to swallow the United States according to Rick Perry? Let's take a look at some of the things the Governor wants for the Nation.
In a shot at President Obama he "...wants service members to have a commander-in chief who they can respect." and "someone who is in love with America." when asked if he thought President Obama didn't love America he replied, "I dunno you need to ask him." These kind of dog whistle moments, perk up the ears of the GOP fringe, but rarely play for mainstream America, including Independents. Perry joins a long line of conservatives that have made a hobby out of questioning the legitimacy of the President. Whether it's his birth certificate, his birthplace, his religion, or any other vague reference that calls into question his right to the oval office.
Another history buff in the same vein as Michelle Bachmann, he claimed "...when Texas entered the union in 1845 it was with the understanding it could pull out." Texas negotiated the power to break into 4 additional states at some point, but not the right to secede. Sounds like delusions of grandeur to me, to talk secession from the union in the 21st Century.
He threatened Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke with treason if he printed more money between now and the 2012 election. He said "...we would treat him pretty ugly down in Texas. He also wants to make the federal government as inconsequential in your life as possible. If your on Social Security or Medicare, that one will give you the warm fuzzies.
Oh but wait there's more. He wants to abolish the lifetime tenure of federal judges, to "...restrict the unlimited power of the courts." He goes on to say Congress should be able to override the Supreme Court with a 2/3rds vote, "...nine unelected judges tell us how to live." He wants to alter the Constitution to do all this.
He wants to repeal the 16th and 17th Amendments to the Constitution. The sixteenth would eliminate the federal income tax, the seventeenth would end the direct election of senators. He said "The American people mistakenly empowered the federal government during a fit of populist rage." So how would the government function, donations? No direct election of senators What? Had enough? Oh no, yes there's more.
He wants a balanced budget amendment. For 235 years the people have counted on their elected representatives to do this, and the merits of this may or may not appeal to you, but most economists agree in general this is a bad idea all the way around. Our ability to be flexible with our monetary policy is crucial to avoiding unnecessary crisis.
Abortion should be made illegal throughout the Country, and there should be an amendment to the Constitution defining marriage as between one man and one woman. In both cases state laws currently on the books would be overturned. This would effectively ban gay marriage nationwide, and outlaw abortion of any kind. On abortion he said "so important...to the soul of this country and to the traditional values [of] our founding fathers." Really? was gay marriage or abortion even on the radar of the founding fathers? And for someone who wants to uphold the tradition of those founding fathers, he sure wants to make a lot of changes to the document they came up with to govern this country.
So what do you think of Rick Perry now? Wanna know the scary part? ITS ONLY BEEN A WEEK! What other Constitutional quandaries will he come up with? Hell at this rate he'll have the whole Constitution on the scrap pile in a month! Front runner? maybe for a little while, but don't hold your breath on his nomination hopes. Besides do you really think the nation is ready for another ultra-conservative wing nut Governor from Texas? I'm thinkin not.
In a shot at President Obama he "...wants service members to have a commander-in chief who they can respect." and "someone who is in love with America." when asked if he thought President Obama didn't love America he replied, "I dunno you need to ask him." These kind of dog whistle moments, perk up the ears of the GOP fringe, but rarely play for mainstream America, including Independents. Perry joins a long line of conservatives that have made a hobby out of questioning the legitimacy of the President. Whether it's his birth certificate, his birthplace, his religion, or any other vague reference that calls into question his right to the oval office.
Another history buff in the same vein as Michelle Bachmann, he claimed "...when Texas entered the union in 1845 it was with the understanding it could pull out." Texas negotiated the power to break into 4 additional states at some point, but not the right to secede. Sounds like delusions of grandeur to me, to talk secession from the union in the 21st Century.
He threatened Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke with treason if he printed more money between now and the 2012 election. He said "...we would treat him pretty ugly down in Texas. He also wants to make the federal government as inconsequential in your life as possible. If your on Social Security or Medicare, that one will give you the warm fuzzies.
Oh but wait there's more. He wants to abolish the lifetime tenure of federal judges, to "...restrict the unlimited power of the courts." He goes on to say Congress should be able to override the Supreme Court with a 2/3rds vote, "...nine unelected judges tell us how to live." He wants to alter the Constitution to do all this.
He wants to repeal the 16th and 17th Amendments to the Constitution. The sixteenth would eliminate the federal income tax, the seventeenth would end the direct election of senators. He said "The American people mistakenly empowered the federal government during a fit of populist rage." So how would the government function, donations? No direct election of senators What? Had enough? Oh no, yes there's more.
He wants a balanced budget amendment. For 235 years the people have counted on their elected representatives to do this, and the merits of this may or may not appeal to you, but most economists agree in general this is a bad idea all the way around. Our ability to be flexible with our monetary policy is crucial to avoiding unnecessary crisis.
Abortion should be made illegal throughout the Country, and there should be an amendment to the Constitution defining marriage as between one man and one woman. In both cases state laws currently on the books would be overturned. This would effectively ban gay marriage nationwide, and outlaw abortion of any kind. On abortion he said "so important...to the soul of this country and to the traditional values [of] our founding fathers." Really? was gay marriage or abortion even on the radar of the founding fathers? And for someone who wants to uphold the tradition of those founding fathers, he sure wants to make a lot of changes to the document they came up with to govern this country.
So what do you think of Rick Perry now? Wanna know the scary part? ITS ONLY BEEN A WEEK! What other Constitutional quandaries will he come up with? Hell at this rate he'll have the whole Constitution on the scrap pile in a month! Front runner? maybe for a little while, but don't hold your breath on his nomination hopes. Besides do you really think the nation is ready for another ultra-conservative wing nut Governor from Texas? I'm thinkin not.
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