Governor for life?
The news that Rick Perry intends to pad his income by drawing a pension while serving as governor changes Texas politics. Before we learned about his double-dipping, and with his presidential bid looking bleak, it was possible to foresee the end of the Perry governorship, in January 2015. Perry would have to find a way to earn a living in the private sector–probably by making speeches and serving on corporate boards. By drawing his retirement pay, he can expand his income to more than $240,000 a year, plus Anita’s salary at the non-profit where she works (paid for primarily by the lobby) plus free luxury housing, free travel, free security, and all the other perks that come with the office.
Why did Perry decide to take the money, particularly at this critical moment of the campaign? He has to know how bad it looks to double dip. Even worse, it takes him off message. Perry has railed at the special privileges of members of Congress, federal judges, and federal bureaucrats. One possible reason: the very expensive spinal fusion operation last summer that used his own adult stem cells. When asked how Perry was going to pay for the operation, a spokesman responded, “Whatever is not covered by insurance, the Perrys will pay for.” Since so little is covered by insurance, the Perrys are on the hook for the bill. An extra $7,698 a month (pre-tax) will come in handy.
Ever since Perry announced for president, I have believed that the clock is ticking on his political career, and that the expiration of his term in January 2015 would be the crucial moment. Either he would have already decided to run again for a fourth full term by then, or he would have to go out into the world and find work. But double dipping enables him to extend his political career. He can stay in office and collect his pension and repeat the process indefinitely. Who is going to beat him? Certainly not a Democrat. He really could be governor for life.
Ben Quick says:
We hope not.
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hooah! Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 10:58 am
God. Save. Texas.
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ghostofann says:
Then the voters of Texas deserve whatever they get.
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Governor Toolshed Reply:
December 17th, 2011 at 5:44 pm
yep
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Nathaniel says:
He’s pretty unpopular even in Texas, and I can’t imagine that his presidential campaign has done him any favors. He has a relatively sizable core, but if Democrats can find a way to end the “We can’t make a difference in a red state anyway” mindset, I don’t see why a moderate Democrat can’t beat Rick Perry in a gubernatorial race. What Democrats need is a good candidate…
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Pat Reply:
December 17th, 2011 at 10:35 pm
And money. Which thus far, has not been interested in investing in the real pickup opportunities for Democrats–state House seats.
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#halftrue Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 6:48 pm
“What Democrats need is a good candidate…”
THIS.
I wonder what Dunnam’s name recognition is outside of Waco. If nothing else, it wouldn’t be a boring race, a la Bill White, Chris Bell.
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Citizen Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 10:25 am
Who?
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ghostofann says:
That’s some pretty wishful thinking there, Nathaniel. (see Tony Sanchez, Chris Bell, Bill White)
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longleaf says:
What Democrats need to do is move to another state.
Texas is a natural one-party state. The GOPer primary is, as a practical matter except in certain urban areas and a few places along the southern border, all there is anymore. I don’t foresee that changing for decades. The theoretical demographic attrition the GOPers in Texas are experiencing is more than offset by the voter suppression efforts they’ve ramped up in recent years.
Plus, the demographic group they have gone out of their way to alienate doesn’t vote anyhow. I don’t foresee that changing either.
Texas has been a one-party state for all but about 20 to 30 years of its history. Between 1970 to 1980 and the year 2000, all the major players were in the process of switching sides. That process is now complete. And the Tea Party faction of the GOPers is the tail wagging the dog even though they couldn’t get Straus deposed. They’ll be back, as Schwarzenegger used to say in the movies.
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ghostofann Reply:
December 17th, 2011 at 3:22 pm
What longleaf said…
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paulburka Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 10:56 pm
The tea party generation is dying out and there are no new Anglo Texans to replace them. The Republicans are dependent upon people who will not be alive in a few years.
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Jed Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 9:19 pm
there will always be plenty of ignorant voters in texas, thanks to republican efforts to derail education. combine that with successful propaganda efforts painting the republican party as the party of personal responsibility, which texans are also long on (talking about), and there is no reason to think that the current generation of republicans cannot be replaced by more. demographics don’t matter if you can brainwash multiple races at once.
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Robert Morrow Reply:
December 20th, 2011 at 9:13 pm
The Ron Paulers have great demographics and the majority of the Republican party is too stupid to figure it out.
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Bodhisattva Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 10:17 am
I disagree. The only issue is how long it will take for the demographic shift to reach critical mass. It’s already happening in the big urban areas – Dallas already and Harris now. Republicans can postpone or even reverse the trend if they exorcise (in the diabolical sense of the word) their xenophobia, but it’s very deep in their DNA now.
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Wise Guy says:
Quoting paul. I-35 is littered with bodies of those who have challenged perry in elections.
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PA says:
If all the Ds voted in the R primary….
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Reminder Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 10:14 pm
And if your Aunt had Balls- She would be your Uncle.
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Vernon Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 12:14 pm
And it makes every holiday a little more than uncomfortable when my “Aunt Leonard” shows up and challenges everyone to a pull-up contest.
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Mr. Smith says:
Texas demographically is a Democratical leaning state. It is very similar to Colorado, and has similar myth, culture, and resource advantages. The reason Colorado is competitive and Texas is a monolythic one party state is the unbelievable incompetence of the Texas Democratic Party, who have aided and abetted in supressing the votes of hundreds of thousands of people who would likely vote democratic if given any reason at all. But complete idiots like Mean Rachel spout shocking nonsense about how the solution to the Democratic Party’s woes is to BECOME MORE LIBERAL, and show the door to anyone who dares to call themselves moderate. Which, unfortuneately for the coffee shop geniuses in Austin, also describes hispanic voters.
The reason Rick Perry will be governor for the next 50 years, long after he passes, btw, is that the Autin Democratic Idiocracy has a stranglehold on the money, but hates the rest of us in Texas. We’re all just stupid hicks.
So when it comes to candidtes (see Ric Sanchez dropping out, which is a dream come true for Mean Rachel, because if absolutely no Democrat runs, then there won’t be anyone to disappoint you) its shut up and do as we say. Ignore local politics. Ignore what voters are saying. I know better because I’m not a hick like you. And most importantly, do not, undr any circumstances, go door to door and register voters. Don’t ask people want they want, and then talk to them about it. Dismiss their fears, hopes and dreams as suburban and pedestrian. Because the Democratic Party here in Texas is never more comfortable than when it is a victim.
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Bodhisattva Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 10:42 am
Mr. Smith, just for the sake of argument: tell us the names of the brilliant, up-and-coming Democrats whose rising political fortunes have been frustrated by the ultra-liberal litmus test rantings of Mean Rachel and her ilk. Who exactly are we talking about?
You have the floor, Mr. Smith.
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Mr. Smith Reply:
December 20th, 2011 at 2:54 pm
Thank you, Bodhisattva. Allen Vaught and Kirk England are perfect examples. Both won initially without any help from President Obama, both won with serious cross over support, and both were termed moderate. Say what you will about either’s campaign, but both where eminently savable. Both beat the average Democratic score by four points or more, both did not have Democrat on their material, and I have heard many Democratic activists in the Dallas area be gald both lost. But Mean Rachel’s hopes and dreams are coming true. As of today, 108 is not even contested by a Democrat, and 105 has I believe a 70 year old retired school administrator as the only candidate. She may be wonderful, but you tell me if that is going to energize the base to turn out, while gaining independents and soft Rs. Also, will that cause money to flow into a campaign’s pocket. Just like global warming, the artificial supression of a Democratic majority will happen as long as we continue on our present course. And it doesn’t matter whether you believe it or not.
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Just another Joe says:
Paul, I’m not going to let you get away with the claim that you thought the clock was ticking on his political career the moment he announced.
When he announced back in August you thought that the republican nomination was in the bag for him and that he had a fighting shot at beating Obama, hinging on the outcome of the economy (per your little awesome, we rule the world, media round table dinner).
Don’t be two faced. It’s not a good look on you.
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paulburka Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 11:16 pm
The clock WAS ticking on Perry’s political career when he announced. It was clear that he would be up or out. He had a good chance to win the nomination, but it turned out that his team didn’t have a clue about how to run for president, or, for that matter, what the rest of America was like. They thought everywhere else was like Texas and that they would buy Perry’s brand of extreme conservatism. The campaign was a shambles by the time Allbaugh came along and it could not be turned around. I didn’t realize what a terrible candidate Perry would turn out to be.
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leslie pool Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 9:43 am
my dear paul, if you “didn’t realize what a terrible candidate perry would turn out to be” then you’ve not been doing your job – looking at perry carefully and analyzing his past behaviors. there’s a basic and obvious reason why he always avoids debating – or speaking, for that matter: it’s because he can’t think on his feet and can’t form clear sentences on his own.
blaming perry’s “campaign” is an old dodge. perry was not a victim, paul, he was his own man and his performance and style IS the real rick perry.
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The House does it again! Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 3:53 pm
We’ve ALL got blinders on. Texas is NOT America.
thank God.
patriotone says:
I think the double dipping may be the end of the trail. Republicans don’t approve of this and Texans hate to be embarrassed. Perry has become an inconvenient embarrassment. I think even the GOP will grasp on to any alternative.
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#halftrue Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 6:54 pm
Who’s the most likely Perry alternative? Staples? Jerry “Shoot em up” Patterson? Susan “Can’t Add” Combs?
Staples is probably the only one with a chance, me thinks.
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Robert Morrow says:
The Establishment has destroyed Newt Gingrich. He is finally irreversibly damaged. Go to Intrade and look at South Carolina, Iowa, Florida, and GOP race in general.
Newt Gingrich is the Ebola virus of the GOP. The Establishment understands that and has just slaughtered him.
They have beat him like they were bashing new born baby seals with baseball bats on a snowy, icy Alaska beach.
http://www.Intrade.com
It only gets worse for Newt. No money, no organization and no MSM willing to pimp for him. That $20 million from the casino owner is a fantasy just as the $55 million non-existent dollars for the Mike Toomey super PAC is a fantasy.
Newt was at 70% chance to win South Carolina just 4-5 days ago. Now he is at 30%; behind Romney who is at 38% chance.
In order to rise like a Phoenix out of the ashes, one needs money or a MSM willing to pimp for you. Gingrich has neither. We are on 12/17 and Gingrich, like Perry and Cain before him, is a blackened hole of crater. He did not divebomb his campaign like Perry; it was shot of the the sky by Establishment, terrified by the Rothenberg numbers on Gingrich in a general election.
So the last 2 men left standing are Romney and Paul.
Enjoy the race folks; it’s gonna be exciting!
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hooah! Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 11:00 am
Ummm….it wasn’t “The Establishment” that caused Gingrich to turn his back on those women. Newt’s wounds are self-inflicted.
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paulburka Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 11:21 pm
I think that Perry’s collapse in the past few days ensures that Mitt Romney will be the nominee. Gingrich cannot hold on, and Perry cannot recover. Huntsman is too late, and Paul is too much out of the GOP mainstream.
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Willie James Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 9:09 am
Sounds right. In other words, we knew Romney was the only viable candidate at the beginning and had to go through all this rigamarole to get back to square one.
Conservatives really do deserve the stereotype of hypocracy: Perry double dipping just another example of “line my pockets and I’ll line yours”.
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Texas Ex Reply:
December 20th, 2011 at 11:41 am
@Mr. Burka:
Early in the campaign, I thought that you were too sanguine about Perry’s chances, but now I think perhaps you are too doubtful.
The most recent Iowa poll (Insider Advantage) has Perry in third place and just 2% behind Romney to take second place:
24% Paul
18% Romney
16% Perry
13% Gingrich
10% Bachmann
Nate Silver’s very sophisticated (and noteworthy for its accuracy) aggregation and analysis of poll data is similar:
25.7% Paul
21.3% Romney
14.1% Perry
13.9% Gingrich
11.2% Bachmann
Perry looks good for a third place finish in Iowa and his prospects for a hugely successful second place finish do not look substantially different from the prospect of a disappointing fourth place finish.
If Bachmann and Santorum finish fifth and sixth in Iowa (as they are projected to finish based on the most current polling data and analysis), they will both either literally drop out of the race before South Carolina or will drop out of consideration by then.
Perry is best situated to benefit from Bachmann’s and Santorum’s departure from the race.
If Perry’s better-than-expected performance in Iowa is not wholly eclipsed by his inevitably horrible performance in New Hampshire, Perry could go into a South Carolina contest where (1) Perry is reaping the chief benefit from Bachmann’s and Santorum’s demise, (2) Romney is smarting from a worse-than-expected finish in Iowa followed by a narrower-than-expected win in New Hampshire and he’s having to sell his Mormonism to some fairly bigoted pastors and trying to sell the “Massachusetts Job Miracle” to voters who don’t like Yankees, (3) Gingrich is left holding the bubble-that-popped after hugely disappointing results in both Iowa and New Hampshire, and (4) the Republican Party is looking for anyone to stop Paul’s momentum after a win in Iowa and a close second place finish in New Hampshire. Under this scenario (which is entirely likely), Perry is back in the top tier for South Carolina. If Perry performs well in South Carolina, he would enter Florida as the defacto non-Romney the party backs to try and put an end to the Paul insurgency.
It is too early to write Perry’s campaign off, and talk of “Perry’s collapse in the past few day” is just not consistent with the facts in the ground in Iowa.
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Robert Morrow says:
Ben Smith: “The Great Gingrich Crash of 2011″
http://www.politico.com/blogs/ben-smith/2011/12/the-great-gingrich-crash-of-107603.html
By DYLAN BYERS |
12/15/11 11:59 AM EST
“Primary doomsayers are a dime a dozen during the campaign season, but there’s enough evidence out this morning to suggest that Gingrich may — may — be going down in Iowa.
First, the polls. On the Real Clear Politics aggregate polling data for Iowa, Gingrich has fallen from a 31 percent high to 27.2. He’s still way out ahead of the pack (Romney has 18, Paul 16.7), but if history is any guide, falls in Iowa are irreversible. The three other candidates to surge in Iowa — Bachmann, Perry, and Cain — were never able to gain points on the RCP aggregate after they started losing them.
Second, the Intrade numbers: Over the past two days, Gingrich’s closing value crashed 15 percentave points, his most precipitous fall on the online exchange site since his surge began.
Third, the attack ads: Gingrich, usually an exhibit of grace under pressure, has had to deal with an onslaught of them in recent days — “a barrage to which he is barely responding,” notes The Atlantic’s Molly Ball, who asks this morning if the campaign is “deflating.”
“I think Iowa is going to be a challenge,” Gingrich admitted to ABC News last night. “You have everybody firing away in a relatively small market.”
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JohnBernardBooks says:
Guv Perry could end being President and Guv of Texas at the same time.
Democrats have finally sunk so low that no one except a few nuts will admit to being a dem.
Hell even Speaker Straus won’t admit it, he’ll use useful idiots like Justice Orlando Garcia and his sis-N-law to get gambling in Texas but he wouldn’t be caught dead in public with them.
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South Texan says:
You ruined my weekend. Couldn’t you have waited until Monday to post that blog?
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anybody but perry says:
sweet lord, the republican field this year is gonna make the guinness book of world records for hypocrisy (‘cept ron paul, not that i think he’d be any good as prez either)
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donuthin says:
Seems we need to ask ourselves why we are not having interest from potential candidates that are visionary and have leadership qualities. I’m sure it is in part because because some many of the public have moved into the fringe groups and are far less interested in candidates that have integrity and leadership but more impressed with anyone that will lend support to their single issue. Has Americans become that dumbed down?
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Ronald Romney Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 9:11 am
Texas sure has. I think there is hope for the Republic in northern and eastern states.
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Alan says:
The double-dipping is indicative of what I’ve said before – Perry knows he is in the twilight of his political career and his options for supporting himself after that are limited (he’s not independently wealthy, has never had a significant career outside of government, and his presidential campaign has badly damaged his brand, making book deals and TV gigs less likely and less lucrative).
Perry could run for yet another term in 2014. The Democrats can’t stop him in November – but the Republicans can stop him in March. Whoever comes out the loser in next year’s Senate race could view the governor’s race as their Plan B, as could some state officials. Why would any of those people put their ambitions on hold indefinitely for sake of letting Perry feed at the public trough a little longer? They wouldn’t. Politicians aren’t that benevolent.
If I were him, I would leave quietly at the end of this term (and if Dewhurst loses the Senate primary, I might even resign sometime next year and turn things over to him). Then I’d call in all my favors with McCombs, Leininger, et al and try to get put on some corporate board where no actual responsibilities are entailed.
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Anonymous Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 8:15 am
Good point…before this race Perry led by a “fear factor” which is now gone. Statewide officials, and everyone else – will no longer fear him. He is one day closer to full retirement, no matter what anyone says. The question is when, not if.
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vietvet3 says:
I will always consider this quote from John Kelso as the best 2-sentence biography of His Hairness:
On his earning a “D” in a course at A&M called “Meat”.
“Class, this is a pork chop.”
“Mr. Perry, am I going too fast for you?”
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Ghost of Gaddafi says:
When the end comes for Perry, it will be in a culvert somewhere near here:
http://g.co/maps/kqe9e
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Robert Morrow says:
The Texas primary is going to be on, I think April 3rd.
Ted Cruz is a pretty nice guy. He is more of a “conservative” than a pure “libertarian” but he is pretty good.
With Ron Paul on the presidential ballot on April 3rd, I bet Ted Cruz will have a lot of nice things to say about Ron Paul and the importance of liberty for the next 3 1/2 months.
I think that is a reasonable assumption. And if Cruz has something to say about “anti-war” that would be even better for our country.
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WUSRPH Reply:
December 17th, 2011 at 11:14 pm
From all accounts and his writing Cruz is less a conservative than a follower of Ayn Rand, she of “who is John Gault?” and her self-proclaimed “philosophy of the virtue of selfishness” and “never do anything for anyone for free” fame.
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JohnBernardBooks Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 6:28 am
ahhh the collectivism’s whine of “but I’m entitled”.
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AreYouKiddingMe says:
Surely, even the Repubs now would not elect him again, would they? Are they THAT stupid? Surely there is a Repub out there than can beat this guy. I know it is doubtful a Dem can, but surely there is a Republican somewhere in the State that the Repub sheep will vote for instead of our resident idiot!!!
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Ed says:
The classic John Wayne movie “The Shootist” was on this afternoon. Several times, when the character was mentioned by name I kept thinking about the guy who posts on this blog using the same name.
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#halftrue Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 7:01 pm
Saw that, too. Ruined the damn movie for me.
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JohnBernardBooks Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 6:32 am
too bad you didn’t learn anything.
“I won’t be wronged..I won’t be insulted, and I won’t be layed a hand on. I don’t do these things to other people, and I require the same from them”.
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Ronald Romney Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 9:12 am
Wayne was a drunk misynogist. Good role model.
Robert Morrow says:
Question: Why are we talking about Rick Perry?? Ron Paul is in a dead heat with Mitt Romney in the Iowa caucuses. If Paul wins that, he would rocketship into New Hamphshire.
And “we” are talking about Rick Perry? Question, and I don’t mean just Burka, do you *reporters* have no shame? Do you think of yourself as a reporter or a propagandist for someone or some interest?
Here is the Austin-American Statesman as another example. Here is the Stateman’s last 40 or so headlines for political stories. The name “Ron Paul” – a Texas congressman – does not even appear or any discussion of what he and his campaign stands for. Again, I ask the Texas media, do you have no shame?
http://www.statesman.com/news/texas-politics/stories-from-print-49848.html
Stories from print
Iowa evangelicals split among Perry, other social conservative candidates 23 mins ago
Perry adds early retirement to governor’s salary Updated 12:19 a.m.
Texas delays primaries until April 9:48 p.m. Friday
Divisive ESPN analyst still weighing U.S. Senate race; Sanchez drops out Friday, Dec. 16
Perry likens himself to often-doubted Tebow in final debate before caucuses Friday, Dec. 16
Split primaries could favor tea party candidates Thursday, Dec. 15
Texas executions, death sentences continue to decline Thursday, Dec. 15
Perry seeks to win back support, a few voters at a time Wednesday, Dec. 14
Candidate Perry doesn’t always sound like Gov. Perry Wednesday, Dec. 14
Long day in court, no resolution in redistricting case Tuesday, Dec. 13
Perry bus tour offers final chance to change minds in Iowa Tuesday, Dec. 13
MALDEF sues Texas over school finance Tuesday, Dec. 13
State comptroller gives mixed forecast on economy Monday, Dec. 12
Abbott to seek extension of candidate filing deadline Sunday, Dec. 11
Perry tackles top contenders in GOP debate Saturday, Dec. 10
Second school finance lawsuit filed against state Friday, Dec. 9
Texas resists insurers’ provision in federal health care law Friday, Dec. 9
Michael Williams, long a rising GOP star, suddenly has few good options Thursday, Dec. 8
State board approves ‘One State Under God’ license plate Thursday, Dec. 8
Religion, not jobs, dominates Perry message as Iowa voting nears Wednesday, Dec. 7
Texas sales tax collections hit monthly record Wednesday, Dec. 7
The most powerful group in Texas politics has Wentworth in its sights Wednesday, Dec. 7
Challenge from the left exposes dissatisfaction with Doggett Tuesday, Dec. 6
Two juvenile justice directors in line for new agency job get month off with pay Monday, Dec. 5
Prison cuts prove fleeting Sunday, Dec. 4
Perry campaign hopes organizational strength will help close the gap Sunday, Dec. 4
Dewhurst’s official schedule kept under wraps Friday, Dec. 2
Some county officials rethink plans to file for higher office Friday, Dec. 2
UTMB gets $45 million to continue prison health care Thursday, Dec. 1
Will Perry’s delay cost some officials their jobs? Thursday, Dec. 1
State, feds argue over cause of delays in redistricting case Thursday, Dec. 1
Drugmaker helps Texas AIDS program avoid massive cuts Thursday, Dec. 1
Dewhurst reveals financial holdings of $225 million Wednesday, Nov. 30
Newt Gingrich playing the role of Rick Perry Wednesday, Nov. 30
Doggett pushes bill to extend unemployment benefits Wednesday, Nov. 30
Business tax changes may not bring more money Tuesday, Nov. 29
Redistricting chief suggests Texas Senate should grow from 31 to perhaps 37 members Tuesday, Nov. 29
Texas Supreme Court upholds main state business tax Monday, Nov. 28
State seeks stay from high court on redistricting maps Monday, Nov. 28
Even if Perry’s campaign fails, his hold on state power likely won’t Monday, Nov. 28
Without permit, Occupy Austin protesters’ time at Capitol cut short Saturday, Nov. 26
Greg Abbott to challenge judges’ interim state districts map Saturday, Nov. 26
Attorney general’s office has harsh words for court’s redistricting maps Friday, Nov. 25
Texas Digest: Valley lawmaker who became Republican says he won’t run again Friday, Nov. 25
With restoration well under way, Governor’s Mansion yields historical surprises Thursday, Nov. 24
Court’s redrawn congressional map puts Doggett, Castro in separate districts Wednesday, Nov. 23
What to ask candidates when they ask for your vote Wednesday, Nov. 23
GOP debate focuses on Patriot Act, immigration Tuesday, Nov. 22
Texas Digest: State pushes for quick redistricting trial; Brothers to return to France after jail term Tuesday, Nov. 22
Experts at legislative hearing recommend Texas preserve DNA after convictions Tuesday, Nov. 22
Fluid race in Iowa gives Perry hope Sunday, Nov. 20
GOP candidates discuss beliefs at forum about religion Sunday, Nov. 20
State objects to court-drawn legislative maps Friday, Nov. 18
Senator grills UT chancellor, an old friend Friday, Nov. 18
State to cover meningitis vaccine for college students Saturday, Nov. 19
Hearing Monday on planned cuts in rehab funds Friday, Nov. 18
Time running out for voter photo ID law in March primaries Thursday, Nov. 17
Court issues new state legislative maps for Texas Thursday, Nov. 17
Check instead of cash shouldn’t invalidate DeLay’s prison term, prosecutors say Wednesday, Nov. 16
For some Texas Republicans, balanced budget amendment doesn’t go far enough Wednesday, Nov. 16
Is Perry working hard enough? Thursday, Nov. 17
Legislature’s mistake jeopardizes license plate law Tuesday, Nov. 15
Perry proposes government overhaul Tuesday, Nov. 15
Project with ties to Perry OK’d despite objections Monday, Nov. 14
GOP contenders disagree without rancor at foreign policy debate Sunday, Nov. 13
Texas Democrats hope court will help the party restore some seats Friday, Nov. 11
U.S. Senate race to succeed Hutchison finally heating up Friday, Nov. 11
Vehicle board rejects proposal for Confederate flag license plate Thursday, Nov. 10
Perry, trying to erase debate debacle, is suddenly everywhere Thursday, Nov. 10
Hutto, Dripping Springs districts left in lurch by property tax votes Thursday, Nov. 10
Perry stumbles at debate; can’t name third agency he’d disband Wednesday, Nov. 9
Fed-up voters, confusion doomed ballot propositions Wednesday, Nov. 9
Confederate plate sparks free speech debate Wednesday, Nov. 9
Cain’s troubles not guaranteed to help Perry Wednesday, Nov. 9
Lawmaker charged over billing of travel expenses Wednesday, Nov. 9
Budget, tax issues loom for Legislature Tuesday, Nov. 8
D.C. court orders trial in redistricting preclearance Tuesday, Nov. 8
Depositions shed light on Morton prosecution Tuesday, Nov. 8
Texas Digest: Berlanga, Craig won’t seek re-election to State Education Board Tuesday, Nov. 8
Elizabeth Ames Jones switches from U.S. Senate to Texas Senate race Monday, Nov. 7
‘Obamacare’ contains money for Texas prisoners’ health care Sunday, Nov. 6
Perry, trailing in Iowa, must hone conservative message Saturday, Nov. 5
Perry goes New Age when it comes to personal health Saturday, Nov. 5
State board delays vote on stem cell therapy used on Perry Friday, Nov. 4
Liberty Hill man recruits congressional candidates Friday, Nov. 4
Court changes 2012 election filing dates, rules Friday, Nov. 4
Texas state workers among beneficiaries of ‘Obamacare’ Thursday, Nov. 3
Perry seeks to revive campaign with jobs message Thursday, Nov. 3
Senators grill former official about genesis of HNTB disaster relief contract Wednesday, Nov. 2
Perry flat tax reaches for a headline, leaves the questions to others Wednesday, Nov. 2
Texas Digest: Panel to vote on Confederate plates Wednesday, Nov. 2
South Texas Democrat sues former House speaker Craddick Wednesday, Nov. 2
Federal agency questions state’s ability to administer hurricane disaster recovery grants Tuesday, Nov. 1
State parks feel sting from drought, heat and fires Tuesday, Nov. 1
Texas 8th-graders get high marks on national math test Tuesday, Nov. 1
State workers cut while firm spends Thursday, Nov. 3
Judges hear new redistricting plans for Travis Monday, Oct. 31
Redistricting court battles to heat up this week Monday, Oct. 31
Willingham inquiry ends, but effects linger Friday, Oct. 28
Widow of Austin congressman backed him in politics, life Friday, Oct. 28
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Cow Droppings Reply:
December 17th, 2011 at 9:42 pm
Okay Morron, want to talk Ron Paul? Good deal. Let’s talk about his racist, Jew-hating rhetoric. Years of newsletters he says he never saw though he made about $1 mil a year off them. Imagine that: seven figures off something you didn’t even proof read. Nice fantasy.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/company-ron-paul-keeps_613474.html
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Robert Morrow Reply:
December 17th, 2011 at 11:29 pm
I think Ron Paul is lying. For a few years he let Lew Rockwell write those newsletters, some of which are controversial (and politically incorrect funny). And so Dr. Paul is *lying* when he says he does not know who wrote a lot of those newsletters. It was Rockwell.
I am not excusing Paul for lying; just pointing out what he is doing – trying to protect Rockwell. In fact, I condemn Paul for that.
That Weekly Standard article is dishonest (or just stupid) because it equates non-support of Israel with anti-Semitism. Ron Paul does not give a hoot about Israel (or AIPAC money like your candidate). That is a far cry from anti-Semitism. Key point: in the early 1980′s, Dr. Paul did NOT vote for a House resolution condemning Israel for bombing Iraq.
Ron Paul gave a defense of militias in his newsletters which I think is super. Ever heard of the 2nd Amendment? We should be able to train with guns all we want in America.
Back to Israel – it is an aggressive nationalist socialist state. It is also has a policy of only letting Jews immigrate there – a pretty culturally racist thing to do. Apparently the Zionists at the Weekly Standard think this is just fine.
As for the Spotlight mailing lists – so what if Ron Paul found it a great mailing list. Apparently a lot of Spotlight readers like what Ron Paul is doing. The Spotlight, Ron Paul and I do not give a hoot about Israel. This is in contrast to Israel firster Weekly Standard.
Another dishonest technique this Weekly Standard uses is to attempt to conflate Ron Paul’s views with every one of his supporters; Alex Jones is their favorite whipping boy. That is bogus; Ron Paul is not a 9/11 “truther.” Alex Jones is. Ron Paul does not believe in everything Alex Jones does. That would be like saying Rick Perry stands for the political views of EVERY homosexual in America; an extremely unfair assumption.
Note: I have been on the Alex Jones show and I don’t believe everything Jones says. Ditto Dr. Paul.
Ron Paul has a huge problem with the domestic powers of the US military, the Patriot Act and the CIA. Ron Paul wants to end the CIA, to which I say bravo! The CIA has committed enough crimes to warrant being eliminated. Ron Paul correctly says “They’re in businesses, in drug businesses.”
Just google “CIA drug smuggling” and you will learn all about. Names like Oliver North, GHW Bush and Bill Clinton will pop up. The CIA controlled MSM will never tell you. Thank God and praise Jesus for the internet.
Ron Paul like Pat Buchanan does not give a hoot about Israel and is appalled at the influence Zionist have in America where the US Congress is an Israeli Occupied Territory. Israel want the USA to fight its wars for her. We are suckers of the first degree if we do.
Ron Paul is IN FACT the most popular candidate by far of the 9/11 truthers, those misguided people who think 9/11 was an inside job. So what? They both hate government in general. The JFK assassination was an inside job.
It is like saying that because Rick Perry is one of the most popular candidates of family oriented Christians that Rick Perry is a Christian. That is an equally unfair charge.
Ron Paul says, “Just think of what happened after 9/11. Immediately before there was any assessment there was glee in the administration because now we can invade Iraq.”
Yep. That is what happened. The neocon Bush Administration and the Project for a New American Century (what an imperialist sounding name …) capitalized with a vengeance on the tragedy of 9/11 to gin up support for an invasion of Iraq – something they had wanted for a long time.
Ron Paul’s anti-war foreign policy is the most important message that he is communicating in this campaign.
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Hilarious Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 1:19 pm
Cow Droppings,
I thought you’d never, ever, ever see the day when you were having to defend your candidate, not-so-Slick Rick, against Ron Paul (because Ron Paul was beating him in every poll by a factor of 2-5x). I have to say I am absolutely loving thinking about all of the jokes that Rick, with his boots propped on his desk, has probably cracked over the years about Ron Paul. And now the joke is very much on Rick.
Hope you’re having fun, CD!
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Robert Morrow Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 4:31 pm
@Hilarious,
It delicious. They can’t handle it. The tables have turned in a huge way …
I wonder what would happen if Ron Paul ran for governor against Rick Perry in 2 years …
Cow Droppings Reply:
December 20th, 2011 at 3:54 pm
Today Ron Paul said he wouldn’t have taken out bin Laden. You can have your fringe candidate and all the nuts who vote for him.
Robert Morrow Reply:
December 20th, 2011 at 9:19 pm
Question – were those 30 SEALS who died in a helicoptor crash (post bin Laden KIA) were they worth the death of Osama bin Laden … 10 years into Afghanistan and with the majority of Al Queda’s command and control already having been destroyed?
My answer – no, we should have been out of Afghanistan 7 years ago.
anonymouse2 Reply:
December 17th, 2011 at 9:47 pm
pedantically boring.
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anonymouse2 says:
the boring comment was for morron, not CD.
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WUSRPH says:
One thing the newspapers have overlooked is that Perry actually gets a bigger dollar amount pension by retiring as a regular employee than he would received as an “elected class”….Since the base is his salary and the salary of the governor is higher than the salary of a district judge, which is used as the basis for the elected class. His governor’s salary is $150,000 while the state pays district judges about $125,000 and the benefit is figured at 2.3% of the base salary times years of service.
P.S. What is Perry’s actual salary? I thought I remember a few years ago he said he would not take a raise the Leg. provided. Is it possible that he (quietly of course) changed his mind since then and took the bucks after all?
While this move makes Perry a “double dipper” there is a theoretically possibility that he could be come a “triple dipper” or even a “four times dipper”.
Since he stands to earn more state retirement credit (this time in the “elected class” rather than that of a regular state employee) it is possible that he could qualify for A SECOND STATE PENSION by retiring a second time as an “elected class member. The terrifying thought about this is that he would probably need to serve at least one more full term as governor to qualify for that second pension….God Help US!
If he were to do that, he could then retire again under Social Security and receive another pension, this one from the federal government….making him a “four times dipper”…
Boy, “serving” (sic) in public office sure has been good for Rick hasn’t it?
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Robert Morrow Reply:
December 17th, 2011 at 11:31 pm
That is all Perry knows how to do … mooch off the government.
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anita says:
Paul, he began double-dipping in January of 2011, so it’s not a new move for him. I believe we only know of it now because of the more robust federal personal financial statement that he had to file and which just became public.
So over the course of the year, while railing on government employees, while his party has declared war obliging pensions and their beneficiaries, Rick Perry has been quietly doing exactly what he and his party demagogue against.
Now that Texans have been re-introduced to Rick Perry, and the embarrassment he’s brought to himself and this state, he’s vulnerable.
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anita says:
Obliging should read “on public” — I hate spell check.
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anita says:
Paul, from the story you linked:
“That’s been in place for decades. … I don’t find that to be out of the ordinary,” Perry said. “ERS called me and said, ‘Listen, you’re eligible to access your retirement now with your military time and your time and service, and I think you would be rather foolish to not access what you’ve earned.’”
I seriously doubt ERS “called” him and told him he’d be rather foolish to pass on the double-dip opportunity, There’s a pattern of when he’s criticized on a action he takes, to stretch the truth (being kind here) and hide behind a state agency. Remember when the rental mansion was an issue, he claimed the DPS “made” him move to Barton Creek, he had no choice. We know that’s not true. Until I see phone records, I’m not buying that ERS contacted him to tell him to “not be foolish — take the money”.
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paulburka Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 11:01 pm
Anita — I seriously doubted it too, and I said so to some folks, and one, a former legislator, told me he got a call from a friend at ERS who suggested exactly what Perry is doing. So I guess ERS does make some calls, or at least they made this one.
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Blue Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 11:51 pm
The statements “ERS called me” and “a friend at ERS called me” are not the same.
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Robert Morrow says:
My disgust with Texas political journalists is *almost* as high as my disgust with Rick Perry. And that is saying a lot. You ought to be ashamed of yourselves. (Almost) every single one of you.
Here is some *reporting* (every heard of that concept: reporting?) from and Iowa GOP insider Steve Deace. He says Ron Paul is the man to beat in Iowa. That is the real story not the Oops campaign or your Oops reporting.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/dec/13/measuring-the-grass-roots-in-iowa/print/
Ron Paul may be the contrarian in the Republican presidential field, but his conventional approach to the Iowa caucuses makes him the candidate to beat on Jan. 3.
That’s because Mr. Paul is the one candidate who has put in the legwork over the long haul that pays dividends in a caucus state where organizational strength reigns supreme. Mr. Paul’s acolytes have spent years tilling the soil for his return to the presidential race by educating Iowans on issues such as sound money and the Federal Reserve. I know because I’m one of the Iowans who has benefited from this education. Mr. Paul’s Iowa campaign chairman spent six months on my statewide radio show doing a weekly book study on W. Cleon Skousen’s “The 5,000 Year Leap.”
Much of Mr. Paul’s campaign apparatus is also tied to National Right to Work, one of the most effective right-of-center issue-advocacy organizations in the country. National Right to Work set up shop in Iowa for years because Democrats in state government were threatening the state’s right-to-work law. The organization created by National Right to Work helped elect several staunch conservatives to the Iowa legislature, and that organization is aiding Mr. Paul’s presidential quest.
Mr. Paul may be the best-organized politician in Iowa other than Sen. Tom Harkin and Sen. Chuck Grassley. Mr. Paul has more people loyal to him on the Republican State Central Committee than Gov. Terry Branstad does. Many Iowa political observers think the ultimate goal of these organizational efforts is to lay the foundation for his son Rand to run for president one day. If so, Rand Paul will have a leg up on the rest of his fellow GOP future stars.
Ron Paul may violate Republican Party orthodoxy when it comes to his ideas, but politically he’s right in line with what all the experts say it takes to win Iowa. As a result, he is the only GOP candidate in the state who has an enthusiastic base of support that will vote for him no matter what, to go along with an exemplary organization.
Having Mr. Paul break well into the double digits in mainstream media polling is also very bad news for his campaign rivals. That’s because if conservatives are suspicious of the mainstream media in general, Mr. Paul’s supporters are beyond paranoid. They’re the least likely to respond to mainstream media queries or traditional polling mechanisms. That means his support could be underreported.
The confidence of the Paul campaign can be seen in his latest television ad, a macho attempt to go for the close whose memorable last line is, “Want to drain the swamp?” Given his organizational strength and the fracturing of the social-conservative base, Mr. Paul is the favorite to win the Iowa caucuses.
Here’s where the other candidates stand organizationally in the final days:
Michele Bachmann
With chairmen in 91 of Iowa’s 99 counties, the Minnesota congresswoman boasts the second-best organization in the state. However, given that she beat Mr. Paul in the hotly contested Iowa Straw Poll this summer, she should be in even better shape. Mrs. Bachmann definitely is in position organizationally to outperform her polling numbers.
Rick Santorum
His organization has largely been based in rural locations, but with the recent additions of some of Mike Huckabee’s central Iowa base of support to go along with the endorsement of popular Secretary of State Matt Schultz, the possibility exists for the long-awaited Santorum surge finally to occur if he can procure a major endorsement like one from Rep. Steve King, former gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats or Mr. Huckabee.
Mitt Romney
Mr. Romney’s organization is largely revenue to buy advertising and the mercenary political hack class. He’s nowhere near as strong organizationally as he was four years ago. The mainstream media keeps asking me about Mr. Romney exploiting the split in the social-conservative base. They’re asking the right question, but they have the wrong candidate. It is Mr. Paul who is in the best position to exploit that opening.
Rick Perry
For a while, Mr. Perry and Herman Cain were the only candidates running network TV spots in Iowa, and Mr. Perry’s latest one, titled “Strong,” finally is generating some positive buzz (as well as criticism from all the right people) for his campaign. A lot of his organization was once with Tim Pawlenty, and we saw how that turned out.
Newt Gingrich
Mr. Gingrich is behind everyone else, but his surging polling numbers are helping him catch up. Mr. Gingrich has star power, so he can organically produce positive and negative reaction from the voters all by himself. Therefore, he doesn’t need the ground game the other candidates do, but he still needs a better one then he has in order to mobilize his poll numbers into people going to the polls on Jan. 3.
Steve Deace is a nationally syndicated radio host with the Salem Radio Network. He lives in Iowa, where he used to broadcast the afternoon drive program on 1040-WHO. He is co-author of “We Won’t Get Fooled Again: Where the Christian Right Went Wrong and How to Make America Right Again” (JAJ Publishing, 2011).
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Whoa Nellie! Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 7:50 pm
Is this entire comments section doomed to be hijacked by the Ron Paul cheerleading squad?
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Robert Morrow Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 11:43 pm
I am doing the job the media is not doing… Ron Paul has nailed down Iowa 2 weeks out and you would never know it.
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jpt51 says:
I’m hearing Perry openly called a baffoon. How may Texans are proud our state leader can’t complete a sentence expressing three ideas?
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Whoa Nellie! Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 7:51 pm
“Baffoon”? Perhaps the word you seek to employ is “buffoon.” Ahem.
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Ronald Romney Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 9:15 am
Maybe if you cross a buffoon with a baboon….
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Tom Barry says:
I’m not sure Perry’s double-dipping is legal even under Texas law. Did he resign? No. I wish we had an aggressive Travis County DA to poke into this mess. Wishful thinking, I know.
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Cornholio Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 10:32 am
bullock brought this into existence in 1991. Look to your patron saint for the legalization of this — he’s the crook in this scenario.
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Tom Barry Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 10:51 am
Bullock was not my patron saint. He was a bullying jerk with some good qualities. You wrongly assume anyone who doesn’t like double-dipping in Perry would like it if he were a
Democrat. It doesn’t matter when it started or who started it. Wrong is bipartisan. And because it is, I don’t anticipate any deep legal inquiry. But I can wish, can’t I?
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TexianPolitico Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 8:32 am
Yeah, there are tons of state employees that double dip. Its absurd. A lot of them will “retire” for a month or two and then come right back to their old job with their regular pay and their retirment pay on top of it. Horrible.
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saywhat? Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 3:55 pm
Wait. Why is that horrible? My understanding is they don’t get regular employee benefits when they return and usually get a lower salary. If that is true, what you have is:
1. Someone who is eligible for retirement, takes it.
2. You fill that now-open position with a trained employee taking a lower salary, AND no employee benefits (about a 1/3 reduction).
Everybody wins. Except those who hate state employees so much they can’t stand them doing well.
chickasawelder Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 10:57 am
Every other person in the “employee class” is required to terminate employment with the state for 90 days under current law. Teachers have to wait 12 months before returning to work and collecting a paycheck. Prior to that, it was 30 and 60 days, respectively. I don’t think there was a similar requirement when Bob Bullock left the Comptroller’s office and then ran for a different job, Lt. Governor, which paid only $7,200 a year or $600/month. So, Bullock actually left one office for another. Even if what Perry did is somehow legal, even if it’s been done before by some other offender, doesn’t this tell you what kind of character Perry has? He could care less about the damage to the pension system as long as he gets his (and mine, for that matter).
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Cornholio Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 3:13 pm
Bullock had it passed to benefit himself in 1991. He enriched himself.
Those who wang on Perry can at least realize he had nothing to do with its passage, and simply took a legal retirement option made available by the Democrats when they were in power.
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JohnBernardBooks says:
“I wish we had an aggressive Travis County DA to poke into this mess”
you’ve Justice Orlanda Garcia and his sis-N-law Leticia, can’t they manufacture up something?
Its not like they haven’t done it before.
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JohnBernardBooks says:
What I find really hilarious is the democrats wrote the laws allowing double dipping. Why are they mad? Because Guv Perry is a republican.
(D)Lee P Brown was collecting full pensions from Detroit, Atlanta, Houston, The Fed Govm, consulting for Mayor Ray Nagin in NOs, while lecturing at Rice U until he was fired for being inept. Embarrassing? Of course not thats democrats do it.
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Anonymous Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 9:42 am
What do you think would happen if Ron Paul challenged Rick Perry for Governor? Would be interesting…
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hooah! Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 11:01 am
Ron Paul 3 to 1 over Perry in a R primary.
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Robert Morrow Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 12:29 pm
Agreed. Democrats usually LOVE double dipping pensions. No surprise that Bob Bullock started this.
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Anonymous says:
JB,
You obviously like to make things up. Let me set the record straight for you. Lee Brown was not fired from Rice University. He left Rice because he was elected as mayor of Houston.
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JohnBernardBooks Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 12:14 pm
BS.
“Brown, currently the Herbert Autrey Visiting Scholar at Rice’s School of Social Sciences, became the 50th mayor of Houston in 1998 and was re-elected to two more terms — the maximum allowed under the city’s term limitations”
Brown’s contract was not renewed.
http://www.media.rice.edu/media/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=6476&SnID=4
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Anonymous Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 7:06 pm
Brown left Rice only because he got another job: mayor. He was not fired by Rice.
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JohnBernardBooks Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 6:35 am
once again learn to read. The Rice U Press Release was dated 2004 after he was mayor.
Anonymous Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 2:56 pm
Please do not feed the troll….
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JohnBernardBooks Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 6:36 am
sometimes you don’t feed them you educate them as I did. However some don’t take kindly to being educated when they’re a liberal democrat.
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Tom says:
Perry has been an embarrassment to the entire state of Texas, and now, if Perry is willing to cooperate, and I bet he does, we can repay the favor and embarrass Perry.
All he has to do is stay in the race until the April primary, and then, when he finishes dead last in his home state, we can all thank him for completely humiliating himself, one last time.
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Anonymous Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 2:12 pm
Ron Paul for Governor!
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Robert Morrow Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 3:26 pm
Ron Paul for Governor! Ditto!
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TexianPolitico Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 8:34 am
Ron Paul for Infowars.com columnist!
Ronald Romney Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 9:17 am
Please retire Mr. Paul. Perry was embarrasing enough.
John Johnson says:
As far as I’m concerned, everyone serving in the state legislature and in key elected offices in Texas should be ashamed of themselves…if they have any sort of moral compass guiding them.
I don’t know whether or not what our Gov is doing is illegal. Laws that dictate things like how campaign money is to be used, how compaign money can be obtained, what expenses campaign funds can cover, and how and when government retirement funds are paid are not things that are widely broadcast nor discussed in public when the laws are being formulated in committee, submitted and passed. When it comes to the subject of more money making its way into the pockets of the elected, there is no opposition party, nor partisan bickering. They are all joined at the hip.
Actions that should be illegal are not, simply because the ones responsible for making them so refuse to put limitations on themselves that the rest of us are subjected to. Isn’t this the bottom line?
Whoever heard of retiring and drawing a pension while still drawing a salary for the job you have supposedly retired from? How does this make any sense whatsoever?
We are showing the rest of the nation, through Perry and his actions, that we are truly an ignorant lot here in Texas. Not only for allowing this guy to serve in public office as long as he has, but also for taking advantage of loopholes in laws that have been passed by immoral legislators for the sole benefit of themselves, and to the detriment of all of the rest of us. We truly are a bunch of stupid sheep.
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donuthin Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 7:26 pm
The conservative wishing to reduce the size of agencies in Texas a few years ago offered retirement incentives knowing full well that it was going to cause a huge loss of institutional memory as well as experience. No way the agencies could replace them nor could they do without their experience. Often they were among the most valued employees. Many got several thousand dollars incentives, retired, waited a short time and went back to work at the same agency from which they retired, some as the top executive. Not sure if it will entitle them to a second retirement or not. It has been one of the dumbest things ever. Sounds like the leg and the governor are entitled to the same perk.
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JohnBernardBooks Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 6:38 am
Democrat lawmakers set themselves up to draw their pensions @ age 50, and tied it to State Judge’s salaries. Democrats have been living large off taxpayers for years.
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Glen Maxey Reply:
December 20th, 2011 at 12:44 am
The legislator who engineered the retire at age 50 for legislators was a Republican: Buzz Robnett
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Cow Droppings Reply:
December 20th, 2011 at 3:56 pm
everyone knows who engineered it: Bullock.
Anonymous says:
What did you do to my Broncos??? The game after Perry claims to be Tebow – Tebow melts and the Broncos are crushed! Please, please – don’t compare yourself to Tebow again!!!!
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JohnBernardBooks Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 6:39 am
They ran into Brady and NE.
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Robert Morrow says:
Ron Paul is going to WIN the Iowa caucuses. Speaking of which, here is another irrelevant article by the Austin-American Statesman’s R.G. Ratcliffe on the Oops campaign:
http://www.statesman.com/news/texas-politics/iowa-evangelicals-split-among-perry-other-social-conservative-2038468.html
Huge Sunday, front page spread, all about Mr. Irrelevant. So what is going on in Iowa and what is going to happen? Clueless Texas political reporters Ratcliffe, Slater, Evan Smith, Ross Ramsay, Jason Embry, Paul Burka name 10 more … they are not doing any reporting, so I will have to tell you. If you are not covering Ron Paul in Iowa, you are not reporting. You are sucking thumbs and spinning your beanie caps.
Ron Paul, Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum are going to over perform. They are political purists; they have all worked Iowa for a long time, and they don’t have any incredible personal baggage that is so destructive to a campaign.
Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich & Mr. Oops himself Rick Perry are going to underperform.
Huntsman and Cain are non-factors. The adultery endorsement of Cain for Gingrich is also a non-factor.
When it comes times in the caucuses to stand up and be count, Ron Paul, Bachmann and Santorum are going to be sparking.
Both and Iowa and the New Hampshire primary are WIDE OPEN. I called a source up there and asked if Ron Paul won Iowa by one point, could he WIN New Hampshire over Romney? The answer was yes. New Hamphire is totally WIDE OPEN, despite Romney’s home field advantage.
So what about the caucus delegate totals in Iowa?
Here is my guess:
Ron Paul 24%
Romney 23%
Bachmann 14%
Santorum 14%
Gingrich 14%
Perry 11%
Huntsman, Cain nothing.
Ron Paul should win. He might perform even better than that. And even IF Paul loses by a hair, he is going to have some mighty strong momentum heading into New Hampshire.
The Oops campaign will finish 5th if they are lucky, probably 6th, a humiliating finish. There will be no last minute endorsements or money infusions for the Oops campaign.
Ron Paul is going to close very strong in Iowa and he will have a full head of steam heading into New Hampshire. Excitement, buzz, jaw dropping media talking heads.
The Establishment has *already* assassinated Newt Gingrich. As we speak they are still pumping bullets into his lifeless political corpse. They figure, let Ron Paul win Iowa, it will kill off Gingrich, we can finish off Paul later.
The Ron Paulers don’t think that way and will be in a state of turbo charged euphoria at least though the Jan 10th New Hampshire primary. And if Ron Paul somehow wins that – which he probably won’t – OMG, if he does … Paul might end up being the “Tom Brady” of this campaign, not just the “Tim Tebow.”
The Ron Paul campaign needs to keep hammering away on the anti-war message if they are smart.
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Reminder Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 10:15 pm
Ron Paul will be the Oops candidate after Iowa and New Hampshire. He is not electable nationally.
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Robert Morrow says:
Check out Intrade odds for the Iowa caucus:
Ron Paul 37% chance of winning
Romney 32%
Gingrich 15%
Oops 6%
Bachmann 5%
Santorum 3%
Ron Paul is going to over perform on Jan. 3rd.
The Oops Campaign will under perform.
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Robert Morrow says:
Ron Paul is now in NEW HAMPSHIRE for the next several days. And the reason for that is Ron Paul has NAILED DOWN Iowa with 2 weeks to go.
Of course, you would never know that from the ENTIRE TEXAS POLITICAL JOURNALIST CLASS.
But you heard it here first.
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Robert Morrow says:
Public Policy Polling –
Public Policy Polling: Ron Paul is Leading in Iowa
http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/public-policy-polling-ron-paul-leading-iowa_613556.html
Newt Gingrich’s campaign is rapidly imploding, and Ron Paul has now taken the lead in Iowa. He’s at 23% to 20% for Mitt Romney, 14% for Gingrich, 10% each for Rick Santorum, Michele Bachmann, and Rick Perry, 4% for Jon Huntsman, and 2% for Gary Johnson.
Gingrich has now seen a big drop in his Iowa standing two weeks in a row.
Note to Manchester Union Leader who endorse New Gingrich. Your horse can’t even make it out of the gate to the *first* primary. Can you imagine a horse banging into the stall, tripping as he comes out of the gate. Upside down 4 legs in the air?
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Robert Morrow says:
Media headline in 2 weeks:
“Mitt Romney comes in second in Iowa – followed by Newt Gingrich and Michele Bachmann”
ha ha ha
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Robert Morrow says:
Ron Paul has nailed down Iowa 2 weeks out, and here are some headlines from the interns over at the Texas Tribune:
1) Perry Confronted Over Fracking and Gay Rights
2) Perry’s Faith-Fueled Bus Tour Goes to Church
3) Perry Talks Trans-Texas Corridor in Iowa
4) Perry: Cain Has “Characteristics” of a Defense Secretary
5) Critics Question Perry’s Move to Collect Pension
6) Perry “Retires” to Boost Pension Pay
7) Gaffe-Free Debate for Perry, but Paul Performs
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Anonymous says:
Paul, your Burkablog is dying a not-so-slow death. I attribute it to the cancer that you allow to grow here. It is out of control.
The rants, outrageous personal attacks, and off topic posts are not only turning longtime posters off, but also away.
Do the sensible thing – use your scalpel and cut the offender out once and for all. If you don’t, this site will become a mere shadow of its former self. Actually, it already has.
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Marisa Cortez Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 8:41 am
Yes, please stop letting Mr. Morrow run all over your blog. I already have a couple of friends and co-workers that have said they stopped reading this blog because its nothing but a forum for a crazy man to go off about how LBJ killed JFK, Bush and Clinton ran drugs and children for pedophiles, Ron Paul is God, etc. Its really out of control. Let him go start his own blog instead of hijacking yours.
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Roster Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 10:47 am
Amen–let Morrow start his own blog–his rants are beyond boring.
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Willie James Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 11:05 am
I look at JBB and Morrow in the same way I look at television channels. Just skip over them without looking. Only real damage they do is that they make the thread longer.
Any blog or comment section of a paper have these guys.
Morrow Mania! Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 12:24 pm
They are like a train wreck and you can’t turn away. Burka would do well to be rid of Morrow and his insane rants. Let him go write for Alex Jones’ Infowars.com instead of taking over this blog.
JohnBernardBooks Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 4:56 pm
Paul lets Morrow post here to balance out the crazies on the lft.
Vernon says:
What are the chances of Michael McCaul running for governor?
Do you think he would be interested in the job?
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Bodhisattva Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 11:03 am
He’s rich, white and mediocre. Great prospect for the Texas GOP’s A-Team.
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Anonymous Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 1:13 pm
sure why not. plenty of money. tell him to run.
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donuthin says:
Mediocre? If so, he is over qualified compared to anything we have had for the last several years.
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William Ward says:
I hate agreeing with him but JBB is right on this one. This double dipping is a democrat thing and as I have often suggested, Rick Perry, who never voted for Ronald Reagan is an opportunist Democrat. Although elected as a Republican, Perry has never embraced Republican principles. Seriously, you can’t be in the party of Lincoln and suggest secession and you can’t call yourself a conservative and participate in one scheme after another to personally enrich yourself and your family while in public office. We elected this guy and all we have to offer by way of an excuse to the nation is “oops.”
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Robert Morrow says:
Re: the complainers. You sure are a bunch of totalitarians. A lot of people read my posts and learn from them. I often address topics that are suppressed by the controlled media, where the ugly truth is often forbidden. I am an extremely high value addition to this blog.
Currently, there is a Texas media blackout (and really nationally) of Ron Paul. Yesterday’s AAS piece by R.G. Ratcliffe is a perfect example Paul Burka, the political editor for the Texas Monthly, has refused to address the issue of Ron Paul and what it means. It is a huge story. Ron Paul has nailed down the Iowa caucues 2 weeks out and you would never know from the entire reporting of the Texas media.
I think my outrage (at the media in general, not Burka) about that is more than justified.
Just as there was a media/academia/government blackout as to the true nature of the JFK assassination, which by the way occurred in Texas and was arranged by a Texas politician and his Texas business friends. I think that is pretty significant.
Gargantuan CIA drug smuggling by GHW Bush/Clinton/Oliver North/CIA has likewise been shut out by the CIA controlled MSM media. However this is well documented on the internet and in books (google is your friend).
I often bring up the Franklin scandal, yet another gargantuan story – far, far bigger than the Sandusky affair – that involved a prominent Texas politician whose name is mentioned 15 times in the index to the book the Franklin Cover Up.
I rang the bell here about serious issues in Rick Perry’s personal life long before Glen Maxey wrote his book Head Talking Head. You got that from me first.
I am a muckraker – I zero in on the truth, especially the ugly suppressed truth whether it is about the Bushes, the Clintons, Rick Perry, Obama, Lyndon Johnson, etc. The “truth” fascinates me; most people would rather turn their eyes away from it – just can’t handle it. I don’t think that is a wise way to approach life.
By the way Jeb Bush wrote an Op-Ed in the WSJ recently. That is Karl Rove positioning him in case of a brokered GOP convention. There was also polling being done in NH for Jeb Bush; that was done probably to engender excitement – the people who ran that thing new the media would pick it up.
If Jeb Bush hops in this race, he is going to be highly controversial. The Bush “dynasty” is not a popular meal for the American voter. If Jeb runs, he will not be able to escape questions about exactly what he was doing in the 1980′s with the Iran-contra scandal. Read the book “The Conspirators: Secrets of an Iran-Contra Insider” by Al Martin.” Some pretty ugly stuff about Jeb Bush and Oliver North in there: http://www.amazon.com/Conspirators-Secrets-Iran-Contra-Insider/dp/097100420X
Again, you heard it from me first.
Cheerio!
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Jerry Only Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 1:59 pm
“A lot of people read my posts and learn from them.”
who?
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Dan Quisenberry Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 3:47 pm
Exactly! Who are these people that read and learn from Morrow on this blog? HA!
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Blue Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 4:10 pm
Another Royal? Awesome!
Anonymous says:
LBJ – horrible person.
Just because he was President when civil rights were passed and because he is worshiped in Austin does not make him a good person.
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Robert Morrow Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 2:08 pm
Actually, there are very few defenders of LBJ around today – even in Austin. The local Democrats have a Ralph Yarborough dinner/fundraiser not an LBJ one.
http://www.lbj-themastermind.com/
Lyndon Johnson was at the epicenter of the JFK assassination and was about as pure a criminal as we have ever seen in national politics.
“Vulgar” and “corrupt” are words that just don’t do just to Lyndon Johnson. The man was a psychopath who literally had a personal hit man named Malcolm Wallace (as we found out in the 1980′s thanks to Billie Sol Estes).
Aides Bill Moyers and Richard Goodwin thought LBJ were on the verge of insanity while he was president. They separately went to psychiatrists, described LBJ’s behavior and got a back of the envelope diagnosis: a paranoid in disintegration.
People that far off the cliff think things like the mail lady is putting arsenic in their morning cereal …
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Mark Gubicza Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 3:49 pm
Interesting that Morrow is now telling us about paranoid people in distintegration. I guess it takes one to know one.
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Blue Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 4:09 pm
I like your user name. Go Royals!
texun says:
So: in Iowa, Romney will nose out Paul for the first place. Romney will take first in New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Florida. Huntsman, Perry, and Sanctorum will drop out after Florida,leaving Romney, Paul, and Gingrinch. Romney will have endorsements and more money than he has now, Gingrinch will continue to fulfill the loose cannon role, and Paul’s die-hard supporters will stick with him right into the Republican convention, which will otherwise be organized as a Romney love feast.
Rick Perry will return to Texas to investigate the possibilities of triple-dipping and of being elected Pope. Word is that he has been studying Latin in the back of his campaign bus.
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John Johnson says:
Robert…you just don’t get it. You say that you are delivering the truth to us. PROVE IT. Don’t just quote books someone has written and tell us that it is the truth. I’m not that gullible. I’m not swallowing the same big hook that you have without specific names and someone willing to verify and testify. You’ve got no one, and the porn guy’s millon dollars didn’t draw out anyone, either. With you it’s just one doorman, hotel desk clerk, stripper, prostitute and drug dealer after another. All anonymous…so in my mind, ficticious. Don’t you understand?
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Will Harkey says:
While I admit that Robert Morrow’s posts can ocassionally be amusing and entertaining, his posts on this thread are the perfect example of highjacking a thread. None of his posts pertain to the subject matter, instead they are all about Ron Paul, LBJ as a psychopath, and Republican child sex ring conspiracies. I enjoy this blog and the comments (even Mr. Morrow’s) but I don’t enjoy sifting through 100 comments when the bulk of them aren’t germane to the subject.
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Dave Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 4:35 pm
Eh, Ron Paul is a Texan running for president, raising money, polling well in the early states. I think it is valid to bring him up when the topic touches on Perry running for president. Dirt on long dead politicians, not so much. Getting to the point in 100 words or less would be an improvement, however.
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Robert Morrow says:
John Johnson, I think your opinions have calcified to where you believe what you want to believe about a whole variety of topics. One should always be willing to change one’s mind. I studied the Clintons for about 3-4 years intensely and it dramatically changed what I thought about the Bushes. The Clintons and the Bushes are sleeping in a CIA bed together.
I vote for GWB in 2000 & 2004 and gave him $1,000 in year 2004.
As for Rick Perry, anonymous does not equal ficticious. It just equals “unproven.”
Glen Maxey’s book Head Talking Head is important; he shows just how close an expose of Rick Perry got to being published this fall by the Huffington Post. Arianna Huffington spiked it at the last moment.
Maxey wrote his book out of frustration. He had people (plural) talking to the HuffPost and saying some pretty damaging things about Perry.
They probably had 20 additional people with a lot of “smoke” related stories on Perry.
The people I know would not talk to a reporter under any circumstances, even for $1 million. The pain factor of going public is just too high.
So anonymous allegations does not equal false, even though it might equal “non-publishable.” And even if folks did come public, they could still be lying. The Clintons used to organize coordinated lying campaigns with at 5 people all signing false affidavits saying Bill Clinton had absolutely nothing to do with Connie Hamzy (one of his many flings).
It is perfectly reasonable to ask for a witness’ name, address, phone number, sworn statement as well as emails, text messages and documents that “prove” the case.
But you are not always going to get that. In the case of Perry, you get me and Glen Maxey yelling from the top of the mountain that there is a raging wildfire on the other side of it. All that is visible is “smoke.” Believe what you wish, we have done our job.
Here is a very reasonable article by Harold Cook on Glen Maxey and his book Head Talking Head: http://www.lettersfromtexas.com/2011/12/elephant-in-room-book-review.html
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Anonymous Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 3:11 pm
What is the Maxey book? I know who Glen Maxey is but I am not aware of any book…
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Robert Morrow Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 3:50 pm
Glen Maxeys’ book is “Head Talking Head: The Search for the Hidden Life of Rick Perry”
http://www.amazon.com/Head-Figure-Search-Hidden-ebook/dp/B006M38BQO/ref=cm_rdp_product
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Texas Ex says:
It might be a bit early to start the countdown clock on Perry’s political career.
Nate Silver’s excellent polling-based statistical analysis has Perry now projected to finish third (and rising, where Romney is currently forecast as coming in second to Paul, but Romney’s prospects are falling while Paul’s and Perry’s rise):
http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com
A third place finish for Perry in Iowa (or even a second place finish, which is unlikely but not beyond the range of reasonably possible outcomes) would give Perry a real boost in South Carolina and then onto Florida (nothing on this planet can help Perry in New Hampshire, and he should be downplaying the significance of that race because his finish will be embarrassing). If Perry does better than Romney and Gingrich in Iowa, South Carolina, and Florida, the race becomes Perry’s to lose (again).
If Paul wins Iowa and performs strongly in New Hampshire (a second place finish that puts him closer to Romney’s first place and further from Huntsman’s or Gingrich’s third place finish), the Republican Party insiders will be looking for someone to stop Paul. If Perry looks like the safest bet (which might be the case if Gingrich and Romney both suffer an embarrassment in Iowa and then South Carolina), Perry could become the party’s favorite in (or more likely, after) Florida.
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Robert Morrow Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 3:55 pm
Well, there is “stopping Ron Paul” and then there is “stopping Barack Obama.”
Rick Perry is toxic to swing voters. Ditto Gingrich. No surprise that Perry’s campaign team used to work for Gingrich.
Perry or Gingrich in a general election would be a spectacular disaster.
Ok, now poll Ron Paul with independent voters. Golden! But I think the Republican party prefers hari kari to actually winning with Ron Paul.
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Blue Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 4:09 pm
It’s not data, but my Dad, as hard nosed a Republican as you’ll ever meet, new to Texas, thought Perry was awesome initially. Now he won’t vote for him under any circumstances.
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texun Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 4:10 pm
That seems about as likely as the victory of my favorite in Iowa, Kim Sung II. True, he did die yesterday, and he was erratic and given to strange outbursts, but these habits would have put him in good company in that contest. Bachmann and Sanctorum are as good as dead in presidential politics for the time being; Gingrinch and Perry are given to strange outbursts. The one trait that Paul backers have in common is sticking as true believers; Sung had lots of practice developing true believers. The race will be dull without him.
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H. Bloodworth III says:
I don’t mean to hurt anyone’s feelings, but I do think cocaine and rational discourse don’t mix very well most of the time. Airplane glue doesn’t help very much, either.
The bad joke in theology school used to be “Along came Paul and spoiled it all,” but with respect to the current primary some spoilage might be salubrious.
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Robert Morrow says:
Andrew Sullivan with a nice article about Ron Paul: http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2011/12/ron-paul-and-the-republican-future.html
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The House does it again! says:
Paul…if I were you I wouldn’t want my name on what’s been written here today.
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Blue says:
Ok, this has now passed the point where Morrow’s posts are amusing and arrived at the point where they render the entire comment thread close to worthless.
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Are (are not) Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 4:46 pm
A friend of a friend said a stripper at the Yellow Rose told him that a friend of hers knows for an absolute fact that Morrow is off his Lithium–true?
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Mr Golf says:
Enough already….common, governor for life? Even the R’s are tired of Perry as governor. Can we move on to other STATE events and news that you can opine upon Paul? Pleaseeeeeeee
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Robert Morrow says:
Check out this precious video: “Hitler Reacts to Ron Paul’s Rise in the Polls:”
Kind of reminds of the squawking I hear on this page …
http://www.economicpolicyjournal.com/2011/12/hitler-reacts-to-ron-pauls-rise-in.html
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TexianPolitico Reply:
December 20th, 2011 at 9:01 am
I’ve never seen one of these Hitler parody videos before. These Ron Paul folks are so cutting edge that I can’t even keep up! What will they do next? A Ron Paul macarena dance? How about some new Ron Paul jean shorts? Maybe they’ll issue some Ron Paul Pokemon cards? The new ideas are endless!
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Reminder says:
Burka, Bueller, Bueller.. U there? Your readers all agree Morrow is highjacking the blog.
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Robert Morrow says:
Was JBB secretly writing Ron Paul’s newletters in the 1990′s?
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/20/us/politics/bias-in-ron-pauls-newsletters-draws-new-attention.html?_r=2&ref=politics
“During his 1996 race for the House, Democrats publicized issues of his newsletter that called Barbara Jordan, the African-American Texas congresswoman, a “half-educated victimologist” and said of crime in Washington, D.C., “I think we can safely assume that 95 percent of black males in that city are semi-criminal or entirely criminal.””
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JohnBernardBooks Reply:
December 20th, 2011 at 6:23 am
Nope thats you’re guy. I wonder why racists, whether they’re a liberal democrat or an extreme right winger like Paul, attract the crazies?
Could it have something to do with the fact they’re extremist ?
I’m gald I’m a middle of the road conservative.
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Charlie Leibrandt says:
Burka,
To paraphrase a line from Hoosiers, “There are two types of crazy in this world. There’s the man that gets naked and runs outside and howls at the moon. Then there’s the man that gets naked and howls at the moon in your living room. The first don’t matter much, but the second your kind of forced to deal with.” Well, Morrow is naked and howling at the moon in your living room and has completely taken it over. This is a great blog, but its going to die if you don’t do anything about his incessant rants on here that drive away readers.
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Bret Saberhagen Reply:
December 20th, 2011 at 8:57 am
I think you meant “you’re” and not “your.”
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donuthin Reply:
December 20th, 2011 at 12:23 pm
??????
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Tom says:
Are we still working on the cost to Texas taxpayers to have Perry run for President. Traveling costs for DPS plus acting governor pay for Dewhurst = ?
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Anonymous Reply:
December 20th, 2011 at 9:32 am
Come on, Tom – what our governor is doing right now is not important any longer. He has blown both feet off and is on life support. We can address all this stuff after the funeral.
What we need to do now is get the crazies rounded up, back in confinment and on their meds before they completely destroy this once heralded blog site.
Next, we need to find a way to make sure that pretty boy Craig James’ total lack of credentials are broadcast to the ignorant masses who will vote for him because he learned at SMU that taking money under the table is OK since everyone else is doing so; now thinks that being a football player and tv sportscaster equals creating jobs and running a successful company; and because he knows how to use his wealth and position to strong arm opposition and hire PR firm to sling mud at same. The fact that he has shown that he is capable of raising a spoiled kid who feels entitled should have no bearing on the race, whatsoever.
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Distinguished Gentleman says:
Texas really should institute term limits. It is an embarrassment to this nation that Rick Perry is the longest-”serving” governor in the United States at the present time.
When it reconvenes in 2013, the Legislature should change the law which allows an elected official to receive retirement at the same time that he or she is still “serving” in the elected position.
The same goes for disgraced Rep. Joe Driver.
http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/politics/entries/2011/12/19/judge_gives_state_rep_joe_driv.html?cxntfid=blogs_postcards
Driver, too, is a poster child for term limits. It turns out that Driver, even though placed on deferred adjudication for his crimes, will nevertheless receive his retirement benefits at taxpayer expense. Next regular session, the Legislature should provide by law that when an official has been found to have committed fraud that he or she forfeits retirement benefits.
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Vernon Reply:
December 20th, 2011 at 10:11 am
I’d be inclined to support term limits for a governor, speaker and Lt. Gov. I’m much less enthusiastic about term limits for regular members of the legislature. Here’s two reasons why.
- The institutional knowledge a member gains through the years is too valuable to lose to term limits. Think Edmund Kuempel. It takes at least a session or two before one can successfully maneuver the legislative process. It takes even more to master it. We need to keep good legislators around.
- A legislator’s power is checked on all sides by frequent elections, other members, the other body, committees, conference committees, the veto…not to mention lobbyists. A handful of members serving for a decade or two or more doesn’t really bother me.
To sum up, by putting an expiration date on a person with only a some powers can render them impotent…and not in the funny way. So stop giggling like 12-year-old girl at that perfectly appropriate word. I’m looking you, Anita and Julie.
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John Johnson Reply:
December 20th, 2011 at 10:34 am
Agree with you wholeheartedly, Vernon. We don’t need to limit the terms of the regular legislative members. There is a learning curve, and all revolving door, limited terms would do is make the lobbying constortium stronger.
What has to be changed to improve the process is the removal of large sums of money and the votes it buys. from the equation. Many of the retiring senators in D.C. have said that they are doing so because 80% of their time is spent asking people for money….not only for their re-election campaigns, but also for their party’s coffers.
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Distinguished Gentleman Reply:
December 20th, 2011 at 12:21 pm
Then how do you feel about term limits on non-legislative elected officials, John Johnson? And would 12 years be deemed reasonable?
John Johnson Reply:
December 20th, 2011 at 4:44 pm
Term limits for all non-legislative elected officials, as Vernon mentioned, above. I think that 8 years might be a better max than 12.
ghostofann Reply:
December 20th, 2011 at 2:17 pm
The unintended consequences of term limits on legislators are always worse than the perceived ills that they are supposed to cure. Term limits give lobbyists and staffers more power, detract from institutional knowledge, and reduce electoral competition. They are also fundamentally undemocratic.
How do I know? I live in FloriDUH, where legislators are term-limited after 8 years.
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John Johnson Reply:
December 20th, 2011 at 4:46 pm
Amen.
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Distinguished Gentleman Reply:
December 20th, 2011 at 6:20 pm
ghostofann, term limits of 12 years is quite sufficient for any elected official to do his or her job in an effective manner. Lobbyists have greater power under the status quo because perpetuated incumbents dance to the tune of lobbyists in order to further perpetuate their incumbency, whereas the independence of mind that term limits engenders would put the will of the people above that of lobbyists. As to staff, have you been to a legislative office recently, ghostofann? In a strange reversal of term limits, it is now just a bunch of young and inexperienced kids dominating the Capitol landscape. The older and wiser employees have long ago been reverse-term limited out of existence by entrenched incumbent legislators who only want to hire youth and inexperience. Staff pose no threat, ghostofann.
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Vernon Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 10:45 am
I think you make some well-reasoned points. However, I don’t agree term limits would give legislators a more independent mind. I sense it would do the opposite.
I have a hunch term limits would hasten one to do more favors for the lobby. (This isn’t always a bad thing, BTW. There are lots of good lobbyists like the TX Assoc. for the Protection on Children.)
If you’ve got a hard expiration date, you must do as many favors as time allows for those who might later do a favor for you. I see as much or more damage being done in a shorter amount of time under that scenario. But then again, I’m a cynical SOB and I rarely put much faith in the goodness of men’s heart.
I also think that a perpetual incumbent who can win re-election on his or her own merits (rather than with truckloads of lobby money), is more apt to be free-minded during session. He can win with or without the lobby because his constituents approve of him. Term limits make lobby money even more necessary to win re-election, thereby making one more beholden to the lobby.
But I could be wrong. Is there a state where term limits are proven to yield better results?
Distinguished Gentleman Reply:
December 20th, 2011 at 6:24 pm
ghostofann, you also mentioned “reduce electoral competition” under term limits. Nothing could be further from the truth. Look at all of the entrenched incumbents who run for re-election with NO opponent. Such an incumbent is merely rubber-stamped back into office for another term. But when the seat becomes vacant, a smorgasboard of candidates emerges thereby giving voters a plethora of choices from which to make a selection. What is fundamentally undemocratic is elected officials perpetuating themselves in office under a rigged system.
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John Johnson Reply:
December 20th, 2011 at 8:59 pm
It’s all about the MONEY and the votes it buys. Get rid of it and see what happens.
Distinguished Gentleman Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 10:34 am
John Johnson, while money is certainly a part of it, money is not the whole story. It is also about egotistical and selfish people who want simply to remain in power in perpetuity and never relinquish that power. They don’t care about the public, they just want prestige for as long as they can hang onto it. Term limits would provide the assurance that, after a specified period of time, the office is guaranteed to become vacant, and someone else can go before the voters to fill the vacancy.
Robert Morrow says:
First of all I am 100% against term limits. If the Texas voter wants to keep electing Rick Perry governor (or Ron Paul to Congress) for the rest of their natural lives, then that is fine with me.
The voters ARE the mechanism for term limits. I tink Perry has discredited himself so much it won’t be an issue.
Secondly, the reactions on this blog mirror the hysterical reactions of the bipartisan media-government establishment to the rise of Ron Paul and what he stands for the. I guess the anonymous Kansas City Royals pitchers, aka the “Establishment” hates peace, prosperity and freedom. They would rather have endless war, a banking cartel and 1984 type government which they think they benefit from.
I don’t think Ron Paul will be our next president. He has about a 5% chance of that. But he and his ideas have slowly become more relevant to the political discourse than the war/statist propaganda that the media/government establishment likes to hear.
So my advice to the “Establishment” is to not be mad but be happy. You are seeing the rebirth of freedom in America with the rise of the Ron Paulers. You won’t see us fighting a bunch of stupid wars in the Middle East (or Korea or Venezuela or Russia). You won’t see us telling YOU how to run your life. You won’t see us trying to shut you up or kick you off this blog.
Here is a Politico article “Will Ron Paul kill the caucuses?” http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1211/70674.html
Get ready for an avalanche of articles like that for the next month. The answer is “no” Ron Paul is making the caucuses relevant for the first time in a long time!
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Dennis Leonard Reply:
December 20th, 2011 at 10:56 am
“I guess the anonymous Kansas City Royals pitchers, aka the “Establishment” hates peace, prosperity and freedom.” Oh, so you are Mr. Peace, Properity, and Freedom? Ha. We don’t hate those. What we hate is you hijacking this blog with your insane rants and crazy drivel. Go sell crazy somewhere else.
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Robert Morrow Reply:
December 20th, 2011 at 11:32 am
“hijack” is defined as anything you don’t want to hear … and of course you and your ilk never address the “topics” I bring up, just content to hurl insults.
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Tsongas for President Reply:
December 20th, 2011 at 12:36 pm
Morrow, you are insane. Your topics are always about crazy conspiracy theories about which you never offer any proof beyond some lunatic book you read or some hearsay from a stripper that knew a cabbie that once heard that LBJ killed JFK. You post comments on this blog at the cyclic rate.
Is it true the only reason Burka won’t block you from this blog is because you physically intimidate him with your lurking 6’8″ frame?
Distinguished Gentleman Reply:
December 20th, 2011 at 11:03 am
Robert, you forget that so many times elected officials run for re-election without an opponent, so don’t tell me about the voters constituting a built-in term limits. And even when there IS an opponent, usually the advantages of incumbency are so overwhelming that the challenger has no hope of winning. And in the particularly disappointing case of Rick Perry versus Kay Bailey Hutchison, Perry got a lucky break because Hutchison threw herself under the bus and basically gave Perry a free ride. There are just too many lucky breaks for incumbents. We need term limits and 12 years in one particular office is a reasonable amounto of time.
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Tom Barry Reply:
December 20th, 2011 at 3:41 pm
Amen, brother. I used to be against term limits. I was wrong. Incumbency and the laziness and partisanship of most voters combine to create lifetime officeholders. And the longer they are in office the more corrupt they become.
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John Johnson Reply:
December 20th, 2011 at 4:54 pm
Tom, my take is that you can fight corruption and manipulation of the intent of the law two ways…you can limit terms so that members are not constantly having to sell their votes to the Big’s to garner more campaign funding, or you can remove the money from the process, which, I believe, would take an amendment to the Constitution to override SCOTUS’s recent decision. This was one of the worst opinioins ever rendered by the Supreme Court. Corporations are not individuals, and should not be afforded the same rights as an individual.
This Blog Is Dead..... says:
and wacko, nutcase Robert Morrow killed it. Burka needs to take out the garbage on here every once in awhile.
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JohnBernardBooks says:
President Obama is afaid he too will die from overwork, has scheduled a 17 day vacation at taxpayers expense.
Rumor has it, he will shoot an 18 at a local golf course tying Kim Jong II’s record.
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Robert Morrow says:
“Iowa faith leaders endorse Rick Santorum”
I may not like the politics of Santorum, but at least he is not a complete and utter fraud like some others in the race.
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2011/12/family-leader-endorsement–bob-vander-plaats-/1
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effigy 2011 says:
Just curious but does the “elected class” retirement law Gov. Perry invoked apply to legislators as well? Could a state senator or state representative with 12 year of service or more over the age of 50 notified ERS they are “retired”, begin collecting their ERS retirement pay and continue to run for office? If elected, they could conceivably collect their $600 monthly officeholder salary while simultaneously collecting their monthly retirement pay, like Gov. Perry. For senior members such as Craddick or Whitmire their monthly retirement pay must be substantial. It is just a thought.
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Robert Morrow says:
Scientific American is out with a study of the psychology of dictators. Isn’t it funny that these studies always target the crazy psychopaths from *other* countries, but never self-examine the psycopaths/sociopaths of American leaders?
Often, these psychopaths come out of the great state of Texas.
Lyndon Johnson would be at the top of a list with a Kim Jong-Il or Saddam Hussein. I can think of some other ones who have some pretty unsavory characteristics: George Herbert Walker Bush, Bill Clinton, Richard Nixon …
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/thoughtful-animal/2011/12/19/the-psychology-of-dictatorship-kim-jong-il/
I would vote for the much maligned Jimmy Carter of the majority of modern American presidents.
Having said that I am against term limits and the death penalty. The American people have to be given the chance to figure out things for themselves.
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The House does it again! says:
FOR GOD’S SAKE PAUL, WHY DO YOU ALLOW THIS TO CONTINUE?
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Anonymous Reply:
December 20th, 2011 at 5:03 pm
I thought that was Kim Jong the Second as stated by our governor.
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Robert Morrow Reply:
December 20th, 2011 at 5:39 pm
you are kidding me … put the web link up
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Robert Morrow Reply:
December 20th, 2011 at 5:44 pm
The Oops campaign strikes again! – King John the Second … “Perry Botches Kim Jong-Il’s Name”
http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2011/12/19/perry-botches-jong-il-s-name.html
Texas Ex says:
The Ron Paul crew owe Bob Vander Plaats a big hug. By endorsing Santorum (and going so far as to call Bachmann to ask her to drop out of the race and join their endorsement of Santorum), Bob Vander Plaats did more damage to the Christian voting block in Iowa than a gay soldier getting married to his abortionist husband.
Keeping the Christian voting block divided benefits Romney and Paul, who were not on the short list for an endorsement, and endorsing dead-in-the-water Seventh-Place Santorum is the surest method of ensuring that neither Bachmann nor Perry will consolidate that vote.
Since the endorsement was from Bob Vander Plaats, and not from the Family Leader, it is unclear what impact the endorsement will have (the Family Leader is not endorsing because it could not reach a consensus between Perry and Santorum). This may hurt Perry.
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texun Reply:
December 20th, 2011 at 10:29 pm
The Family Leader website headlines the endorsement, however.
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eyeswideopen says:
NOTICE – The ownership of this site has changed through the process of adverse possession. One Robert Morrow, after it was abandoned by its initial owner, has squatted over it and kept it warm for a sufficient period of time and now claims ownership of same.
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Robert Morrow Reply:
December 20th, 2011 at 9:09 pm
Here is an interesting interview from QUEERTY
“Glen Maxey Says AOL Made HuffPo Kill The Big “Rick Perry Is Gay” Story”
http://www.queerty.com/glen-maxey-names-huffpo-reporter-he-worked-with-on-rick-perry-is-gay-story-says-aol-made-arianna-kill-the-story-20111220/
Via his Facebook page, Glen Maxey says he has 5 new leads on Perry, including a one blockbuster he says.
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Robert Morrow says:
Nate Silver projections for Iowa:
Vote totals projected (updated Dec. 19th)
Paul 26%
Romney 21%
Perry 14%
Percent chance of winning:
Paul 52%
Romney 28%
Perry 7%
http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/
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JohnBernardBooks says:
for all of my less informed friends here….we insiders often refer to Kim Jung II as the second.
His father the Father of NK was Kin II Sung and his son will be affectionately known as Trey.
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drbencasey says:
I am calling it. This site offically died @ 10:08am on December 21, 2011. Cause of death is neglect by allowing a parasite to enter and remain untreated while sucking it dry.
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Anonymous says:
Clearly the site is dead. If you don’t believe me, ask any of the other 190 posters on this thread…..
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JohnBernardBooks says:
so we agree liberalism is dead as demonstrated by this site. I know it will be a depressing Christmas for most democrats, but have faith with democrats like Speaker Straus and his friend Lamar Smith posing as republicans the democrat ideology will continue to infect our great State.
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Jerry Only Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:40 pm
like paul once said, straus was voting republican when perry and graham were still dems.
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JohnBernardBooks Reply:
December 22nd, 2011 at 9:31 am
” In 1986, Straus was U.S. Representative Lamar Smith’s campaign manager in Smith’s first race for Congress.”
Says it all.
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Vernon Reply:
December 22nd, 2011 at 11:30 am
Uh oh. You made a typo there. I think you meant to say Straus and Smith are both “Republicans”.
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JohnBernardBooks Reply:
December 22nd, 2011 at 11:38 am
No Straus and Smith are both democrats “posing” as republicans. Why? Two reasons, 1. They’re ashamed to admit they’re democrats. 2. Thats the only way they can get elected, by running as republicans.
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Wherefore art thou, Burka? says:
Paul, where are you? Are you OK? Illness? It would be interesting to have your thoughts on the latest redistricting machinations, the debate over split versus unified primaries, the belated filing deadlines for candidates, the lack of a majority Latino congressional district in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, etc. If you are ill, Paul, I wish you a speedy and full recovery.
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Robert Morrow says:
“Evangelical Leaders spurn Perry – even the American Family Association:
http://blog.chron.com/rickperry/2011/12/evangelical-leaders-spurn-perry/
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Robert Morrow Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 1:46 pm
Go to Intrade:
http://www.intrade.com/v4/markets/?eventClassId=19
Rick Perry is in 6th place on likely to win Iowa caucues. We are going to see massive UNDER performance by Perry at the Iowa caucuses.
Funny, how NO ONE in the entire Texas political media class is telling you that … but you are reading it in the comments section on the Burka blog. The reason for the cratering in Perry’s campaign is that the religious right has abandoned him; not just the Family Leader endorsement of Santorum, but also Tim Wildmon of the American Family Association who endorsed Gingrich.
I think that Glen Maxey book on Perry is doing him tremedous damage to Perry behind the scenes with the evangelical leaders. You can bet Santorum and Bachmann are using that information to the hilt when they talk to pastors and church leaders in camera.
Key point to make: notice how NONE of this is being in reported in the Texas media class – no Embry, no Ratcliffe, no Slater, no Kronberg, no Montgomery, no Burka, no Ross Ramsey, no Evan Smith. Nobody – the same folks and media outlets who are ignoring Ron Paul are also ignoring the devastation of the Oops campaign.
But Morrow is reporting it and reporting it early and in real time. Save this post for Jan. 4th. That is when your lapdog Texas media class will HAVE to report it.
Here is the latest from Slater: “Once a Front-runner in Iowa, Rick Perry now Hopes to Show He is the Comeback Kid”
That kind of reporting – as represented by the truly pathetic, lapdog, Rick Perry-pimping Texas political media class is … laughable.
Ron Paul has NAILED DOWN the Iowa caucues 2 weeks in advance. You can bet the Ron Paulers will close strong in Iowa and have a full head of steam going into New Hampshire. Rick Perry’s Oops campaign is in shreds, abandoned by the religious right. Perry will finish 5th in Iowa, possibly even 6th.
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paulburka Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 5:38 pm
FYI — Burka is working on a feature for the January issue and is suspending blogging for the moment.
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Robert Morrow Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 6:59 pm
I bet you are doing the Ron Paul story … looking forward to reading it!
Robert Morrow says:
“Paul Grabs Lead in New Iowa Poll”
http://politicalwire.com/archives/2011/12/21/paul_grabs_lead_in_new_iowa_poll.html
A new Iowa State University/Gazette/KCRG poll of likely Republican caucus-goers finds Ron Paul leading the GOP field with 28%, followed by Newt Gingrich at 25%, Mitt Romney at 18%, Rick Perry at 11%, Michele Bachmann at 7% and Rick Santorum at 5%.
Key finding: The ISU pollsters found the race “remarkably fluid” with 37.8% of respondents indicating they were still trying to decide and another 34.1% only leaning towards one candidate. Only 28.1% indicated that they had definitely decided who they would support.
[Note: my opinion many of the late breakers will go to Ron Paul.]
Caveat: The poll was conducted over a 10 day period and might not reflect the full impact of a barrage of negative ads hitting Gingrich.
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judy morris says:
Robert Morrow is right. The entire TX media is pimp for the TX establishment and elites. Texas remains a state without an honest and independent media. Slick Rick has utterly humiliated Texas on the national stage because, well, Perry is a brain dead moron and now the entire nation knows it. By extension, Texans are now morons because we keep electing moron after moron at all levels – federal, state, city and county. But the TX media defends their TX Emperor and his Royal Court!
Ron Paul has been campaigning for peace, liberty and prosperity. What a platform! Yet, he gets dissed everywhere in the TX media. If Ron Paul wins Iowa I’m sure the pathetic and oligarch owned TX media will ignore it. Perry is toast as a presidential candidate, as he should be. But the cerebrally challenged TX media will defend their Emperor no matter what – kinda of like the North Koreans defending Kim Jung Il and showering him with love and affection, even after the psycho dropped dead.
Oophs!
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Robert Morrow Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 2:41 pm
Actually, Judy, that is a great analogy comparing the Texas political media class coverage of the Republican primary to the North Koreans showering praise on their dead psychopathic dictator Kim John the Second. There was a great video clip of about 8 North Korean women with exaggerated sobs … but with no tears coming down their cheeks.
The controlled media is forcing them to cover the Oops campaign while at the same time leaving out critical information on what is really happening: the impact of the Glen Maxey book and its end result: the abandonment of Rick Perry by the religious right.(Desperate Anita Perry ads falling on deaf ears.)
This goes along with their blackout of Ron Paul nailing down the Iowa caucuses 2 weeks out. If Rick Perry were in that spot, I assure you we would be treated to an avalanche of glowing Texas media coverage of our “Grand Leader’s” triumphant campaign in Iowa, perhaps some stories about his hitting 11 holes in one in his first golf game…
Like the North Koreans, the Texas Political Media class is staring at the collapse of our Grand Leader … and no tears are rolling down their cheeks.
But they are not allowed to tell what is really going on and that is the kicker.
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Distinguished Gentleman Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 4:17 pm
Yes, Judy, you are correct that Rick Perry is toast as a presidential candidate. But my fear is that, without term limits, he will recant any previous promise that he might have made to forego another run for Governor in 2014 and that he will in fact seek another gubernatorial (or should I say “goober natorial”?) term in that year’s elections. And my even greater fear is that he will actually WIN. Sometimes the electorate needs term limits to save it from itself.
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Blue Reply:
December 22nd, 2011 at 7:47 am
So now there are who Paul-bots posting?
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Anonymous Reply:
December 22nd, 2011 at 9:13 am
And then they wonder why circulation is so low? If they would stand up and start doing some real reporting – they might actually get their numbers up. Imagine that…
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judy morris says:
Tragically, Texans are notorious for avoiding liberty and surrendering to tyranny. Just like Americans have embraced Fedzilla as their Golden Calf, Texans have opted for corruption, treachery and treason while invoking the name of God. Perry has built a political career on shamelessly pandering to socially intolerant hatemongers while the TX media blesses his deeds.
Is Perry a homosexual? I don’t know nor do I care. But if he is, the hypocrisy of his political success is all the more vile.
Kudos to Maxey for telling a truth that Texans don’t want to hear.
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H. S. says:
If conservatives are to maintain their tradition of integrity and rationality, it is necessary to demonstrate some public prudence and a desire not just to preach but also to set a example. Mr. Perry’s blithe acceptance of a pension during a time when his personal (and, apparently, unjustified) ambition is costing his state’s taxpayers a small fortune in expenses (which remain, unbelievably, blocked from the public eye) is not in accord with the principles he claims to endorse. Like the lynch mob now howling in the House of Representatives, many Republicans appear to have surrendered to cynicism and have abandoned the time-tested doctrines that have sustained the party of Lincoln in phases of national confusion. I agree that the media in Texas have abdicated their own function, and I hope that the spirit of courage that has never died in Texas will re-ignite both our reporters’ vigor and the conscience of the conservative movement.
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Robert Morrow says:
WSJ examines Ron Paul’s investment portfolio:
”This portfolio is a half-step away from a cellar-full of canned goods and nine-millimeter rounds,” he says
http://blogs.wsj.com/totalreturn/2011/12/21/the-ron-paul-portfolio/
Ron Paul told me he has been buying gold and silver since at least 1972. I don’t think he has ever sold anything. Just pure buy and hold of the metals for decades.
He probably has more gold stashed away in between the walls of his bathroom … than whatever the Federal Reserve has in the basement of Fort Knox.
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Robert Morrow says:
Remember this, folks? Jay Root article on 9/1/11 for the Texas Tribune.
“Perry to Conservatives: My Past Will Not “Embarrass” You”
During one exchange, Perry was asked — politely but directly — to assure the group that *nothing embarrassing* in his personal life would emerge during the 2012 presidential campaign.
With first lady Anita Perry at his side, the governor said that would not happen.
“I can assure you that there is nothing in my life that will embarrass you if you decide to support me for president,” Perry said, according to one of the participants, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.
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Robert Morrow Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 9:15 pm
Here is the link: http://www.texastribune.org/texas-politics/2012-presidential-election/perry-takes-pointed-questions-social-conservatives/
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Blue says:
To anyone who thinks DOJ isn’t hopelessly politicized–and why preclearance must be ended:
http://pjmedia.com/blog/the-justice-department-condones-perjury/
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Catline123 says:
I think Perry was seriously mislead by any advisors who told him he should run for president, maybe it was just a ploy to finally get him unseated as governor. Many Texans didn’t really know what Perry was about until he took the national stage. Sounds almost like a good plotline for new Clooney movie.
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