Month: September 2011
An Author’s Regrets
When Rick Perry wrote “Fed Up,” he was in quite a snit.
He fancied himself some kind of New Age federalist.
But now that he’s out on the campaign,
He’s having to sidestep and back-pedal and reframe.
Says Rick, “If I’da know’d I was gonna run, I wouldn’t have written it!”
Perry Signals He’s Going After Romney in Debate Tonight
There is no one who’s gonna be sitting on that stage who has the record of job creation I have. There’s one in particular who’s created jobs all around the world. While he was the governor of Massachusetts he didn’t create many jobs.
— Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R), quoted by Politico at a town hall in South Carolina, previewing his line of attack against Mitt Romney at the upcoming debates.
Obama to Substantially Reduce Number of Troops in Iraq
3,000
The number of U.S. troops the Obama administration has decided to keep in Iraq at the end of the year, marking a major downgrade in force strength, Fox News reports. “Senior commanders are said to be livid at the decision, which has already been signed off by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. The generals on the ground had requested that the number of troops remaining in Iraq at the end of the year reach about 27,000.”
Giuliani Explains Why He would Lose a GOP Bid for Prez
I’m simply not that conservative on social issues, and I’m not willing to change just to become president.
— Rudy Giuliani, speaking at the National Press Club.
Bush Still Living a Rich Fantasy Life
I don’t spend a lot of time psychoanalyzing myself. I just know that when you’re the leader of an organization, you’ve got to be resolute, compassionate, and you’ve got to know what you need to do. And I knew what we needed to do.
— Former President George W. Bush, reflecting on his presidential legacy in a Time interview on the 10th anniversary of 9/11.
Flashback 1987: Ron Paul Trashes Ronald Reagan
Paul has been running for president off and on for a quarter of century, but, according one-time Paulestinian Dave Weigel at Slate.com, this is the first attack ad ever released by a Ron Paul campaign.
The Paul campaign’s attack ad pointed up Perry’s support in 1988 for Al Gore, who ran as a conserva-Dem in the primaries that year. The Perry campaign fired back by releasing the text of Paul’s letter from the same presidential cycle explaining that he was leaving the Republican Party to run for president on the libertarian ticket. Included in his rationale was his disappointment in the policies and performance of Pres. Ronald Reagan:
Mean Old Dick
We’re done with old Dick Cheney’s TV book tour.
He used that memoir of his like a skewer —
He got Condi and Colin,
Sideswiped Hillary and kept rollin’,
But now we’ll always remember him as sick, tired and dour.
