Sunday, September 20, 2009

Rick 'Governor Goodhair' Perry: Recession? 'We're In One?'

By Manifesto Joe

In case there is any lingering doubt that Texas Gov. Rick "Governor Goodhair" Perry is an authentic fool, here's what he said during a Thursday appearance in Houston:

"Why is Texas kind of recession-proof, if you will? As a matter of fact ... someone had put a report out that the first state that's coming out of the recession is going to be the state of Texas ... I said, 'We're in one?'"

His remarks at a luncheon for business representatives came as the Labor Department reported that unemployment in Texas has hit a 22-year high. You have to go back to the oil/real estate bust of the 1980s to find the last time the state had 8 percent joblessness.

A report from WFAA.com on the remarks concluded:

Forty-two states lost jobs last month, up from 29 in July, with the biggest net payroll cuts coming in Texas, Michigan, Georgia and Ohio, the Labor Department reported Friday.

Texas lost 62,200 jobs as its unemployment rate rose to 8 percent in August for the first time in 22 years. The state's leisure, construction and manufacturing industries were hardest hit, losing 35,500 jobs.


Here's a link to a report that also features YouTube video of Perry's remarks.

It's almost needless to say that U.S. Sen Kay Bailey Hutchison, Perry's opponent in next year's Republican primary, was all over this pretty quickly. Not that Kay would represent much of an improvement over Governor Goodhair for ordinary Texans, but she at least appears sensitive enough to refrain from gaffes like this one during a time when people are losing livelihoods, life savings, and homes.

Our 2010 gubernatorial campaign is already off and running, and having a dolt like Perry as the GOP incumbent stands to make this one really interesting. Stay tuned.

4 comments:

Jack Jodell said...

Perry, like many conservative Republicans, is clueless as to what is happening in the real world around him. Of course, that is always true of people who can't see beyond the end of their own nose. It is a trait common among Republican governors, as Tim Pawlenty and Mark Sanford share the same myopia as Perry.

Marc McDonald said...

First, Perry rejected $555 in federal stimulus money for the unemployed. Then, when it became clear that the state of Texas needed funds for unemployment insurance benefits, Texas had to borrow $2 billion (money that will have to be paid back, with interest). A lot of that funding would have been available for free, had Perry not rejected the federal stimulus money in the first place. Now, this f*cking moron says he's not even aware that Texas is in a recession (not surprising, since he lives in a lavish house paid for by the taxpayers). Perry has made one idiotic decision after another---and all this will result in Texans having to pay more, for servicing the interest on this $2 billion loan.

Unknown said...

Surely Texans, above all people, could spot bullsh*t when they see it. What's going on?

Manifesto Joe said...

Man, you got me there. Most of the people in this state couldn't figure out Bush's bullshit. And many still can't.