Rick Perry, Bill White clash in separate interviews

Texas voters may not have a face-to-face governor’s debate between Rick Perry and Bill White this fall. But they got the next best thing Thursday.

In consecutive but separate TV interviews in Dallas, the two rivals scuffled over how best to tackle Texas’ budget hole, immigration, insurance regulation and other hot topics.

They appeared two hours apart on Inside Texas Politics on WFAA-TV (Channel 8), giving the best glimpse yet of potential conflicts as the campaign enters its crucial stretch – especially over ways to close a state budget shortfall that could be as large as $21 billion.

Full Story Here:
Rick Perry, Bill White clash in separate interviews

Texas voters may not have a face-to-face governor’s debate between Rick Perry and Bill White this fall but it’s not because people in Texas didn’t try to bring the 2 together.

All of my readers know about The Rowlett TEA Party Candidates Forum that is coming up on Saturday afternoon, if not, click the link and get informed, attend, be a part of the elections process and get involved.

We tried to get Rick Perry to attend. We invited him, on several occasions. Perry’s staff refused to accept our invitation for this meet and greet because Rick Perry is an ASS!

from: Dwayne Horner
to: TexasFred

date: Mon, Aug 30, 2010 at 2:09 PM
subject: RE: The Rowlett Candidates Forum

Fred,

Bill White refuses to release the documents that contain this financial information. Bill White refuses to release his taxes from 1993-1998, years he held public service positions that required him by law to complete annual personal financial disclosures. While Bill White was Deputy Secretary of Energy (1993-95) and Chairman of the Texas Democratic Party (1995-98), he was required by law to complete annual personal financial disclosures which have not all been made public to the people of Texas.

As a result we will not be participating.
–
Dwayne Horner
Regional Field Director – Greater Dallas
Texans for Rick Perry

We even offered the Perry campaign the option of having Perry and Bill White appear at different times, much like the event in the Dallas Morning News story, but that just wasn’t good enough for Gov. *Goodhair*.

You know what Perry, and his buddy Dwayne Horner have done with their hard headed and childish refusals? They have guaranteed that there are at least TWO Texans that will NOT be voting for Rick Perry and his ego.

White, a Democrat and former Houston mayor, for the first time ruled out an increase in the state’s sales tax. But he said he would be open to broadening the tax to include certain exempted items.

Perry, the Republican incumbent, said flatly that he would oppose any increase or broadening of the tax.

“No tax increases; you reduce spending,” he said. “We don’t have a revenue problem in this state.”

Perry actually said, “We don’t have a revenue problem in this state.”

I have to ask; Mr. Perry, are you on DRUGS or have you just gone STUPID?

We have a $21 BILLION shortfall predicted in the upcoming Texas budget, but we don’t have a revenue problem in this state? That $21B is a conservative estimate according to some financial wizards. The budget could be several BILLION more short of needed money in all fact and actuality.

First it was $11 billion. Then it was $18 billion. Now, it might be $21 billion. Does the amount of the estimated 2012-13 state budget shortfall matter? Especially when the numbers are all unofficial? And how does it play on the campaign trail? The Statesman’s Jason Embry and KUT’s Ian Crawford discuss the issue in this week’s podcast. SOURCE

But hey, what’s a few BILLIONS among friends? A billion here, a billion there, pretty soon we are talking some serious money! That seems to be the way Perry looks at it if he thinks we don’t have a revenue problem in this state. The above source is the Austin American-Statesman. Austin is libber heaven in Texas, figure out where they are going to fall into this…

From the original story:

He also blamed Perry for presiding over what he called an inefficient government that has “been run like a political machine.” And he knocked Perry for not giving specifics of how big the budget deficit might be before the Legislature returns in January.

“Anybody who has run a business knows that you do not abandon forecast or estimating where you’re going in the future,” White said.

Well, you have to give that one to Mr. White! Credit where credit is due I say…

Neither candidate was specific about what he would cut to help balance the next budget.

Politics 101 - NEVER be specific. Never say ANYTHING that can be interpreted as a definitive statement or one that could come back to bite you later. I’ll bet you Perry wishes he had thought of that BEFORE he said, “We don’t have a revenue problem in this state.” Just sayin’.

I’m not in the endorsement business at this time, that comes after I hear what the gubernatorial candidates have to say on Saturday night here in Rowlett. We have 2 gubernatorial candidates attending The Forum, Bill White (D) and Kathie Glass (L). Rick *Goodhair* Perry won’t be there and I am hoping that White and Glass just impress the dickens out of everyone in attendance.

I’ll have my personal endorsements up Sunday (26th) or Monday (27th) depending on how late we’re out on Saturday night with the Forum itself. And I have a HUGE post I have been working on for several days entitled How much potential does the TEA Party really have?

That post will be up early next week too. I am going to make some folks very happy with my own little endorsements and that post, and I am going to give some a rise in their blood pressure.

I love it when a plan comes together.