Via ABC News
“If this guy prints more money between now and the election,” Perry said, “I don’t know what y’all would do to him in Iowa, but we — we would treat him pretty ugly down in Texas. Printing more money to play politics at this particular time in American history is almost treacherous — or treasonous in my opinion.”
When asked in a follow-up interview whether Perry thought that the Federal Reserve was playing politics to try to help President Obama, he replied: “If they print more money between now and this election, I would suggest that’s exactly what’s going on.”
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Tuesday ~ August 16th, 2011 at 11:18 am
Patrick
Well it is true that anything that improves the economy more than likely improves Obama’s re-election odds. If we look at public statements of prominent GOP leaders, they say things like that their number one goal is defeating Obama.
Once your in that headspace, they may not be able to see that the Federal Reserve Chairman might have some other motive for helping the economy than helping Obama.
Tuesday ~ August 16th, 2011 at 11:26 am
JazzBumpa
Perry is given credit for being shrewd, and a brilliant campaigner. These things may be true. However – and this sounds like invective, but I am deadly serious. Perry is not very bright, abysmally ignorant, and delusional. The Texas Miracle we hear so much about is a disaster.
Among the 50 States, Texas is dead last in high school graduation.
38th in payroll earnings
50th in worker’s comp
Second in birth rate
Seventh in teen birth rate
First in uninsured children
Fourth in children living in poverty
First in uninsured population
49th in low income covered by Medicaid
47th in both household net worth and retirement plan participation.
First in CO2 emissions, VOC emissions, toxic chemicals in the water, and air-born carcinogens
First in executions
45th in voting rate
All this – and there’s a whole lot more – from the Texas State Legislature. Yeehaaa!
http://texaslsg.org/texasonthebrink/texasonthebrink.pdf
Sadly,
JzB
Tuesday ~ August 16th, 2011 at 1:47 pm
A Conservative Teacher
How come so many people move there then- how come if it is such a bad state it is by far the number one destination that people choose voluntarily on their own free will to move their family to?
Some sort of giant conspiracy? Some sort of massive illogical reason that defies logic? Go ahead, if it such a bad place, why does everyone want to live there?
Tuesday ~ August 16th, 2011 at 11:31 pm
Y
It’s out-competing most other states in a “race to the bottom” – tell prospective investors, “Yes, you can dump here. No, you don’t have to pay any taxes. No, you don’t have to do that for your employees.”
A toxic environment, poor state services and dismal educational outcomes do not bode well for long term growth, but no business taxes are a fine way to spur investment in the short run, with commensurate population growth seeking employment. Cheap housing, warm weather, booming oil and natural gas don’t hurt, either.
Tuesday ~ August 16th, 2011 at 2:26 pm
Gimlet
Seems as if Texas is doing OK in some categories.
http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2011/08/job-creation
http://www.nationalreview.com/exchequer/274695/paul-krugman-still-wrong-about-texas
Tyler Cowen has some interesting thoughts as to why Texas created a lot of jobs: http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2011/08/why-did-texas-create-so-many-jobs.html
Tuesday ~ August 16th, 2011 at 5:08 pm
Johnnie Linn
Why is being second in birth rate a bad thing?
Tuesday ~ August 16th, 2011 at 7:22 pm
EllieP
I’d venture a guess many of these problems can be directly linked to the Feds refusing to enforce immigration law.
Wednesday ~ August 17th, 2011 at 12:45 am
mn
Very convenient to blame the Fed for the problems in Texas. Perry loves cheap, uneducated, and underrepresented labor. He knows he’ll be long gone when his short sighted policies come home to roost. Education is awful and his answer is ignore the problem and cut teachers and technology in a growing state. No unions to blame here so we’ll blame the Fed and immigrants I guess. Throw in some suggestions of vigilante justice for good order. How very Christian of him.
Wednesday ~ August 17th, 2011 at 12:50 am
teageegeepea
Controlling for demographics, many of its measures aren’t that bad.
Tuesday ~ August 16th, 2011 at 12:24 pm
Evan
When I clicked on that ABC link, my anti-virus popped up and told me that it blocked an attack on my computer….
Tuesday ~ August 16th, 2011 at 2:29 pm
Gimlet
It may actually be a savvy political move. He gets the media to disparage him for attacking a relatively unpopular Fed Chairman (particularly unpopular with supporters of certain other GOP candidates). Then he can walk it back, and rely on the walk back to the “off the cuff” remark in the general election.
Wednesday ~ August 17th, 2011 at 9:09 am
Th
Perry is saying pretty clearly here that the Fed can improve the economy by printing money but shouldn’t because it would help Obama win reelection. Does Obama believe the Fed can goose the economy by printing money? Does Bernanke believe this? If so, why is the Fed not printing money? Isn’t half their job working towards full employment? I don’t think Bernanke is going to like the way he is treated in the history books. Obama either.
Wednesday ~ August 17th, 2011 at 12:41 pm
Andrew
I almost choked when I saw this hit my news feed, absolute ignorance beyond words. I can only hope it’s all bluster and pandering to the anti-Obama base rather than a legitimate policy.