Ridiculous Rick Perry

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Links and Video here (scroll down)

Perry: Evolution is a Theory That’s Out There – Like Creationism

“It’s a theory that’s out there. It’s got some gaps in it. In Texas, we teach both creationism and evolution in our public schools because I figure you’re smart enough to figure which one is right.”

He also says he doesn’t know how old the earth is.

Scientists agree that the earth is 4.54 billion years old, and by the way, in Texas, despite Perry’s efforts, they do NOT teach creationism.

Perry: Stop EPA Regulations (For Now)

“We’re calling today on the president of the United States to put a moratorium on regulations across this country, because his regulations, his EPA regulations are killing jobs all across America.”

I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt that he just meant EPA regulations, not ALL regulations.

Perry Denies Global Warming

Rick Perry told New Hampshire voters Wednesday that he does not believe in manmade global warming, calling it a scientific theory that has not been proven:

‘I think we’re seeing almost weekly, or even daily, scientists that are coming forward and questioning the original idea that manmade global warming is what is causing the climate to change.:

The Los Angeles Times reports that Perry “reaffirmed his view that global warming is an unproven scientific theory that has been advanced, at least in part, by scientists who have ‘manipulated data,’ and he argued that programs intended to limit climate change are costing the nation ‘billions if not trillions’ of dollars that he believes could be better spent elsewhere.”

In his book, Fed Up Perry claims “we have been experiencing a cooling trend” (page 92).

Meanwhile, according to the Washington Post: Romney repeatedly has said on the campaign trail that he believes the science behind global warming. At a June 3 town hall meeting in Manchester, N.H., Romney was asked about climate change. He said:

“I don’t speak for the scientific community, of course, but I believe the world’s getting warmer. I can’t prove that, but I believe based on what I read that the world is getting warmer. And number two, I believe that humans contribute to that.’”

Rick Perry: It’s Unconstitutional! (Pretty Much Everything)

Rick Perry is a big believer in states’ rights. So much so that he has suggested that Texas could secede from the Union.

If that’s not extreme enough, he also believes that almost all Federal legislation and regulation is unconstitutional as a violation of those states’ rights. Not even Michele Bachmann holds such extreme views.

From Rick Perry’s November 2010 book Fed Up!: Our Fight to Save America from Washington (h/t Matthew Yglesias):

• Courts should not have allowed the Commerce Clause to cover “federal laws regulating the environment, regulating guns, protecting civil rights, establishing the massive programs and Medicare and Medicaid, creating national minimum wage laws, [and] establishing national labor laws.” p. 51

• Also unconstitutional: laws regarding education, p. 87; financial regulation, p. 44; and Social Security, p.48: “by far the best example” of a program “violently tossing aside any respect for our founding principles.”

Perry Puts Foot in Mouth – Over and Over Again

Perry’s Iowa debut should be called Rick’s “Reality” Tour. From inventing a law that doesn’t exist to suggesting the Fed Chair is a traitor, Rick’s ramblings from the past 48 hours in the Hawkeye state show a candidate that’s trying to create his own reality. Below are a few highlights from his time in Iowa.

Perry Said If Bernanke Printed More Money, “We Would Treat Him Pretty Ugly” In Texas And The Act Of Printing More Money Would Amount To Treason. “Texas Gov. Rick Perry capped off his first full day of campaigning in Iowa on Monday by suggesting that if the Federal Reserve prints more money between now and November 2012 it would be akin to an act of treason. ‘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.’” [ABC News, The Note, 8/15/11]

* Karl Rove On Perry‘s Comment: “You Don’t Accuse The Chairman Of The Federal Reserve Of Being A Traitor”… “That Is Not, Again A Presidential Statement.” On Fox News, Karl Rove said, “It’s his first time on the national stage, and it was a very unfortunate comment. You don’t accuse the chairman of the federal reserve of being a traitor to his country and being guilty of treason and suggesting that we treat him pretty ugly in Texas — that’s not, again, a presidential statement.” [Fox News, 8/16/11]

Perry Said We Should Use Drones Above The Border To Help With Border Security. “As for using aircraft such as Predator drones, Perry noted many unarmed aircraft are already flown in the area each day as practice for the Air Force pilots who will guide them overseas. ‘Why not be flying those missions and using that real-time information to help our law enforcement?’ Perry said. ‘Because if we will commit to that, I will suggest to you that we will be able to drive the drug cartels away from that border.’” [Boston Globe, 8/16/11]

* Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Have Been Patrolling Southwest Border Since 2005 To Help In Homeland Security, Law Enforcement And In Support Of Disaster Relief Efforts. ”The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Air and Marine (OAM) became a pioneer in the use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for homeland security when it first employed the Predator B UAS at the Southwest border in 2005. Since then, CBP has continued to leverage the Predator B to unprecedented success in homeland security, law enforcement and in support of disaster relief efforts.” [CBP.gov, "UAS Overview," 8/31/10

Perry: "If You Drive Your Tractor Across A Public Road, You're Gonna Have To Have A Commercial Driver's License... How Idiotic Is That?" "Rick Perry pulled a Michele Bachmann on Tuesday, passionately condemning a policy that does not actually exist. This time round it was over farming issues. 'If you're a tractor driver, if you drive your tractor across a public road, you're gonna have to have a commercial driver's license. Now how idiotic is that?' Perry told a Des Moines crowd. 'What were they thinking?'" [Talking Points Memo, 8/16/11]

* Perry’s Comment Based Off A Rumor That The Transportation Department Put To Rest. “Here’s what they were thinking. Earlier this year, the State of Illinois began regulating certain kinds of farmers as commercial motor vehicle drivers, a move that caused a lot of consternation in the Illinois farming community, seeing as it would require stiff new driving tests, periodic drug testing and other hurdles. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration stepped in to clarify whether the states had the right to do what Illinois had done, and on May 31, the U.S. Department of Transportation issued a public notice asking for comment on the commercial licensing of farm equipment. Many in the farm community saw that notice as evidence that federal regulations were brewing, and the rumor went viral. That speeded up the process in Washington. Last Wednesday, the agency moved to put the issue to rest… ‘We have no intention of instituting onerous regulations on the hardworking families who feed our country and fuel our economy,’ Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, himself an Illinoisan and a Republican, said in the agency’s statement Aug. 10.” [Wall Street Journal, 8/16/11]