Texas has numerous problems, among them is an education system that is failing students, placing Texas towards the bottom in rankings of the various states of our Union. But, no problemo. Our guv'ner with the craggy face and purty hair is off on a national tour to demand that Texas gits that coveted power abused by southern states prior to the Civil War: "states' rights".
By spending time pushing the poorly thought-out tee bag agenda, our guv'ner with the craggy face and purty hair doesn't have to face Texas' real problems. And he can push his own unannounced but obvious desire to be elected (horrors) President of the USA.
WASHINGTON — Gov. Rick Perry's anti-Washington rhetoric, which helped hand him a re-election landslide, is about to be put to the test as he girds for a series of states' rights clashes with the federal government.
The Lone Star State governor's drive to gain more control of clean air regulations, Medicaid health coverage for the poor, immigration and border security will sharpen the national attention on Perry just as he becomes the new chairman of the Republican Governors Association.
With that, the ambitious 60-year-old West Texas politician is expected to fortify a coast-to-coast crusade against what he calls the long and oppressive reach of Uncle Sam.
"The timing is right," says University of Houston political scientist Jim Granato. "With the wind of the November elections at his back, Gov. Perry could sustain and even accelerate the (Republicans') current political momentum."
By galvanizing GOP governors, coordinating efforts with ascendant Republicans on Capitol Hill and barnstorming on behalf of his book, Fed Up! Our Fight to Save America from Washington, Perry hopes to foment a rebellion against federal regulation that could trigger the most sweeping devolution of federal powers to the states in decades.
"The governor has a great passion for freeing states from the one-size-fits-all mentality. He firmly believes that if you unleash the states you get good ideas for solving problems — not a magic wand, but good ideas," says Dave Carney, a veteran GOP political consultant and Perry confidante.
Anti-Washington 'games'
Texas Democrats, on the other hand, take umbrage.
"Perry employs his version of a states' rights campaign, which is to rail against the federal government while completely ignoring every state issue that really matters to Texas," said Anthony Gutierrez, a spokesman for the Texas Democratic Party. "Perry's anti-Washington political games have scored him political points but they've left Texas with struggling schools, children without health insurance and a battered environment."
Perry's coming offensive reflects the priorities of the tea party rebellion that resulted in significant GOP midterm election gains.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7324941.html
