Rick Perry = Rod Blagojevich
By Brent Budowsky - 08/24/11 10:51 AM ET
Rick Perry has seized the Rod Blagojevich mantle as America's leading advocate of the pay-for-play form of politics that American voters, Ron Paul libertarians, and principled conservatives hold in contempt. I expect Ron Paul and Michele Bachmann, among others, to make this a major issue in the Republican debates that will do more damage to the Perry campaign.
The next great population growth in Texas is the influx of major reporters for respected news organizations visiting the state to prepare major exposés including those involving the Perry play-for-pay fundraising.
Rick Perry makes Rod Blagojevich look like an amateur. Perry has perfected the art of raising campaign money from companies that receive state money to enhance their profits, and from individuals he appoints to state positions. Regarding pay-for-play schemes, Rod Blagojevich was Clark Kent and Rick Perry is Superman.
Required reading: the New York Times story of Aug. 21 about this subject, and the work of the Texans for Public Justice, quoted in the Times story, suggesting Perry has raised at least $17 million from people he has appointed, or their spouses.
The Perry-Blagojevich pay-for-play politics style is one of the things most voters despise about government today. Want to get a grant of taxpayer money? Make a donation to the Rick Perry campaign. Want to be named to an oversight board? Write a check to Rick. Oil? Education? Even parks and wildlife! Democratic donor? Republican donor? Write a check to Rick. He does nonpartisan pay-for-play!
Rick Perry's pay-for-play color is not red or blue. It is green. Perry is the equal-opportunity pay-for-play money man. You pay, he plays.
It turns out that two of the great job-growth winners under Perry are lowest paid wage earners and government employees (what do you say about that, Ron Paul, Michele Bachmann, Charles Krauthammer?).
It turns out that one great source of campaign money is, you guessed it, state officials named by Perry, who reciprocate his kindness by writing big checks. Another great source of Perry money comes from recipients of state grants, including some resulting from the fact that Perry gobbled down Obama stimulus money with more gusto than the winner of the Coney Island hot dog eating contest (what do you think of that, National Review, Paul Ryan, and New Hampshire Republicans?).
When Blagojevich watches Perry, he must be thinking: Why was I so dumb to talk on the telephone?
The Perry-Blagojevich pay-for-play politics should make it impossible for any true conservative or libertarian to support Rick Perry, and will be anathema to political independents.
I hear national reporters are all over Texas right now. Get ready for more exciting stories about Rick Perry's fundraising. My bet is that Perry-Blagojevich will soon be a topic of national discussion, and I do not mean for the Republican ticket.
http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/presidential-campaign/178021-rick-perry-rod-blagojevich
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