14-Year-Old Girl Calls Out Rick Perry in Iowa on Gays in the Military: “Why do you want to deny them their freedom when they’re fighting for your rights?”

abaldwin360:

Perry’s Day Ends in Confrontation Over Fracking, Gays in the Military

By Rebecca Kaplan | NationalJournal

DECORAH, Iowa—What had been a calm day for Rick Perry filled with church services and friendly audiences ended on a sour note as the governor found himself in two confrontations in his last town hall of the day over controversial natural gas extraction techniques and gays serving openly in the military.

In the first exchange, Perry found himself debating with a college student whether hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking”—a method for natural gas extraction—pollutes the area groundwater. After the event ended, Perry found himself explaining to a 14-year-old girl—who later told reporters she was openly bisexual—why he opposed gays serving openly in the military.

[FULL STORY & VIDEO]

Those who are going to be over 21 on November 12th, I ask for your support.

officialssay:

GOP presidential contender Rick Perry, misstating the U.S. voting age, which is 18. Also, the 2012 election is on November 6. 

Perhaps he’s just planning a bender and needs us to join/maybe buy him a few drinks.

Perry: Obama Had 'Privileged' Upbringing

Rick Perry said on Wednesday that President Obama doesn’t understand the plight of Americans because he grew up “privileged” and “never had to work for anything.”

The Texas governor, one of many Republicans who has accused the president of calling his fellow citizens “lazy” after the president told CEOs over the weekend that Americans have “been a little bit lazy” about selling the country as a place for foreign investment, elaborated on his view in an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News.

“He grew up in a privileged way,” Perry said.

“He never had to really work for anything, he never had to really work for anything, he never had to go through what Americans are going through,” Perry added, theorizing that Obama’s upbringing is what distances him Americans.

“This president has never felt that angst that they felt in their heart.”

These sort of character assassinations are disheartening, to say the least. Abandoned by his father, I’d contend while Obama’s upbringing was far from uncommon in that respect, it was also far from easy. To say the President never had to work for anything is absurd. After all, he did become the President of the United States. Given the state of Mr. Perry’s campaign, you would think he would know that is no easy feat. 

So, Mr. Perry believes congressional salaries should be cut in half.

He said so yesterday in Bettendorf, Iowa. He also said many other things that I believe to be unrealistic, but we’ll stick with this for a moment. It sounds a bit harsh, but whether or not I or he or you believe Congress is overpaid, changing that would be a staggering accomplishment for a few reasons:

• Under the Constitution, congressional pay is decided by Congress themselves.
• In theory the President very well could veto a pay increase, but I am not sure how well that would go over. How much legislation could be pushed through a Congress whose salary you vetoed? And regardless of you saying no, they’d likely get the two-thirds vote needed the second time around to get their pay increase, anyhow.
• But Perry’s not looking to veto a pay increase, he’s looking for a significant pay decrease, which would call for a new amendment, one that would have to go through both houses, so says our constitution. How likely is that, really?

I know this sounds a little silly, but as this all goes on, please listen to what the candidates are saying. Pretty please.

“Oops.”

(Source: think-progress)

pantslessprogressive:

Analysis: Warren Buffett Would Pay As Little As 0.2 Percent Tax Rate Under Rick Perry’s Tax Plan

Since the legendary investor receives most of his income from capital gains and dividends, Perry’s plan wipes out most of his already-low tax bill. Buffett reported $62,855,038 in income on last year’s tax return while receiving only $600,000 in compensation from Berkshire Hathaway and the Washington Post Co. (where he is a director). If, aside from that $600,000, all of his other income is from capital gains and dividends, Buffett’s effective federal income tax rate under the Perry plan would be a microscopic 0.2 percent. Buffett’s tax bill would be slashed from the $6.9 million he actually paid in 2010 to $120,000. (Even if Buffett had two-thirds of his income in the form of capital gains and dividends, the average for the richest 400 people in the country, he’d get a $2.7 million tax cut and pay a 6.8 percent effective rate.) [read more]

http://dcdecoder.com/post/10518299352

dcdecoder:

New polling data shows Mitt Romney cruising in New Hampshire, with nearly quadruple the support of Jon Huntsman, the candidate in third place. Wait, why’d you skip to the third place guy? Who’s in second?

Ron Paul, of course.

They passed state-run health care, they have sanctioned gay marriage, and they elected Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, and Barney Frank repeatedly — even after actually knowing about them and what they believe! Texans, on the other hand, elect folks like me. You know the type, the kind of guy who goes jogging in the morning, packing a Ruger .380 with laser sights and loaded with hollow-point bullets, and shoots a coyote that is threatening his daughter’s dog.

Rick Perry 

US Supreme Court issues stay in execution of Texas inmate

shortformblog:

• NO Duane Buck won’t be executed tonight source

» What happened: In 1995, Buck was convicted of double-murder in Houston, Texas, and sentenced to death. Buck’s guilt is not being disputed; however, during the sentencing phase, a psychologist testified that black criminals are more likely than other races to pose a threat to the public if released. Buck’s lawyers contest that this testimony—which was denounced in 2000 by then-Texas Attorney General John Cornyn—played a role in Buck’s sentence, and asked Governor Rick Perry and the district attorney to grant Buck a retrial. Perry and the DA refused the request, but the US Supreme Court intervened today, issuing a stay in his execution just four hours before his execution was set to take place. The court has yet to rule on a request for a resentencing.

Read ShortFormBlog • Follow

pantslessprogressive:

As Texas faces devastating wildfires, know that public policy plays a role.

State funding for volunteer firefighters is being cut by 75% - from $30 million to $7 million. From KVUE:

Most of the State of Texas is protected by volunteer departments. There are 879 volunteer departments compared to 114 paid departments and 187 departments that are a combination of both paid and volunteer firefighters.

In March, the State Firemen’s and Fire Marshals’ Association of Texas said volunteer firefighters had begun pulling money from their own pockets “to help pay for equipment and supplies.”