Kay's clever but clueless bailout attack on Rick...

Michael Quinn Sullivan sez that Kay's vote gave away three times the entire Texas 2 year budget with her bailout vote (link). Excerpt follows...

Let us not forget that this monstrosity was encouraged by then-President George W. Bush and received 75 votes in the Senate – including from Texas’ own Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn. Hutchison is a candidate for governor.

(If the gubernatorial campaign issue that motivates you is the giving of taxpayer funds to fat-cat corporations and private entities, keep in mind that with one vote Sen. Hutchison gave away more than three-times the size of the entire Texas biennial budget.)

Kay's team tried to blur the issue so they made some mousepads that they gave out to the press corps... on the mousepads, it's got information about Rick and what they believe to be support for the "bad" bailout Kay voted for. TARP to Kay's team stands for Total Amnesia Rick Perry. Kay's team is trying to spin one of their worst negatives and blur the issue, like they have attempted to blur a lot of issues.

On this, Kay voted for the actual bailout. Remember those cat videos Rick's peeps put out?

Kay voted for TARP and auto bailouts. Rick opposed them.

Rick said in a statement before the bailout that he was against it, as reported by Jason Embry last year (link). Excerpt follows...

Shortly before the Senate voted on the bailout package, Perry issued a statement that appeared to condemn it.

"In a free market economy, government should not be in the business of using taxpayer dollars to bail out corporate America," Perry said.

The whole pre bailout statement can be found here... (link)...

Before the bailout, Rick was clearly on record against the bailout. Kay was busy flipping and flopping on it... saying she wasn't going to do it, then saying she was... she was just a mess...

Kay's peeps are flogging this letter from Rick and his counterpart at the DGA as their proof, which is really a desperate hail mary pass (link). Full text of the letter follows...

As leaders of our respective organizations, we don't always see eye to eye on policy, but we come together today with one clear purpose. We strongly urge Congress to leave partisanship at the door and pass an economic recovery package. We both believe that it’s time to stand together for our country.

There is a time for partisanship and there is a time for getting things done. No one likes the hand they've been dealt, and now is not the time to assign blame. It is time for Washington, D.C. to step up, be responsible and do what's in the best interest of American taxpayers and our economy.

This economic crisis is not just impacting Wall Street; it is also making life harder for everyday Americans. Americans across the country and in every demographic are feeling the pinch. If Congress does not act soon, the situation will grow appreciably worse. It's time for leadership. Congress needs to act now.

Endorsing action is one thing, as everyone believed we had to do something.... but Rick's letter certainly does not endorse bailouts and... again... Rick was very clearly on the record against bailouts. Economic recovery packages passed before the one in October typically involved tax cuts, not bailouts.

Both Rick who was at the time the chairman of the Republican Governors Association and the chairman of the Democratic Governors Association clarified that the letter was not pro bailout (link). Excerpt follows...

But Brian Namey, a spokesman for the Democratic Governors Association, said the letter was "not an endorsement of any particular plan."

Perry spokeswoman Allison Castle said Perry's statement and the letter were intended to urge Congress to agree on a solution, not to endorse one.

I think that's got to be Kay's strategy at this point... it's not even about moving to the right of Rick, it's about trying to confuse people with these distractions. Journalists in Texas seem very very lazy to not sort through these issues and call her out...

For example...

Kay gets billions in earmarks that directly benefit her husband's bottom line and accelerate the wealth of Kay and Ray. They didn't disclose their conflict of interest with these shady appropriations.

So what they try to do is blur the issue by saying Rick's wealth has been fueled by land deals, even though really Rick's net worth is really not high at all for a successful 59 year old guy whose wife also worked. Rick's land deals were all disclosed, and they were all pretty much within the realm of normality.

The facts on Kay's personal wealth enrichment due to her office should really raise the ire of anyone who cares about honest and open government...

But hey, the headlines sensationalizing the issue of Rick making a modest profit by buying land and selling it years later blur the issues nicely... and the lazy media helps Kay's team blur unequal issues into equally bad headlines and stories that will no doubt be used in campaign attack ads next February.