| Fox Business News really likes Republicans. We can tell why. Only as pompous a network as Fox would fall in love with politicians so immodest that they would take compliments that are anti-factual.
Jason Embry reported:
When Gov. Rick Perry went on the Fox Business Channel last week, he got these hardball questions and comments from the interviewers:
"You've said no to stimulus money, you've said no to any money for your state."
AND
"Governor, I'm glad you didn't take any stimulus money since you did balance your budget, you don't need it, save it for states that are having people that are losing their jobs and losing their homes.
Rick Perry took the compliments in stride. Of course, they were describing his governorship of Texas accurately, right? And even if it wasn't, compliments on Fox can't hurt with GOP primary voters. But it turns out those Fox people got something wrong, and Governor Perry couldn't have cared less.
It's not really Perry's job to correct erroneous questioners, and he didn't. But it is my job. So I will remind you, and them, that the Legislature would have had to dip into the Rainy Day Fund or make sizable cuts in state services were it not for $12 billion in stimulus dollars that went into the budget that lawmakers just finished. That money included $2.5 billion for Medicaid and $3.2 billion for public education.
While it is not the governor's job to correct reporters, I would hope my state's leaders can represent Texas genuinely. True, I want Texas' leaders to boast about how we have done in the economy, bringing green jobs to the state as we weather the economic storm.
But to imply that Texas did not accept or need stimulus money is just wrong. I love Texas, but we aren't that much better than the rest of the country no matter which way you look at it.
A video of Perry's ridiculous visit to Fox is below the fold. (Look, the Fox people are at a bar! No wonder they aren't reporting accurate news!) |
