Will the press have to report their coverage of this stupid political stunt as an in-kind contribution to Rick Perry's campaign? And has anyone thought to ask this question:
Governor Rick Perry -- do you run around your rental mansion without security? Texas taxpapyers are paying for your security detail when you make out-of-state trips to Las Vegas for your son's bachelor party. Do you go jogging on the trails without any security? Do your bodyguards not travel with guns themselves? Why are you "defending yourself"from threats instead of your security detail?
By now, you've surely heard the incredible breaking news that, about two months Rick Perry shot a coyote near his $9,000-a-month-taxpayer-paid rental mansion. The press has gone crazy with the coverage -- giving it more attention than any other story of the week because tabloid journalism drives more traffic to their websites. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram is thrilled with the story, because it makes the photo they took at Rick Perry's last stunt -- the NASCAR race -- more viral for their site.
Capitol Annex noticed the Google Ad showing up in an RSS feed for the Houston Chronicle’s Texas Politics blog via Bloglines reader. A screenshot is below:
The Washington Post calls this what it is -- a political stunt for Perry's 2012 Presidential run:
Go ahead and laugh, but this is the kind of stuff that immediately endeared conservatives to Sarah Palin. It's the kind of stuff -- so much less important than his state sovereignty record, but important in building his image -- that has grassroots conservatives daydreaming about a Perry run for president in 2012, despite his many statements to the contrary.
The press got played on this story, big time. I hope they report their in-kind contribution to Perry before the June filing deadline.
The Austin press corps consists of bureau reporters who follow day-to-day Texas politics. Many are on Spring Break vacation; others don't write about border stories, and some are actively ignoring key facts about the single biggest story since the election.
Here are the five key facts the Austin press corps is actively ignoring about Rick Perry's secret border plan:
Fact 1: Local Police Officials Say that Perry's Claims About Spillover Violence Are "Ridiculous"
We live on the border and have responsibility for our communities and our citizens. However, at this point we are learning about your plans from the media, along with everyone else. This makes it impossible for us to coordinate with your office to create the most effective strategy to keep our border communities safe.
Fact 3: Both Rick Perry and John Cornyn are Contradicting Themselves About the Border Violence
From the same McAllen Monitor story, we learn detail about how both Rick Perry and John Cornyn have contradicted themselves about the spillover violence. First, Cornyn:
Cornyn’s own statements Wednesday straddled both sides of that line.
“The spillover violence in Texas is real and escalating,” Cornyn and Hutchison wrote in their letter to the president. “Our border patrol agents and local law enforcement are more regularly engaged with gunmen associated with drug cartels.”
He contradicted himself, however, in a conference call with reporters later in the day in which he said, “As far as the Texas border is concerned, we have not had spillover violence, per se.”
Then, local Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Treviño poitns out the hypocrisy from Rick Perry:
Describing the border region as plagued by drug violence has needlessly scared residents of the area while contributing to misperceptions in the rest of the country about the realities in the region, Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Treviño said.
“How can you claim that the crime rate in this whole area has dropped, while at the same time saying that crime is out of control?” he said. “Explain that to me.”
Fact 4: Rick Perry is Actively Lying About Border Crime Rates
We rate Perry's sweeping statement based on an unreasonable manipulation of crime statistics -- the second instance of his administration touting questionable border crime numbers -- as Pants on Fire.
Fact 5: Rick Perry Has Not Told Anyone in Washington About His Plan, So They Can't Respond to His Request for Help
From a press release from Bill White, as reported by our own Todd Hill earlier in the day, we learn the following:
Today Bill White, former Houston Mayor and candidate for governor, pressed U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano for more resources and airborne surveillance of the Texas border.
"Secretary Napolitano told me this request would receive serious consideration. She also told me she would give a similar response to the Texas Governor if he talked to her about it, which he has not," said White.
Despite the mountain of facts, the Austin press corps is completely missing the story. Two examples from early in the day (as of 5:35pm):
This is in addition to a handful of other stories I discussed earlier in the day. What is particularly upsetting about the story in the Houston Chronicle is that it gives Mark Miner a full paragraph quote while ignoring all the facts I've outlined above. For journalists in Austin that are part of the Capitol press corps -- at least today -- they are relying on completely irrelevant quotes from campaign operatives and ignoring the basic facts of what has been raised.
We'll stay on top of the actual facts and news as best we can in the coming days. Please send any tips, newsclips, or other stories to press@burntorangereport.com, or leave a comment below.
He had some great lines throughout the speech, and ends with strong remarks for the newspaper industry.
Comedian Wanda Sykes was the one with the real zingers, though -- including a total and utter demolition of Rush Limbaugh. I've posted over five minutes of highlights from her below the fold. Our thanks to DailyKosTV for the clips and the ability to embed them on our site.
Well, okay, maybe not Lord High Pissypants and his courtiers in and outside of the White House Press Center.
After the bravura performance by Stephen Colbert at the WH Correspondents' Dinner, I’m ready to emigrate to the land of truthiness and screaming eagles. And not a moment too soon. I can hardly wait for the 60 Minutes profile this afternoon.
“This administration is soaring, not sinking,” he said. “If anything, they are re-arranging the deck chairs on the Hindenburg.”
