Rick Perry's latest slip

Perry's "Accident" Incident
From the Texas Trubune

• by Patrick Svitek
• June 19, 2015

The one presidential candidate who cannot make a mistake did just that Friday.

Addressing Wednesday's massacre at a South Carolina church, former Gov. Rick Perry referred to it as an "accident." His campaign quickly clarified that he meant "incident," but not before the apparent slip of the tongue sparked a social media backlash, inviting inevitable comparisons to the so-called "oops" moment that defined Perry's last bid for the White House. 

The comment came during a TV interview in which Perry was asked about President Obama's response to the shooting, which left nine people dead at the historically black church in Charleston. In a speech Thursday, Obama suggested more gun control might be necessary to prevent tragedies like it. 

"This is the M.O. of this administration anytime there is a accident like this," Perry told Newsmax's Steve Malzberg in an interview published Friday. "You know, the president's clear. He doesn't like for Americans to have guns, and so he uses every opportunity, this being another one, to basically go parrot that message."

Shortly after Perry's remark began making headlines and ricocheting around social media, spokesman Travis Considine indicated the former governor misspoke. "From the context of his comments, it is clear Gov. Perry meant incident," Considine said in a statement.

But the sound bite had already become a hot topic online, evoking memories of the 2012 debate where Perry was unable to remember the third federal agency he would eliminate if elected president.

In the Newsmax interview, Perry spoke extensively about the shooting, saying he did not know whether it was an act of terror but did know it was a "crime of hate." He also suggested the alleged shooter, 21-year-old Dylann Roof, may have been "medicated," apparently tying the issue to his campaign's outreach to current and former members of the military.

"I know for a fact, being a substantial supporter of our military and our veterans, that the Veterans Administration, for instance, is handing out these opioids in massive amounts," Perry told Malzberg. "And then people question, 'Well then why can't these young individuals get work?' or 'Why is the suicide rate so high?'"

Perry was also asked whether the Confederate flag should fly over the South Carolina Capitol in the aftermath of the shooting, which many consider racially motivated. In his response, Perry reminded Malzberg that the Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that Texas has the right to refuse to issue Confederate license plates, a decision with which he agrees. And Perry indicated he would be open to taking down the flag in South Carolina, saying, "Maybe there's a good conversation that needs to be had."

Rick Perry must never be President

This is a blog post I did in 2012, the last time Rick Perry ran for President. I admit to having an exceedingly low opinion of the former guv and believe it would disastrous for him to ever become President.

Rick Perry is once again throwing the U.S. Constitution under the bus to pander to the right wing religious extremists. Click on pic for larger image Texas Governor Rick Perry made some startling remarks Tuesday, Sept. 18, as he addressed a conference call to a meeting of Christian conservatives. His remarks displayed an utter disregard for the concepts outlined in the U.S. Constitution, American and Texas history and indicated he had no interest in other Christian faiths, other religions or people who had no religion. He knows which side his bread is buttered on. Below is a good summary in an article by Christy Hoppe of the Dallas News. By Christy Hoppe choppe@dallasnews.com 3:26 pm on September 19, 2012 | Permalink Rick Perry, speaking on a conference call with Christian conservatives Tuesday, called the separation between church and state a false premise that is advanced by the devil. He also said that the Obama Administration and court system are working to remove religious references from the American way of life and that is it up to “Christian warriors, Christian soldiers,” to prevent it from  happening. Since his presidential campaign, Perry has been publicly outspoken about what he sees as the strong role of religion in public service, but the statements and audio, posted by Right Wing Watch, are among his most strident. Perry was participating in conservative pastor Rick Scarborough’s “40 Days to Save America,” which calls for prayer and fasting that seeks God’s intervention for the nation and leading up to the November election. Perry told listeners that instead of staying away from the political fray, people of faith have, “a Biblical responsibility to be involved in the public arena proclaiming God’s truth,” Perry said. He said it is particularly true on the abortion issues, where it’s “important that we as Christians put legislation into place, that we elect women and men that defend life.” “Satan runs across the world with his doubt and with his untruths and what have you, and one of the untruths out there that is driven is that people of faith should not be involved in the public arena,” Perry said. Perry also struck a theme he used frequently on the presidential campaign that the Obama Administration has declared a war on religion, mostly citing a decision that health insurance policies include coverage for contraceptives. “The American family is under siege, traditional values are somehow exclusionary, a simple prayer in our public schools is the basis for these secular attacks,” Perry said, calling it “spiritual warfare.” “It falls on us, we truly are Christian warriors, Christian soldiers, and for us as Americans to stand our ground and to firmly send a message to Washington that our nation is about more than just some secular laws,” Perry said.