Editorial: Romney's Doomed '3rd Rail' Attack On Perry

IBD Editorials ^ | August 30, 2011 | Staff

[Kaslin]

Election '12: Mitt Romney reportedly intends to use the "third rail of politics" — touch Social Security and you die — to kill Rick Perry. But the winning strategy next year may be something novel for politicians: the truth.

For unexplained reasons, Mitt Romney's people in New Hampshire told former George W. Bush speechwriter Marc Thiessen about their grand strategy to defeat Texas Gov. Rick Perry — and the plan couldn't be more out of sync with the anger currently raging at the Republican grassroots.

"Romney strategists are quick to note that in his book, 'Fed Up!,' Perry writes that 'By any measure, Social Security is a failure' and calls the program 'something we have been forced to accept for more than 70 years now' that was created 'at the expense of respect for the Constitution and limited government,'" Thiessen wrote in the Washington Post on Monday.

The Romneyites promise their man "will use Perry's book to scare seniors in early-primary states with large retiree populations, such as Florida and South Carolina." And, he says, they'll charge that Perry is against the very idea of Social Security and Medicare.

There is, dare we say, a RINO-sized problem with Romney taking this approach. The former Massachusetts governor is already at a disadvantage as the least conservative, establishment-favored major candidate in what for rank-and-file Republican voters are very anti-establishment times.

On top of explaining away his "Obomney Care" health reform, plus flip-flops on carbon emission restrictions, the minimum wage, capital gains taxes, abortion and other issues, does Romney really want to be guardian of the big-government status quo on entitlements too?

[broken_arrow1]

Please do it Mitt, please. Then there is NO WAY IN HELL I will vote for you if you win the RNC presidential nomination. Republican party will commit suicide with a RINO platform!

[Jim Robinson]

FUMR!

[2ndDivisionVet]

Who is surprised that a Democrat will try to use Social Security and Medicare against another Democrat in the primaries? They’re both in the wrong party.

[freeangel]

Somebody on FOX had it right this PM. Romney looks like he forgot where he left his car(or campaign) in the parking lot.

[SuzyQue]

“But the winning strategy next year may be something novel for politicians: the truth.”

Nice line.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

The man has entirely too much hair.

[JPG]

Milt's plan is to scare people. It's right up his alley because Milt is one scary dude.

[lqcincinnatus]

Perry may have very little private sector experience, farming, but at lease we don’t have Romneycare in Texas.

[Rudder]

...scare seniors in early-primary states with large retiree populations...

All SS reforms proposed have always grandfathered existing recipients, that's so well-known that the "scare" is gone.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

“— and the plan couldn’t be more out of sync with the anger currently raging at the Republican grassroots. “

Sounds perfect for Mr. Plastic Head Romney.

[RED SOUTH]

In a letter to Clinton about Hillarycare in 1993 , Perry wrote:

“I think your efforts in trying to reform the nation’s health care system are most commendable.”

“I would like to request that the task force give particular consideration to the needs of the nation’s farmers, ranchers, and agriculture workers, and other members of rural communities,” Perry continued, noting his administration’s focus on economic development for rural Texans.

“Rural populations have a high proportion of uninsured people, rising health care costs, and often experience lack of services.”

“Again, your efforts are worthy,” Perry concluded, ”and I hope you will remember this constituency as the task force progresses.”

[aMorePerfectUnion]

Big deal! He wrote a letter in his official capacity as an elected official.

Why don’t you try to find some stuff from his childhood to post?

[newzjunkey]

The letter applauds Hillary for interest in the healthcare cost and availability issue and asks her task force to keep in mind the challenges to rural communities, farmers and ranchers like those Perry had been elected to serve as Texas Agriculture Commissioner.

[newzjunkey]

Sounds like Mitt's going to use the Rat's "Ryan plan" attack on Perry.