(CNN) - Former Treasury official Bruce Bartlett labeled newly-minted Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry "an idiot" Friday.
Bartlett, who served at Treasury under former President George H.W. Bush and as a domestic policy adviser to the late President Ronald Reagan, delivered the choice words to the Texas Gov. in reference to his recent comments about Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke.
Perry sparked controversy when he said Bernanke would be "treasonous" if he printed more money to stimulate the economy before the 2012 election.
"I mean, printing more money to play politics at this particular time in American history is almost treacherous, or treasonous, in my opinion," Perry said Monday in Iowa. He stood by his comments Tuesday.
Bartlett said the politics at the Federal Reserve are a serious problem and in part blamed U.S. presidents, who he said have historically not focused their energies on the bank.
"He [Obama] has had open seats on the fed almost his entire presidency and I think that this sends a signal that he just doesn't care very much about what the fed does," Bartlett said.
Despite serving in Republican administrations, Bartlett is no stranger to GOP criticism, particularly of former President George W. Bush.
Bartlett's 2006 book "Imposter: How George W. Bush Bankrupted America and Betrayed the Reagan Legacy" accused the administration of departing from conservative economic principles. More recently he attributed the economic recession to the former president and Republican Party.
Team Perry did not immediately respond for a request for comment.
From CNN Politics
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If there's one thing Republicans really hate – it's the truth – especially when it comes from a Republican.
Actually, Bartlett's comparing Rick Perry to an idiot is an insult to idiots everywhere.
The question is not how many jobs were created in Texas but did the companies bring their workers with them. If you look at the numbers of people who needed to be hired in Texas it leads one to believe that the workers did not move but were added to the unemployment rolls of other states.
Belittling the candidates does not do us one bit of good. Let's look at them as people and as candidates and decide who should be president. The adjectives that are currently being used show that our country has not moved forward at all. We have not learned that all of this name-calling and angry rhetoric can be destructive.
If we work at it we will get out of this mess. Right now we need to find ways to help the unemployed and make sure that those with low-paying jobs can feed, clothe and house their families. Perhaps those who wish to use the internet to put forth their own agendas are not helping at all.
Rick Perry....Smoke and mirror politician....and yes an idiot! And a LIAR also.
Thats the problem with the FED, they print money with nothing to back it up. They just print more money and loan it to the US for currency. The more money you print the more you devalue the dollar. I think Perry may have been a little extreme in his comments but it would be very dangerous to print more money with thw economy as it is. Beside , if he does print more money goods and services will just go up including gas prices. Heck look at the price of gold now, it closed over $1850 a troy oz. today. To bad we do not have anymore in fort knox to shore up our economy.
CNN as it again. Why don't vet your God King Obama ? You didn't do in 2008 and we got the Marxistsonfobitch that sits in the Oval Office.
When the pump fits, wear it!
And reasonable folks know he is one.
All he said is what everyone knows already. Same can be said about Bachmann.
Here in Texas we have known all along that he is an idiot! It is refreshing to hear someone with Republican and national experience say so. Spread the word to all the middle class folks who support Republicans (oxymoron) so that his flubs are well documented across the country.
And what exactly is untruthful regarding the notion that Ricky-poo is an idiot?
"Americans are desperate for jobs and Texas under the leadership of Perry has been very successfull in creating them". If you actually lived in Texas you would know that the jobs that were created are minimum wage jobs at best. I see on a daily basis people losing their well-paid career jobs under Perry's "leadership". Not only that, but Perry is taking credit for jobs creation when the policies that allowed for Texas to be so "successful" were in place long before he even thought about running for office.
They all have a bit of "idiot" in them ...
coolaid line starts here
For Bruce Bartlett to call Rick Perry "an idiot", is – in the words of my dear, wonderful, grandmother – like the pot calling the kettle black. Bartlett had the temerity to come before Congress – among other venues where he has professed his, supposed, expertise – and tell them that the Fair Tax would not work...and give absolutely no, zero, nada evidence to support his claim. The guy is a narcissist and an idiot. He is no one to be calling names.
There is a Tea Party utopia for Rick Perry and his ilk. It has an insignificant federal goverment. There are virtually no taxes. No IRS. No Dept. of Education. No regulators. No Social Security or Medicare. Where is this magical place? Try Somalia.
@Sandy:
Are you kidding? They won't even bother covering it–why waste energy covering the truth when they could be using it to mock the "lamestream media" (though the fact that they came up with that moniker helps us understand that, rather than being an insult, it seems to be their final goal as a media organization).
When will these conservative 'Christians' read the bible? Jesus was liberal!
Rick Perry= Mad Cowboy Disease-–Hoof and Mouth Disease too.
Perry is an IDIOT. Just listen to him speak.
Another Texas Moron running for President, just what we need. I can't believe the good people of Texas would even vote someone like this into public office.
As much as I hate to admit it, Rick Perry will be the next president. There is nothing we can do, he is unstoppable. Obama has had almost 3 years to make some kind of improvement, but he still blames Bush and Congress (who have only been in power for 9 months). I'll give it to him that he came in at a bad time, but still..... nothing but finger pointing, do something, anything, show us that you have a basic understanding of what your doing.
Rick Perry: The 2012 Fred Thompson model
Perry is an idiot! Big hat, no cattle.
Let's give'em the benefit of the doubt–he's an imbecile.
Now I know where all the uneducated democratic voters hang out. Thank you all for accepting our unemployment and welfare checks and i look forward to your continued useless voting routines in 2012. Go Entitlements!