Urbandale, Iowa (CNN) – Texas Gov. Rick Perry accused Barack Obama of caring more about politics than American troops on Wednesday, blasting the president for not planning a major parade to welcome home soldiers from the war in Iraq.
The last combat troops left the country last week, after nearly nine years of fighting.
“This president wouldn’t welcome home our many heroes with a simple parade in their honor,” the Republican presidential candidate told a packed house at The Machine Shed restaurant in Urbandale.
“Maybe it’s because this war isn’t popular with the Democrats, I don’t know," said Perry, who has tacked to the right in a final campaign push before next Tuesday's Iowa caucuses. "But Mr. President, our soldiers come first. It comes before party politics. We need to welcome our soldiers home. Give them that parade. Give them that pat on the back.”
Perry, an Air Force veteran, repeatedly mentioned the Armed Forces during his morning remarks and twice appeared to choke up when talking about the the sacrifices made by members of the military and their families.
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There goes Hamby the Parrot again.
This is a joke! Obama brought the troops home from Iraq. That's care for the troops, plain and simple. What planet is Perry on?? He would have kept them in harms way. Can't have it both ways.
The American voters already knew that; you forgot Obama cares more about vacationing and golf and that why he won’t be reelected in 2012
What an absolute moron he is.
I thnk the guys and gals coming back from Iraq would far prefer to go home and visit friends and relatives on homecoming leave than spend a few weeks getting ready for a parade.
Obama can't do anything right what it come to these tea party terrorist. Perry wants to welcome them home to a place where they will not get health care nor will they find jobs.
Right on Perry throw them a parade then kick them to the curb. You are a worthless piece of crap.
Really? What else is this man going to be accused of?
i think they would rather have opportunities for employment and homes that have not been foreclosed on while they've been serving our country. please, if you're going to knock the president for anything, at least make it substantive. perry is petty.
Perry went on to deride the president for failing to obtain even one goat for the computer industry.
Take a shower Rick....you stink of desperation.
is perry being real? i wonder what the GOP candidates do all day and night.
“Maybe it’s because this war isn’t popular with the Democrats, I don’t know," said Perry, who has tacked to the right in a final campaign push before next Tuesday's Iowa caucuses.
Maybe you haven't listened to Ron Paul, in your own GOP, and I seriously question the value system of any group with whom war is "popular."
I'm still waiting for my parade to welcome me home from Viet-Nam. Rick Perry is totally disassociated with reality. I am convinced if there were to be a parade the Republicans would then complain about the costs in this tough economic times.
Shut up Perry!
What an idiot Perry is. There is no reason to have a Parade to glorify a War that should never have been and started for no reason by a fellow Texas idiot.
Thank you for ending this debacle, Barack.
Finally.
Perry you are so irrelevant, take your old, tired, border-line retarded self and SIT DOWN!
What is with these Republicans ? Willard going after Biden for saying Obama his opponent was not ready to be President and Perry all in a fluster over a parade ? These guys are out of gas if this is what they think everyone cares about right now, pathetic.
Is this guy serious? He is worried about a parade and not the economy. Please republican candidates you are really out of touch. If he had a parade then they would say he is spending too much money. All of you really need to grow up and stop nick picking about unimportant things like a parade. The main objective is that our troops are home and need to bond again with their loved ones and reajust to their everyday living before this clown starts talking about a parade. Please fine something more important to complain about, but that is the republicans problem, they can't.
Good god...the guy just brought back the troops from Iraq, and you're saying he doesn't care because he didn't throw them a parade? Grasping at straws.
I think it's right to honor the troops as they come home, but I also think it's fine to do that at the state and local level. Obama's got more to worry about than parades.
I doubt seriously that our military guys and gals are thinking about a parade after being away from their families in such a God-forsaken place for so long. My guess is that those who returned were thrilled to pieces to get home to their loved ones by Christmas instead of by the end of the year, which was the plan I believe. I know I was thrilled for them. For all these years, I have read the names of those killed that were posted on Jim Leher's news show on PBS, and each one may as well have been my own kids. Thank goodness, the president has the wisdom to shut these wars down. Rick Perry is really having to scrape the bottom of the barrel to find something to go after the president for. I think he would make a lot more "brownie points" by standing at the podium saying "God Bless our Military, each and everyone, and thank God our president is getting them home."
Being Governor of Texas, why didn't Perry himself organize a welcome home parade? Does he care more about politics in his bashing of President Obama than the U.S. troops?
LMAO.....................from this stupid read Perry cares more about politics then the troops. Did the state of TEXASS have a state ran parade? Looser!
Pandering, stupid fool. If Perry and the anti-American right-wingers had their way, our troops would still be in Iraq, or invading Iran. God I despise the filthy sub-human right-wing.
This man is simply sick
Another calculated statement by Perry intended to draw in the tea-baggers. I'm surprised he doesn't have a bunch of those "take our country back" bumper stickers plastered all over his campaign bus. The tea-baggers really love those.
...I can say: what crap. Now who's trying to exploit our men and women in uniform for political gain?