Perry continues Bernanke criticism

Bedford, New Hampshire (CNN) – Rick Perry chuckled but did not back down from his controversial charge that printing more U.S. dollars would be "treasonous" when he was asked about the Federal Reserve at a political breakfast Wednesday.

"I got a lecture about that yesterday," he said, causing scattered laughter in the audience at the Politics and Eggs forum in Bedford.

The Republican presidential candidate and Texas Gov. prompted outrage Monday when he said Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke would be "treasonous" if he printed more money to stimulate the economy prior to 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," he said.

President Obama joined other critics, including GOP 2012 hopeful Rick Santorum, in calling those comments irresponsible.

At Wednesday's event Perry added he thought the Federal Reserve should be audited.

"An agency of government like the Federal Reserve, they should open their books up, they should be transparent so that the people of the United States know what they're doing," Perry said. "Until they do that, I think there will continue to be questions about their activity and what their true goal is for the United States."