'Idiot' jab lobbed at Perry
(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.
"Rick Perry's an idiot, and I don't think anyone would disagree with that," Bartlett said Friday on CNN's "American Morning."
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.
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So some one else thinks that Perry is trying to emulate Elmer Gantry. One of the big newspapers wrote an editorial stating this. the only difference is Perry is worst of a scam artist than the original.
Perry is not an idiot, he's a corporate stooge and will pass any and all legislation for money in my opinion.
Perry is an idiot and worse. He's evil. The man really believes everything he says. Heaven help the people of this country if this moron becomes President of the United States. My God he would be worse than George W. Bush.
Bless you, Bruce Bartlett. Rick Perry IS an idiot. He proves it every time he opens his mouth. Republicans – stop with the crazy already! If you were serious about anything other than "winning" this ridiculous sissyfight in the media, you'd be supporting Huntsman. Or even Paul. Or even an orange traffic cone – anyone but the clowns you're supporting now.
He is an idiot. This isn't anything new.
Perry may be an idiot, but more importantly, he is easily swayed by the power of money.
Everyone with a daughter ought to take the time to learn about the deal he made with Merck (giant pharmaceutical company) in Texas. He exchanged Texas's daughters for cash – pure and simple.
He agreed to sign up every young girl in the state for a new Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) vaccination sold exclusively by Merck (Gardisil) in exchange for a very hefty sum paid to the state.
And, so now, every young girl in the state is required to be injected with this vaccination – a wildly unprecedented move by a governor to take the health care decisions about teen girls away from their parents and put into the hands of an uneducated governor in cahoots with greedy Big Pharma. He was duped into this agreement because he really is an idiot. Truly scary.
This is the kind of "freedom from government" Perry wants to bring to the entire US. How about instead of focusing on protecting us from big government, Gov Perry works a little more on protecting Texans from the motives of Big Corporations???
Close your eyes and listen to Parry talk. The word choices, the thought process, the pronunciation all sound EXACTLY like Bush. So i guess if you want George Bush back for a third term then vote Parry.
i disagree. perry isn't just an idiot, he's a blithering idiot.
Perry an idiot!! Well, that's the least that can be said for this creature. He's not only an idiot, but ebven worse, he's a racist BIGOT. In any other era of American history since 1787, this type of political scum would be ignored as a joke, but with the anti-black backlash of the hate-mongering, racist, "Tea Party" crypto-fascists, "things" like Perry can come along and even get some attension - so long as the ratings-craved media is willing to grovel in the dark corners of trash-heap demented politics!!
Rick Perry responds to "Idiot" remark: "I are not a idiot!"
obama should have another chance..why give bush pt 2 another 4 yrs???
wow....If it weren't for lies the GOP candidates would have nothing to run on. I have to say, in order to support republicans, you have to be really stupid....facts be damned
This guy is major trouble for this country. George was a sweetheart compared this guy. Ignorant, self righteous, self important, about money and removing all rights from people to support corporations doing whatever they want, world killing by killing the EPA goofball!! People need to get smarter if they think this guy has any intention to server the people. He tells people what they want to hear but will do nothing to back it up. But that the GOP say one thing to get support then do what they want that is the opposite of what they said. If you dont know this by now, please leave...
"Anybody who has gotten elected as often as Rick Perry in rough and tumble Texas politics is clearly no idiot"...
clearly..... lol.
On this ship, you're to refer to me as 'idiot', not 'you captain'. I mean, you know what I mean.
The last thing we need is a financial idiot at the helm that holds prayer vigils to solve this country's problems.
Mr. Perry is outspoken, true. Something the beltway crowd isn't used to. A man of confidence. Perhaps Perry was a "C" student at A&M. So tell me again, what was Pres. Obama's GPA in school? Oh that is right, his scool records have never been released. Even if Obama made straight As, it is RESULTS that count and it is obvious we elected a man who speaks well, but wasn't properly vetted, and based on his dirth of real experience before taking office (other than voting present a few hundred times & voting NO to increase the debt ceiling,) Our current Pres. probably wasn't qualified to be president.. Most of you know that, even if you vote for him again knowing what his tenure has been like. Even if we was qualified he has been an abject failure -think Jimmy Carter. No wonder so many of you are filled with anger and FEAR over Gov. Perry's entry into the field. A good familly man who presides over one of the largest and most economicallty booming states in America. Obviously that was all luck! No doubt your retort will be the same tired old excuses for why our sitting President has a 16% job approval rating and we have 14 million out of work three years later. I keep waiting to her Obama say "the dog ate his homework," along with the Tsunami, the Arab spring, the lunar phase, etc. as reasons why we are STILL in a recession. So go for it – call Perry dumb. If I get a choice between "smart" Obama hope and change, and "dumb" like a fox Gov. Perry. I guess I will vote for the dumb successful person over the smart failure. I suspect a whole lot of people will do the same thing. This is what really scares you: Obama will be a one term president.
Given the Republican field calling Perry an idiot could be considered legitimizing him as a candidate.
George Bush And Rick Perry are Brothers they both hate all races except white people and woman and they both are treasonous to all american people and Perry an idiot
Rick Perry is an idiot. The only reason he's even being considered is because he pays a lot of lip service to religion, and the Republican Party has turned into a radicalized theocratic party at this point. I live in Mississippi and I know a lot of Republicans, and few of them actually understand the issues - they vote entirely based on religion. That's why we got stuck with Bush.
It's dangerous. If this country goes down, it's going to be due to evangelical ignorance.
Rick Perry calling Bernanke "treasonous" not just insulting, he is accusing Bernak of a criminal act and thereby deliberately undermining the integrity of the Unites States of America, which is clearly an act of sedition.
Also, lies are not covered by the 1st Amendment and slander of this magnitude by Perry is properly remedied by Perry being sued.
The work “idiot” is being tossed around a lot lately because it is a favorite word by Boss Rush to dismiss liberals. So in GOPese, “idiot” is a really bad thing.
HeII, calling this insect an idiot is insulting to idiots
I heard the idiots have complained about Perry being included in their ranks... they've suggested he be referred to as a moron. However, after numerous morons complained, we're now just going to refer to Rick Perry as just plain stupid.
I'm looking harder and harder at Ron Paul. Unfortunately he doesn't have the pretty looks to get the nomination. Switching from Republican to Independent a couple of years ago made me feel good, but I don't know what it got me, then, now, or in the future. Can't win for losing.
I hate to tell everyone this buttttt, unemployment was higher under Reagan. You have to think Global. I voting for Obama