National Review editor Rich Lowry doesn't seem to care much for Texas Governor Rick Perry.
In a recent essay entitled "The Rise of Uncompassionate Conservatism" Lowry admonishes Gov. Perry for "stomping all over [compassionate conservatism] with cowboy boots emblazoned with the words 'Freedom' and 'Liberty.'" Lowry, who considers Gov. Perry the "Republican noncandidate flavor of the week," aches for the luminous days when George Bush won over "the center as well as the right" with his signature insight into the wonders of compassionate conservatism.
For Lowry, Gov. Perry's "unadulterated doctrine" only appeals to the "doctrinaire" and simply proves that Perry has "been spending too much time at Federalist Society seminars." So instead of educating his readers concerning the false dichotomy between being a compassionate conservative and being, well, Rick Perry, Lowry's commentary only proves that he, like Bush, has swallowed to some extent that most ingenious of all leftist philosophical creations: that "compassion" can most effectively be sold as an organized, planned government thingy.The more we have thought about the Lowry article, the more convinced we became that Lowry still supports the elitist, blue blood Country Club Republican Romney like he did in 2007/2008 when he and the National Review staff had unparalleled access to the Romney campaign. It makes sense as Romney endorsed Kay Bailey Hutchison against Perry in the Republican 2010 primary. Romney also has very close ties to the Bush Family who pushed Kay Bailey who was termed an Country Club Republican when she first ran for Senate to replace Lloyd Bensen who joined the Clinton Administration.
Does that mean that Lowry wrote this article for Romney's benefit? If that is the case, Lowry failed miserably. To be frank, it makes Rick Perry look even better for his stand on the 10th amendment and his belief how important freedom is to Americans on this day as we celebrate American Independence.
We side with the Texas Governor for stomping all over 'compassionate conservatism' and love the thought of boots emblazoned with the words 'Freedom' and 'Liberty' which would make a great picture this 4th of July. We are in the 3rd year of the Obama take away 'Freedom' and 'Liberty' administration with all their regulations and deficit spending along with wanting to redistribute the wealth of the country. Obama and his loyalists encourage people to get government handouts and company bailouts for unions as well as bailouts for well connected Obama democrat bankers instead of encouraging individuals to work hard to achieve success. They are a part and parcel to the progressive agenda that the Government knows what is best for everyone.
Lowry shows a huge lack of understanding of the majority of Americans here in flyover country by going after Rick Perry for his comments about 'compassionate conservatism.' When Gov Perry talked about the Bush signature programs in November 2010 while in DC, a lot of us were applauding:
Perry, speaking with reporters over breakfast in Washington, cited two of Bush's signature presidential achievements - the Medicare drug benefit for seniors and the No Child Left Behind education law - as classic examples of burdensome, unaffordable policy
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"Those are both big government - but more importantly, they were Washington-centric," Perry said. "One size does not fit all, unless you're talking tube socks."
Perry's book, Fed Up! Our Fight to Save America From Washington, argues that Washington spends too much and has grabbed too much power at the expense of states. In it, Perry rejects Bush's idea of "compassionate conservatism" and criticizes the bailouts he initiated two years ago to stanch the economic crisis.
While Bush gets high marks for "keeping us free and keeping us safe," and history will judge him kindly, Perry said Monday, "it won't be based on fiscal issues."Rick Perry said what a lot of us have been thinking about President Bush's economic disaster when he went right along with the Congress on growing government. While President was strong on the military and defending our Country, he was democrat-lite on fiscal issues after his initial tax cuts and especially his 'compassionate conservatism' agenda.
We will never forget the night of the 2006 disaster when the Bush spokesman, Tony Snow conveyed that President Bush was pleased the Democrats had taken over:
White House spokesman Tony Snow said the Democratic takeover of the House presented “interesting opportunities,” including a chance to pass “comprehensive immigration reform” — i.e., the president’s plan for an illegal-alien amnesty and enormous increases in legal immigration, which failed only because of House Republican opposition..
At his press conference Wednesday, the president repeated this sentiment, citing immigration as “vital issue … where I believe we can find some common ground with the Democrats.”With those comments the week of that disaster of an election for Republicans, the support for President Bush eroded even more among people like me who were some of his biggest supporters in 2000 to where today we are totally opposed to 'compassionate conservatism' and recognize the Bush agenda helped create the financial problems that Obama and his loyalists have made much, much worse with their out of control spending for two years before the Republicans took over the House in last November's election.
We honestly thought Bush would be a smaller government President when we originally supported him and his tax cuts but his foray into education with 'No Child Left Behind' sounds good but went way too far and was not something that the Federal Government should be mandating to the states. We are big believers in education as is Governor Perry but he understands as well as anyone that throwing money and mandates at the problem is not the solution. We have learned schools spend so much time having their teachers prepare students for standardized tests that they did not have the time to teach much history and other subjects.
You need standards but these mandates to close schools if they were low performing was not the answer. How about firing administrators who allow the school to get in that condition, but continue to ask for huge increasing in funding for their poor performing schools. How much you spend on students by the state/federal governments does not translate into higher test scores as highlighted in an article about California schools from Bakersfield.com which shows some school districts spending less per student have higher scores.
We also object to President Bush's brother, Neil Bush, selling schools material so school districts in order for teachers to help their students pass the tests required by 'No Child Left Behind' which his brother as President pushed as one of his primary agendas through the Congress in coordination with Senator Kennedy (D-MA).
When we read this paragraph in the LA Times article of 30 June, we were once again reminded of Rick Perry's rousing speech at the Republican Leadership Conference:
The governor has little use for the philosophy Bush dubbed "compassionate conservatism." At a recent foray to the Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans, he told a cheering crowd that conservatives should "stand up" and "stop apologizing" for their beliefs.We also found the remarks in the LA Times article from the so-called upper crust of the Republican Party along with those of the former President George W Bush offensive:
To a certain upper crust of Republican, "Perry is the low-rent country cousin" who lacks Bush's prep-school polish, said R.G. Ratcliffe, a longtime student of Texas politics who iswriting a book about Perry. "They see him as a hick and are embarrassed having someone like that as governor."
Privately, the former president has spoken of his successor as a political lightweight and someone not all that bright. Perry scoffs behind closed doors at Bush's privileged background and popularity among country-club Republicans, suggesting the New England native is a faux Texan.
Perry's story is the kind of up-by-his-bootstraps saga that Bush might have scripted for himself, had he been able.
He grew up in West Texas, in a farm town so small it literally was not on the state map until Perry, as governor, put it there. Life was austere; Perry was 6 before the family had indoor plumbing. His mother sewed his clothes, including the underwear Perry wore to college.The vast majority of Americans do not grow up in a wealthy family. A lot of us had parents who worked hard to make ends meet and would spend their last nickle to make sure we had the necessities we needed. Not too many people we knew grew up as part of the upper crust of America. Those were the people you read stories about and watch on TV not your next door neighbor. We find it classless out of the former President to make these comments behind the scenes and since we have heard it before out some of the Texas elites, we are not surprised, disappointed yes, that he would say that. Something about President Bush talking about someone being not all that bright was not a bright statement to make in itself.
He graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in animalscience , joined the Air Force, then returned to farming.
Rick Perry earned his education and his wings as an Air Force pilot flying C-130's overseas after graduating from Texas A&M. No family member or friend got him into college or the Air Force. BTW, Rick Perry was in the regular Air Force not the Texas Air National Guard so no one can doubt his military service.
There is one thing that people across this Country admire that Lowry is missing the boat on -- someone who pulls themselves up from the bootstraps and becomes successful at whatever field they choose. Governor Rick Perry is the perfect example of that dream and and is someone who knows first hand what it takes to be successful and not have things handed to him. We will take the plain spoken man from Paint Creed, Texas, a very small town in West Texas, any day to someone with upper crust credentials. Having grown up in small town Ohio, we understand small towns and the values you get growing up there. On the 4th of July it was a trip to the to the local park for the festivities of playing games, eating funnel cakes and waffles, and watching local baseball teams try to win a 4th of July trophy before the fireworks.
Rich Lowry and his inside the beltway crowd along with the upper crust Country Club Republicans obviously don't understand how a lot of us who grew up in Middle America think. Only place our family lived around a bunch of snobs in all our transfers was in Massachusetts where if you were not born there, you were considered trash but then we lived in the small town that is home to Groton Schools for Boys (think Roosevelt) and The Lawrence Academy where upper crusts send their kids to prep schools.
Least friendly place in America we lived was New England except for northern Maine and New Hampshire where the the people from Massachusetts had not yet moved. Also worst school system my children attended. Teachers there were all about having ancestors who went back to the Revolutionary War in Massachusetts. Groton was part of the Paul Revere ride through the Countryside which we were reminded over and over again. My ancestors in Virginia who settled there in the 1600's didn't count as they were part of the 'low rent country cousin' to the people of Massachusetts who were some of the most arrogant people I have ever met and the least friendly.
My family's experience living in New England and especially Massachusetts is why I will never support anyone like the former Governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney for President. Unlike Lowry, I have no desire to ever again support a Country Club Republican for President.
This blog sums up the difference perfectly between Bush and Perry:
“Bush rose from Texas to the national stage in 1999 talking of his federal education agenda, the courage of single mothers, the power of drug and alcohol recovery programs, and the need for government to forge partnerships with faith organizations. Perry is emerging from Texas talking of the 10th Amendment, cutting government, defending freedom — and defending freedom some more.”Maybe Rich Lowry needs a history lesson on why our Founding Fathers declared American Independence against King George III and the British Government for their treatment of the American colonies:
The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States.We would bet money that the Founding Fathers who stood up to the tyranny of King George III and the British Government would have the same impression of 'compassionate conservatism' as we do since it led to growth of government with new mandates on the states and the people while usurping the rights of the states. Governor Rick Perry is a much better example of what the founding fathers were looking for in their leaders who were supporters of Liberty and Freedom from tyranny of the Government.
On this hot, sunny 4th of July in 2011, we are reminded what those brave patriots were willing to sacrifice for Liberty and Freedom and the words of the Declaration of Independence that ring as true today as when they were written:
IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America
When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
Excerpt: Read the Charges against King George III that are listed in the Declaration of Independence.The brave men who signed the Declaration of Independence would look favorably on someone like Governor Perry who stands up for the 10th amendment, freedom and liberty. It is not just words, but a deep passion with The Governor to see the Country return to where state's rights mean something and the Federal Government gets out of our every day lives with their mandates and regulations.
God Bless America and those men and women who fight around the world to continue to secure our freedom and liberty.
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