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I'm not exactly sure what's going on with the gubernatorial race these days. I'm confused. Unless these guys have just decided to run civil, respectful campaigns and I'm in some parallel universe, these should be heady, riveting times yet there's nothing sturdier than oatmeal coming out of either camp. We've witnessed a couple of chest thumpings and some minor finger pointing but don't you think that we should be shrieking in disbelief at the revelations, accusations and self-proclamations by now? Shouldn't we be having heated discussions with folks with whom we know better than to bring up politics? This is the big one, guys. And we only have 90 days till the fat lady sings.
Perry's been in place for what, nine years, almost ten? His cronyism and pomposity are legendary. He presides over an $18 billion budget deficit while living in a swank rental mansion for which we're footing the tab. He ponied up $2.5 million in taxpayer money in an attempt to subsidize a state-funded grant for a company ironically founded by the same campaign contributor who enabled him to snag a half million dollar profit on a land deal the following year. (The company actually rescinded its grant request to the Texas Enterprise Fund as it began laying folks off rather than creating the 850 jobs it promised to secure the grant, but still, Perry tried.) He has shady land deals all over the place and calls them shrewd business opportunities that anyone could have partaken of in the real estate market of the past decade. Dang. I reckon I would have had better luck with my investments if I could have appointed some of these rich old guys as university regents and state committee chairs in exchange for their bargain-basement deals and hefty campaign contributions.
Perry threatened to secede from the Union, for chrisakes, and all White has on him is that he's a chicken for refusing to debate him? Come on. I agree that it is petty and shortsighted of Perry to hold this public debate for ransom, but really, what's up with White not releasing his tax records? We all know that he is a lawyer and a businessman and that he made deal after deal to turn a profit (see above). Just put the information out there and let us decide for ourselves who we can trust to lead our state into this next decade. White insults us all with his willingness to defer our access to information in lieu of protecting his business partners' interests. You are either in the private sector or the public. Act accordingly.
I guess most disturbing to me, though, were White's latest TV ads citing Perry's ties to big pharmaceutical companies and then denouncing Gardasil as bad medicine in its closing statement. I'm sorry, the vaccine that helps prevent cervical cancer is bad medicine? Talk about shortsighted. I just have to write this one off as bad, bad advice. Perry calls White the dreaded "Washington insider" because he worked for the Department of Energy fifteen years ago and because he is a Democrat. He chides him for his profiteering in the wake of Hurricane Rita and on his stance on gun control. Yawn. I get a feeling that neither of these guy's handlers are willing to unleash their candidates publicly for fear of them saying something so incredibly stupid that no amount of spin will rectify it before November. "Just keep yer heads tucked, boys."
Lately I'm getting this creepy visual of two awkward teenagers, the head cheerleader and the captain of the debate team, somehow forced to slow dance in the spotlight at the senior prom while we gawk, horrified but mesmerized, on the sidelines. They both peer out at us and roll their eyes in indignation, grinding each other's toes, neither one seemingly capable of leading but both unwilling to cede the floor, as they wear a groove in the hardwoods in their perpetual circle. Heads up, boys, it's time for somebody to bust a move.
Copyright 2010 The Free Press, Buda, Texas. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from SmallTownPapers, Inc.
© 2010 The Free Press Buda, Texas. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.
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