From GULF TIMES:
Republican front-runner Rick Perry came under heavy fire on Social Security, jobs and his record in Texas in a heated US presidential debate on Monday as rivals tried to halt the governor’s momentum.
…snip…
Perry’s rivals questioned his claims about Texas job creation, his stance on illegal immigrants and an executive order he gave as governor, which he admitted was a mistake, that young girls be vaccinated for a sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer.
Original DVD coverPerry played defence numerous times, easing back from his earlier comments on Social Security and the Federal Reserve and deflecting where possible.
He softened his harsh criticism of the Social Security retirement programme and said he wanted to start “a legitimate conversation” about its future. Perry launched the Social Security fight last week when he called the programme a Ponzi scheme and a “monstrous lie.”
“The term Ponzi scheme I think is over the top and unnecessary and frightful to many people,” said [Mitt] Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, who pressed Perry on whether he still believed the retirement program should be shifted to the states and ended as a federal programme.
…snip…
“We’re frightening the American people, who just want solutions,” said Jon Huntsman, the former Utah governor, adding that Republicans could not win an election by promising to dismantle Social Security. “We’ve got the answers, we don’t have leaders,” he said.
Former US House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich said he was not worried about Romney and Perry frightening seniors “when President Obama scares them every day.”
Perry, a conservative Tea Party favourite, has zoomed past Romney to lead in opinion polls since entering the race last month.
…snip…
US Representative Michele Bachmann, whose campaign has faded badly in the last month after winning a straw poll in Iowa, targeted Perry over his executive order on the vaccine programme in Texas.
She accused Perry of issuing the order because his former chief of staff was a lobbyist for Merck & Co, the company that made the drug.
…snip…
Perry said Merck gave him a $5,000 donation. “If you’re saying that I can be bought for $5,000, I’m offended,” he said.
Bachmann shot back: “I’m offended for all the little girls and the parents who didn’t have a choice.”Romney said Perry’s record on job creation in Texas, which has outpaced most other states in adding new jobs, was the result of Perry’s lack of an income tax, natural resources and other factors rather than his policies.
“I think Governor Perry would agree with me that if you’re dealt four aces that doesn’t make you necessarily a great poker player,” Romney said.
HYSTERICAL RAISINS 
have you noticed the the Gay Blade from Texas – his hair is bit orange like these days.
last nite’s debate again proved that we are not a civilized nation – the cheering when he comment came up about (something like) let the uninsured person die – fits nicely after the round of applause on Gov Gayblade’s execution record
entertainment passing as leadership -only in the John Wayne movie known as America…..
“the cheering when he comment came up about (something like) let the uninsured person die – fits nicely after the round of applause on Gov Gayblade’s execution record”
I pointed out the connection between the two events along with what that means about what the Tea Partiers/Dominionists believe in Tell me now, which deity do the Dominionists really worship? The answer is both crazy and ugly.
maybe he spent $4700 on a new hairstyle and makeup like botox batshit bachmann.
omfg! i’m watching the daily show, and they had the beginning of the so-called debate! hilarious!! i think cnn has become teabagger news network.
Nonnie! 😀
Perry spent a lot of time looking dumb last night, and you captured his Dubya expression beautifully.
Man, that was a PAINFUL debate to watch. The bullshit flew faster than the bulls could produce. It was staggeringly, obnoxiously idiotic. 😯
Cattle laxatives are doing wonders now… 😉
if cattle watched rethuglican debates, they wouldn’t need laxatives.
melissa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😀 where have you been? i missed you!! 😥
did you feel the earthquake today?
i watched the first debate, but not this one. i haven’t watched anything on cnn for a long time. ever since they hired erick erickson, i decided that they aren’t any better than faux news.
Wow, I didn’t feel the quake, but that was close. I’ve been steeped in freelancing projects. I didn’t even have time to READ your posts and I almost always do that. I miss posting!
I don’t think I can bear another debate. My highlight turned out to be Herman Cain’s accent. Pitiful.
i miss you sooooo much, but i’m glad that you have lots of work.
It was a painful debate to watch, and I just watched the highlights. I watched MNF instead. There will be many more painful debates, I fear. These republican thugs are really dangerous. Especially Bachmann’s bullshit about the danger of getting inoculated against cervical cancer. I hope Bachmann is forced to name the woman who came up to her and if she cannot, it should not be difficult for the press to find her. There had to be witnesses to the conversation. I hate it when politicians and religious leaders get involved in public health.
they’re always traveling the country, and someone always seems to come up to them to tell them some story that just happens to fit in nicely with their particular line of bullshit. they never name names or give any specifics. they never bother to find out if what they supposedly heard is true. somehow, it’s enough that someone supposed said it, and the media just nod and let them get away with it.
Such a difficult evening for Ponzi. It’s such a hard life and so unfair. Ponzi has heard of unfair, just like this guy. As you can see, I’m just distraught over poor Ponzi’s plight and these horrible attacks he must endure. When will his suffering end?
But Ponzi is right, it’s appalling that anyone would think he could be bought for $5,000. He’s a professional damnit! His price is much higher than that. Now if they’d just ask that question of Ricky Scott in Florida. But I guess he gets a pass since he isn’t running for Il Duce and Grand Poobah of the world.
yeah, the ponz sure has it tough. $5K wouldn’t even be enough to keep him in aqua net for a month. now, $29,500 would be another story.
So have we seen the great slide of BBB into historical footnote status? Considering they completely took her comment about the HPV vaccine being a killer and tore it to pieces, and MSNBC corrected her over her Merck claim – it was actually more like $28,000 in total from Merck to Perry. The bits I saw of the debate had her looking pretty lame. One down?
i think she’ll stick around until at least south carolina. she loves microphones, so she won’t go away quietly. it’s a matter of how much money she can wring out of her supporters.
we should send her some money. keeping michelle in the game may just be the thing to wake the voters up to the incredible stupid on the horizon.
i’d send her some money, but i fear it would all go toward mascara. 😉
Perry is a national nightmare. He’s more like GW Bush than GW Bush.
But Gingrich seems to have taken on a comedic rim shot one liner guy persona.
Former US House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich said he was not worried about Romney and Perry frightening seniors “when President Obama scares them every day.”
On the first debate, he made some comment about the moderators trying to get them to infight…. when they are all just against Obama.
He does not actually seem to be campaigning for himself (as if he has a snowball’s chance….)…
i honestly don’t know why newtie is still allowed on the stage. he stands there like a dyspeptic dinosaur and is all but ignored by everyone.
you nailed it, fran. gov little ricky goodhair is more like chimpy than chimpy. little ricky is the walking talking stereotype chimpy was supposed to be.
Is that a FOX NEWS logo on the Don’t tread on me pattern of the tie?
Love the crucifix/ dollar sign, Guardisil business cards, & the corn dog microphone!
no faux news logo, just the don’t tread on me snake. the gardisil is actually a box, but it does look like business cards. thanks for noticing it! 😀 the corndog is my new little joke for the rethugs. for some reason, i think they’re hilarious. i used them the other day, but i don’t think anyone noticed. i kept waiting for someone to ask me what they were.
Love that Perry is being pounced on by the other GOP-TEA clan.
He’s having to tap dance as they call him out left & right.
Most entertaining.
i bet romney is glad to pass the piñata mantle to gov little ricky goodhair.
Debating Ponzi seems to be helping Romney. According to the Iowa Electronic Markets, Romney has been gaining on Perry in the Iowa Caucus market and is now slightly ahead in the nomination market.
http://tippie.uiowa.edu/iem/media/story.cfm?ID=2656
For once, Mitt actually looks smart.
mittsie never really looks dumb, he just looks (and is) inauthentic. he had no real convictions other than he wants to be president, and he thinks he’s entitled to the office.
Fave crapfest remark….”On my first day in office, I will drive all the Tsars out of Washington”. Can’t you just imagine a great army of republican pikemen advancing on those fleeing hoards of tsars, some whiping the sled horses, other fighting the ice flows of the Potomac……Best analylis of Parry the Puffed from Liz Winstead: “He’s a dollar store George Bush”.
i’ll take your word for it that it was a crapfest, jerry. i won’t watch anything on cnn, the crapfest network news. i did see the opening video over at crooks & liars. i didn’t know whether to laugh or smack myself in the head with a ballpeen hammer. i think that, when they have the great tsar drive out of washington, they hire the same person who made that video to make the adventure movie about it.
“To speak and to speak well are two things. A fool may talk, but a wise man speaks.” ~Ben Jonson
…. I have yet to see a wise republican …… speak
i remember some from the past, but i think wise rethuglicans went the way of the dinosaurs, jimm.
He’s been bashing Massachusetts constantly. Tuesday, he’s in Boston giving a speech to some conservative what ever it was, and was praising Massachusetts. He’s a two faced dumb as a door nail asshole.
they have no real convictions, don. the rethugs hate, hate, hate france. they can’t bash it enough. however, where did nikki haley go to supposedly look for business for south carolina? paris! stayed in those elitist 4 star hotels, too.