The Rick Perry Mug Shot Was Delicious, If You’re Rick Perry
There’s a saying that goes something like this: “If you shoot the king, you’d better kill him.” This means, if you don’t, he’ll get you. Newt .Gingrich learned this when he went after President Clinton. The GOP will learn that lesson again if they impeach President Obama, though they may get a smaller lesson with the lawsuit they just brought against him (the first judge that hears it is going to throw in out in a heartbeat).
If I were he, I’d be smiling, too
Some on the right claim that the Clinton impeachment was some sort of payback for Watergate. And that kind of thinking permeates our political culture. During President George W. Bush’s time in the White House, some on the left wanted to impeach him. They had their reasons, but at its heart, it was payback from the Clinton scandals. Personally, I think forcing Gingrich (and the guy after him) to resign in disgrace was all the payback I needed. Then again, I do not confuse political disagreement with illegality.
The current U.S. House does. To sane people, what happened in Benghazi was a tragedy. To others, it was treason. So was the complete incompetence at the IRS. And none of the executive orders signed under Presidente Obama exceed any of his powers. It’s all political theatre at its worst. The people who want to impeach or sue Obama just don’t like him.
This political tit-for-tat is not new, but it has got to stop.
Perry will soon leave the state house in Texas. He will then run for president, again. While he looks a lot smarter and a bit better, no one considers him a real contender for the White House, but his fundraising got a kick-start by this nonsensical indictment. If I were he I would have gone out for ice cream, too.
Copyright 2014 Liberaland
By: Alyson Chadwick
Alyson Chadwick is a political/news junkie and New Yorker transplanted to Washington, DC and currently working in Florida. Her career has included work on five presidential cycles, both sides of Capitol Hill, the 2012 Democratic Convention, Clinton White House, United Nations and multiple local and statewide campaigns. She is also a sad Met fan, which could be the most redundant sentence ever.
77 responses to The Rick Perry Mug Shot Was Delicious, If You’re Rick Perry
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sockbunny08 August 20th, 2014 at 12:27
My desire to impeach Bush had to do with his lying the country into war, bankrupting the economy, public trust and world standing. YOUR DESIRE might have been payback for the Clinton impeachment but you certainly don’t speak for me or anyone I know.
Bunya August 20th, 2014 at 13:39
Imagine how we must look to the rest of the world.
We impeach the democratic president for sexual indescretions while serving in the White house, and do nothing to the republican president for obvious war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Alyson Chadwick August 20th, 2014 at 17:49
Clinton was impeached for perjury. I mean that was the charge they brought against him. They really just wanted to get rid of president whom they didn’t like and who was better at politics than them.
Oh, side note: I worked for him for a good deal of his presidency so I am all pro-Clinton.
sockbunny08 August 23rd, 2014 at 21:12
Well, he did perjure himself. I have affection for Clinton, but he was a liar of the highest order, albeit in his personal life. Only. I think. Maybe, We can’t know. He could have lied about other things. He has balls, for sure, to go on national television and lie with gravitas. He also opened the WH door for George W. Bush. For that, I will never forgive him.
Bunya August 25th, 2014 at 12:34
But seriously, they found investigating his sexual indescretions of such extreme importantance that taxpayer money had to be allocated to fund it? Who, besides me and the rest of the world, find this absurd? I know this is old news, but it still infuriates, and embarrasses, me.
sockbunny08 September 2nd, 2014 at 19:38
Oh I agree. They paid that schmuck to dig something up on Clinton. Anything at all, since Whitewater and Vince Foster, etc. didn’t work out for them. But, they got him and the ripple effect of his inability to admit to the truth is still HUGE. Hillary’s lying about Bosnia – there just doesn’t seem to be a lot of wisdom in that family. Intelligence yes – wisdom no.
sockbunny08 August 23rd, 2014 at 21:08
While I completely agree with you, I believe President Obama would have been a one-termer had he moved on plans to impeach W. And no, absolutely NO, to the question of would it have been “worth it” to put W & Cheney in jail, and have had another POTUS in 2012. Our economy would have continued to decline & take everything else with it, and yet we would still have hundreds of thousands of returning military & veterans to care for, no ACA, no Consumer Protection Board, no historically high CAFE standards on fleet vehicles, no end to DADT, no form of a Dream Act and so on. While everyone whines Obama isn’t that great, he has accomplished a great deal. And I mean a great deal relative to other Presidents – all other Presidents.
I have always fantasized that The Hague would bring charges vs. W and Cheney. That would be righteous.
Bunya August 25th, 2014 at 11:51
I understand Obama’s reasons why we didn’t impeach the Bush crime family, but image what other countries must think, “these Americans are so crazy. They think lying about a BJ is an impeachable offense, but committing war crimes and crimes against humanity are not”. I think it shows to the rest of the world where are priorities lie.
sockbunny08 August 25th, 2014 at 17:31
It shows them how tenaciously insane the RWNJs are. Bill Clinton lied to a grand jury <—– THAT is impeachable. Of course I know he was set up, & that pisses me off, but he was an idiot for doing that as our President.
Alyson Chadwick August 20th, 2014 at 17:47
I didn’t want him to be impeached. I was totally against it.
sockbunny08 August 23rd, 2014 at 20:59
I was taking issue with one of the author’s very premises – “but at its heart, it was payback from the Clinton scandals.” I think I was pretty clear about that? I do not understand your comment.
olford August 22nd, 2014 at 14:51
Unless you not noticed Bush and Clinton are already gone, split milk, let it go and get to facing the threats of now. Please, lets unite and start taking care of each other and get honest and real. How about truth built on principles of our honest brokers, we have good people here. Lets rebuild together.
sockbunny08 August 20th, 2014 at 12:27
My desire to impeach Bush had to do with his lying the country into war, bankrupting the economy, public trust and world standing. YOUR DESIRE might have been payback for the Clinton impeachment but you certainly don’t speak for me or anyone I know.
Bunya August 20th, 2014 at 13:39
Imagine how we must look to the rest of the world.
We impeach the democratic president for sexual indescretions while serving in the White house, and do nothing to the republican president for obvious war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Alyson Chadwick August 20th, 2014 at 17:49
Clinton was impeached for perjury. I mean that was the charge they brought against him. They really just wanted to get rid of president whom they didn’t like and who was better at politics than them.
Oh, side note: I worked for him for a good deal of his presidency so I am all pro-Clinton.
sockbunny08 August 23rd, 2014 at 21:12
Well, he did perjure himself. I have affection for Clinton, but he was a liar of the highest order, albeit in his personal life. Only. I think. Maybe, We can’t know. He could have lied about other things. He has balls, for sure, to go on national television and lie with gravitas. He also opened the WH door for George W. Bush. For that, I will never forgive him.
Bunya August 25th, 2014 at 12:34
But seriously, they found investigating his sexual indescretions of such extreme importantance that taxpayer money had to be allocated to fund it? Who, besides me and the rest of the world, find this absurd? I know this is old news, but it still infuriates, and embarrasses, me.
sockbunny08 September 2nd, 2014 at 19:38
Oh I agree. They paid that schmuck to dig something up on Clinton. Anything at all, since Whitewater and Vince Foster, etc. didn’t work out for them. But, they got him and the ripple effect of his inability to admit to the truth is still HUGE. Hillary’s lying about Bosnia – there just doesn’t seem to be a lot of wisdom in that family. Intelligence yes – wisdom no.
sockbunny08 August 23rd, 2014 at 21:08
While I completely agree with you, I believe President Obama would have been a one-termer had he moved on plans to impeach W. And no, absolutely NO, to the question of would it have been “worth it” to put W & Cheney in jail, and have had another POTUS in 2012. Our economy would have continued to decline & take everything else with it, and yet we would still have hundreds of thousands of returning military & veterans to care for, no ACA, no Consumer Protection Board, no historically high CAFE standards on fleet vehicles, no end to DADT, no form of a Dream Act and so on. While everyone whines Obama isn’t that great, he has accomplished a great deal. And I mean a great deal relative to other Presidents – all other Presidents.
I have always fantasized that The Hague would bring charges vs. W and Cheney. That would be righteous.
Bunya August 25th, 2014 at 11:51
I understand Obama’s reasons why we didn’t impeach the Bush crime family, but image what other countries must think, “these Americans are so crazy. They think lying about a BJ is an impeachable offense, but committing war crimes and crimes against humanity are not”. I think it shows to the rest of the world where are priorities lie.
sockbunny08 August 25th, 2014 at 17:31
It shows them how tenaciously insane the RWNJs are. Bill Clinton lied to a grand jury <—– THAT is impeachable. Of course I know he was set up, & that pisses me off, but he was an idiot for doing that as our President.
Alyson Chadwick August 20th, 2014 at 17:47
I didn’t want him to be impeached. I was totally against it.
sockbunny08 August 23rd, 2014 at 20:59
I was taking issue with one of the author’s very premises – “but at its heart, it was payback from the Clinton scandals.” I think I was pretty clear about that? I do not understand your comment.
olf August 22nd, 2014 at 14:51
Unless you have not noticed Bush and Clinton are already gone, split milk, let it go and get to facing the threats of now. Please, lets unite and start taking care of each other and get honest and real. How about truth built on principles of our honest brokers, we have good people here. Lets rebuild together.
tiredoftea August 20th, 2014 at 13:05
I don’t know if the author intended this to be read as snark, it may be. But, there is no equivalence between the politically motivated Clinton impeachment by the right and the non-impeachment of the war criminal Bush. That Obama hasn’t pursued him is likely an impeachable offense in itself. As for Perry, while the indictment might be weak, it is genuine and the preening ass deserves to be brought up on the charges. The Texas Governor’s office is a weak one, the legislature there holds the power, so a governor has few levers to disrupt government. Using his ability to withdraw funding to a state agency is one of the few things a Texas Governor can do, and his intention was to be punish the agency head for her refusal to step down.
mea_mark August 20th, 2014 at 14:01
That and she was investigating him for corruption.
Alyson Chadwick August 20th, 2014 at 17:46
Investigating for does not equal finding guilty. That case will be thrown out and he will make millions for his campaign.
Dwendt44 August 20th, 2014 at 20:10
Don’t bet the farm on that. If the case is heard in Austin, it’s a fairly liberal city in a state gone right wing crazy.
Alyson Chadwick August 21st, 2014 at 01:30
Really? And the New York Times thinks it’s crap. Sure, they’re alone on the left in seeing this for what it is. Meanwhile, Perry gets to raise beaucoup $. If that’s the goal, it was achieved. I doubt it was.
mea_mark August 20th, 2014 at 21:53
It doesn’t matter, Perry was attacking her and the department because he did questionable things and should have been investigated. That is retaliation and abuse of power. The DUI is not why Perry wanted her gone.
sockbunny08 August 23rd, 2014 at 20:54
You don’t have any idea what will happen. What campaign? If he’s running for POTUS again, I would love that. He’s entertaining either way.
olford August 22nd, 2014 at 14:54
Honest people accept their mistake and resign. End of conversation, Amen
tiredoftea August 20th, 2014 at 13:05
I don’t know if the author intended this to be read as snark, it may be. But, there is no equivalence between the politically motivated Clinton impeachment by the right and the non-impeachment of the war criminal Bush. That Obama hasn’t pursued him is likely an impeachable offense in itself. As for Perry, while the indictment might be weak, it is genuine and the preening ass deserves to be brought up on the charges. The Texas Governor’s office is a weak one, the legislature there holds the power, so a governor has few levers to disrupt government. Using his ability to withdraw funding to a state agency is one of the few things a Texas Governor can do, and his intention was to be punish the agency head for her refusal to step down.
mea_mark August 20th, 2014 at 14:01
That and she was investigating him for corruption.
Alyson Chadwick August 20th, 2014 at 17:46
Investigating for does not equal finding guilty. That case will be thrown out and he will make millions for his campaign.
Dwendt44 August 20th, 2014 at 20:10
Don’t bet the farm on that. If the case is heard in Austin, it’s a fairly liberal city in a state gone right wing crazy.
Alyson Chadwick August 21st, 2014 at 01:30
Really? And the New York Times thinks it’s crap. Sure, they’re alone on the left in seeing this for what it is. Meanwhile, Perry gets to raise beaucoup $. If that’s the goal, it was achieved. I doubt it was.
mea_mark August 20th, 2014 at 21:53
It doesn’t matter, Perry was attacking her and the department because he did questionable things and should have been investigated. That is retaliation and abuse of power. The DUI is not why Perry wanted her gone.
sockbunny08 August 23rd, 2014 at 20:54
You don’t have any idea what will happen. What campaign? If he’s running for POTUS again, I would love that. He’s entertaining either way.
olf August 22nd, 2014 at 14:54
Honest people accept their mistake and resign. End of conversation, Amen
mrsgunka August 20th, 2014 at 14:16
This is a joke? Right? Is this Libruland’s idea of “Fair and Balanced”? Need more coffee!
Alyson Chadwick August 20th, 2014 at 17:45
Seriously?
mrsgunka August 20th, 2014 at 14:16
This is a joke? Right? Is this Libruland’s idea of “Fair and Balanced”? Need more coffee!
Alyson Chadwick August 20th, 2014 at 17:45
Seriously?
Alyson Chadwick August 20th, 2014 at 17:55
You know, I appreciate the responses and as much as I love snark, this wasn’t meant to be that. I have no doubt that people who called for W’s impeachment are sincere in their reasons. But you all have to get that the other side who supported impeaching Clinton then and want to impeach Obama now are sincere in their thoughts. They believe they committed crimes and violated their oaths.
The real problem, and this is what I meant by tit-for tat is that party officials use people’s feelings about this to their own end. There’s no way Watergate was payback for anything, unless prosecuting a criminal is payback but people think it is. This Perry suit is just overreach and only helps him.
Dwendt44 August 20th, 2014 at 20:08
Those that wanted to impeach Bush HAD a reason, a real one. He started a war with a bold face lie, if not for other reasons.
This ‘impeach ’em ’cause we don’t like him’ is just political nonsense.
Alyson Chadwick August 21st, 2014 at 01:27
Look, I opposed the war in Iraq. I don’t make predictions often but back in 1999 when I heard W was running, I said if he got into the White House, we’d go to war with Iraq. The lies they told were to convince the public. Congress authorized (and I adore Tom Daschle but he was an expert in looking at some of the arial photographs and he voted FOR the war, as did Hillary.
trees August 21st, 2014 at 03:02
A lie is a deliberate deception, the word is a strong word. To make the claim that the Bush administration lied for the purposes of going to war, simply for the sake of going to war, and lied in the absence of evidence to achieve this end is beyond ridiculous, it’s reckless. Now, hindsight is 20/20, and we can debate whether things would be better for us with Sadam still in power, but one thing is certain, and that is that there is a large number of religious zealots who will not cease in their efforts to harm Americans. Terrorism is neither new, nor an uniquely American problem. Until we accept and acknowledge that the threat is absolutely real, and take real steps to crush it’s practitioners, we will suffer it’s consequences. They are committed, even if we are not. That’s the reality.
olford August 22nd, 2014 at 14:43
We want arrested for dereliction of duty. He took an oath to up hold, the constitution of the United States of America, carry out the duties of the laws of the land and he has only enforced laws when he likes them or politic convenient. He has also abused his power to send government agency’s after people he doesn’t not like. IRS, NSA, DOJ, and so on. The guy lies every time he speaks. He cannot be trusted about any security issues. We don’t like liars. And color has nothing to do with it at all. He could be purple, white, green, red and yellow or any other array of personal attributes and it’s still his conduct of dishonesty that disqualifies him. Now take that truth to the bank.
sockbunny08 August 23rd, 2014 at 20:46
YOU’VE GOT NOTHING on Obama. He’s so clean and competent that it makes you blind. You’re also illiterate – that is no coincidence.
tiredoftea August 20th, 2014 at 22:44
No, sorry. W, Cheney and several of his war criminal administration admitted to war crimes. Clinton got a blow job and tried being too clever in steering around his problems. War crimes are serious and actionable, or should be. Making the false equivalence argument makes you to be more of a Republican than not.
Alyson Chadwick August 20th, 2014 at 17:55
You know, I appreciate the responses and as much as I love snark, this wasn’t meant to be that. I have no doubt that people who called for W’s impeachment are sincere in their reasons. But you all have to get that the other side who supported impeaching Clinton then and want to impeach Obama now are sincere in their thoughts. They believe they committed crimes and violated their oaths.
The real problem, and this is what I meant by tit-for tat is that party officials use people’s feelings about this to their own end. There’s no way Watergate was payback for anything, unless prosecuting a criminal is payback but people think it is. This Perry suit is just overreach and only helps him.
Dwendt44 August 20th, 2014 at 20:08
Those that wanted to impeach Bush HAD a reason, a real one. He started a war with a bold face lie, if not for other reasons.
This ‘impeach ’em ’cause we don’t like him’ is just political nonsense.
Alyson Chadwick August 21st, 2014 at 01:27
Look, I opposed the war in Iraq. I don’t make predictions often but back in 1999 when I heard W was running, I said if he got into the White House, we’d go to war with Iraq. The lies they told were to convince the public. Congress authorized (and I adore Tom Daschle but he was an expert in looking at some of the arial photographs and he voted FOR the war, as did Hillary.
trees August 21st, 2014 at 03:02
A lie is a deliberate deception, the word is a strong word. To make the claim that the Bush administration lied for the purposes of going to war, simply for the sake of going to war, and lied in the absence of evidence to achieve this end is beyond ridiculous, it’s reckless. Now, hindsight is 20/20, and we can debate whether things would be better for us with Sadam still in power, but one thing is certain, and that is that there is a large number of religious zealots who will not cease in their efforts to harm Americans. Terrorism is neither new, nor an uniquely American problem. Until we accept and acknowledge that the threat is absolutely real, and take real steps to crush it’s practitioners, we will suffer it’s consequences. They are committed, even if we are not. That’s the reality.
sockbunny08 August 23rd, 2014 at 20:50
Wow. Were you alive when we were lied into Iraq? Ask Dick Armey, founder of the tea party movement & then-congressman if Dick Cheney deliberately lied to get us into war? Note the date on the article: This is not news!
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Author_Cheney_has_been_first_deputy_0916.html
olf August 22nd, 2014 at 14:43
We want arrested for dereliction of duty. He took an oath to up hold, the constitution of the United States of America, carry out the duties of the laws of the land and he has only enforced laws when he likes them or politic convenient. He has also abused his power to send government agency’s after people he doesn’t not like. IRS, NSA, DOJ, and so on. The guy lies every time he speaks. He cannot be trusted about any security issues. We don’t like liars. And color has nothing to do with it at all. He could be purple, white, green, red and yellow or any other array of personal attributes and it’s still his conduct of dishonesty that disqualifies him. Now take that truth to the bank.
sockbunny08 August 23rd, 2014 at 20:46
YOU’VE GOT NOTHING on Obama. He’s so clean and competent that it makes you blind. You’re also illiterate – that is no coincidence.
tiredoftea August 20th, 2014 at 22:44
No, sorry. W, Cheney and several of his war criminal administration admitted to war crimes. Clinton got a blow job and tried being too clever in steering around his problems. War crimes are serious and actionable, or should be. Making the false equivalence argument makes you to be more of a Republican than not.
Dwendt44 August 20th, 2014 at 20:11
Perry can use the photo in his campaign literature.
tiredoftea August 20th, 2014 at 22:39
And, will!
Alyson Chadwick August 21st, 2014 at 01:21
I second that.
Dwendt44 August 20th, 2014 at 20:11
Perry can use the photo in his campaign literature.
tiredoftea August 20th, 2014 at 22:39
And, will!
Alyson Chadwick August 21st, 2014 at 01:21
I second that.
trees August 20th, 2014 at 22:34
Alyson Chadwick, you are a breath of fresh air. Tell me what you think about Lois Lerner and the IRS…. I’m having a rather difficult time believing that all those hard drives, (6), crashed and that those emails are irrecoverable…..
Alyson Chadwick August 21st, 2014 at 01:23
That’s nice of you but you won’t when I tell you I think incompetence is bad but it isn’t criminal. The outcry on the Hill is just an excuse to bash Obama.
trees August 21st, 2014 at 02:03
6 mysterious hard drive crashes, all people central to the investigation…hmmm…. and we can’t seem to recover the information from the server, double hmmmm….
I don’t think this is about “getting Obama”, for the sake of getting Obama. This is about an abuse of power, much as Watergate was. Watergate wasn’t about “getting Nixon”.
Or was this really just a couple “rogue agents” in Cincinnati acting without direction?
C’mon, really?
Alyson Chadwick August 21st, 2014 at 09:39
While I agree that the missing data is something that should be investigated, that’s not what Darrell Issa cares about. I don’t know what your experience is with him but I have spent more hours attending his hearings and know too much about Congress (I worked on both sides of the Hill but also worked for a service that covered it) and his interests are ENTIRELY partisan. There will be no truth finding from him.
So where to bring that? The bad news is nowhere. The House is only interested in getting rid of Obama. (When the House was impeaching Clinton then GA Congressman Bob Barr opined “If we can’t get rid of him through impeachment, what are our other options?) And no one who feels the way you do will trust the Justice Dept. This another problem with the extreme partisanship in our government. I wish I had an answer for that but I don’t.
trees August 20th, 2014 at 22:34
Alyson Chadwick, you are a breath of fresh air. Tell me what you think about Lois Lerner and the IRS…. I’m having a rather difficult time believing that all those hard drives, (6), crashed and that those emails are irrecoverable…..
Alyson Chadwick August 21st, 2014 at 01:23
That’s nice of you but you won’t when I tell you I think incompetence is bad but it isn’t criminal. The outcry on the Hill is just an excuse to bash Obama.
trees August 21st, 2014 at 02:03
6 mysterious hard drive crashes, all people central to the investigation…hmmm…. and we can’t seem to recover the information from the server, double hmmmm….
I don’t think this is about “getting Obama”, for the sake of getting Obama. This is about an abuse of power, much as Watergate was. Watergate wasn’t about “getting Nixon”.
Or was this really just a couple “rogue agents” in Cincinnati acting without direction?
C’mon, really?
Alyson Chadwick August 21st, 2014 at 09:39
While I agree that the missing data is something that should be investigated, that’s not what Darrell Issa cares about. I don’t know what your experience is with him but I have spent more hours attending his hearings and know too much about Congress (I worked on both sides of the Hill but also worked for a service that covered it) and his interests are ENTIRELY partisan. There will be no truth finding from him.
So where to bring that? The bad news is nowhere. The House is only interested in getting rid of Obama. (When the House was impeaching Clinton then GA Congressman Bob Barr opined “If we can’t get rid of him through impeachment, what are our other options?) And no one who feels the way you do will trust the Justice Dept. This another problem with the extreme partisanship in our government. I wish I had an answer for that but I don’t.
Alyson Chadwick August 21st, 2014 at 01:49
I have to put this here. I see where you might think *I* think the IRS thing was treason I DO NOT. I think it was stupidity. Darrell Issa had as much interest in getting to the bottom of this as I have of being eaten alive by wolves.
Alyson Chadwick August 21st, 2014 at 01:49
I have to put this here. I see where you might think *I* think the IRS thing was treason I DO NOT. I think it was stupidity. Darrell Issa had as much interest in getting to the bottom of this as I have of being eaten alive by wolves.
Lwayno August 21st, 2014 at 08:40
But! why didn’t he wear his “Smart” glasses???
Lwayno August 21st, 2014 at 08:40
But! why didn’t he wear his “Smart” glasses???