Texas Governor Rick Perry opened fire on his likely leading challenger in the GOP gubernatorial primary campaign in 2010, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison.

Last week, Perry announced his support of Texas House Concurrent Resolution (HRC) 50.  It reaffirms states’ rights under the 10th Amendment.  But there’s more to his support of HRC 50 than federal versus states’ rights.

It was Perry’s opening shot in a GOP primary battle against Hutchison in a contest that promises to be bitter and hard fought.  

On April 9, Perry stood with a bipartisan group of HRC 50 supporters and said,

“I believe that the federal government has become oppressive. I believe it’s become oppressive in its size, its intrusion in the lives of our citizens, and its interference with the affairs of our state.”

Q. [Reporter] Governor, has Senator Hutchinson been an active participant in the extension of federal powers?
A. [Perry] I would suggest that there are a number of folks in Washington D.C. that have seen the federal powers being expanded, she being one of them.
Q. In what ways, in what things, has she…
A. I’ll get you the long and distinguished list of those shortly.