PrintApril 15, 2009
Texas' Gubernatorial GOP Primary Battle Lines Drawn
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.”Then, later, in the second question asked by reporters, the GOP primary battle surfaced.
Q. [Reporter] Governor, has Senator Hutchinson been an active participant in the extension of federal powers?The GOP gubernatorial primary race could become a leading test case between Republicans who’ve voted for the 2008 bailout bill, and/or the stimulus bill, versus challengers who will use their votes against them. Already Senator Hutchison has been referred to by opponents as Kay “Bailout” Hutchison.
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.
Perry may try to paint Hutchison as a “moderate” Republican who offered too much support to Obama’s big government spending. Hutchison may try to portray Perry as a governor who was unable to stem the tide of illegal immigration and who has little to show by way of statewide accomplishments for his time in office.
