Trump-Perry Border War/Colorado Contraception

Texas Politics


 

 

Rick Perry has done more than perhaps any other politician to make the U.S. border with Mexico a hot political topic. Suddenly, New Jersey developer and reality show mogul Donald Trump has stolen the issue.

Some Perry critics think the former Texas governor committed hundreds of millions of tax dollars to send 1,000 National Guard troops to the border more to boost his second try for president than to protect the border.

Local border officials said adding the guard atop the U.S. Border Patrol and state and local law enforcement was unnecessary, and gave a lawless taint to an area that they say is actually pretty safe.

Trump captured the illegal immigration issue while announcing for president June 16.

“When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best,” Trump charged. “They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people,” he added, throwing a small bone.

If that sounds familiar, it should. It’s a sensationalized playback of Perry’s remarks a year ago, in justifying sending the troops on top of the law enforcement forces already there.

“Drug cartels, human traffickers and individual criminals are exploiting this tragedy for their own criminal opportunities,” Mr. Perry said. “I will not stand idly by while our citizens are under assault, and little children from Central America are detained in squalor.”

Mexican gangs benefitted because American and Texas authorities were occupied with illegal immigrants crossing from Central America through Mexico.

The guard activation was to cost about $12 million a month. Perry and other Republican officials planned to send the bill to the feds. When Republicans Greg Abbott and Dan Patrick were campaigning last year for governor and lieutenant governor, both made border security a priority.

And now, Trump is repeating it back to Perry, who responded that he knows more about the border, and cares more about Hispanics, than Trump – who said he loves the Mexican people, even while vilifying their illegal immigrants. Perry has been eyeing the top-ten Fox TV debate cutoff in early August, seeking to stay news-worthy. Besides, the border is his issue.

“Donald Trump does not represent the Republican Party,” Perry charged.

A three-minute Perry video blamed border problems on Obama administration inaction. And Trump’s Mexican criticism may fit his “You’re Fired!” mock job interview TV persona, but isn’t presidential.

“Your remarks might make for good reality TV,” Perry said to the camera, “but they’re way out of touch with reality.”

By contrast, another Texas candidate hot on the border, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, called Trump “terrific.”

“I am proud to stand with Donald Trump,” Cruz said — maybe hoping for support from Trump aficianados if Trump’s shrill campaign fades. “I like Donald Trump.”

Another Texas-connected candidate is former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. Brother George W. was Texas’ governor before election to the job Jeb now seeks. Son George P. is the state’s new land commissioner.

The cautious Jeb, whose $114 million in campaign and Super PAC fundraising dwarfs his competitors, initially tried to play No-Trump. Even with Mexican-born wife Columba, volunteering for a shouting match about Mexico with a reality show host was bordering on stupid.

But more than two weeks after Trump’s first immigrant-bashing, Jeb was trapped by inquisitive reporters after a New Hampshire Fourth of July parade.

Trump, he said, is “way out of the mainstream” of the party.

“To make these extraordinarily ugly kind of comments is not reflective of the Republican Party,” Mr. Bush said of Mr. Trump, whose remarks caused NBC, Univision, Macy’s and others to cut ties with him.

“He’s doing this — he’s not a stupid guy, so I don’t assume he thinks that every Mexican crossing the border is a rapist,” Bush said. “He’s doing this to inflame and incite and to draw attention, which seems to be the organizing principle of his campaign.”

To win, Jeb said, Republicans have to be “hopeful and optimistic and big and broad rather than . . . just angry all the time. This is an exaggerated form of that, and there is no tolerance for it.”

Jeb’s instinct to avoid mudfights proved correct. Trump’s response statement:

“Today, Jeb Bush once again proves that he is out of touch with the American people. Just like the simple question asked of Jeb on Iraq, where it took him five days and multiple answers to get it right, he doesn’t understand anything about the border or border security. In fact, Jeb believes illegal immigrants who break our laws when they cross our border come ‘out of love.’ ”

The reality show host is determined to have the last word.

Meanwhile, Republicans hoping to court Hispanic voters consider “Trump” an expletive they’d like to see deleted.

DAVE MCNEELY is a political columnist. You may contact him at davemcneely111@ gmail or (512)458 2963.


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