Perry Ups Ante With Flat Tax Plan

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In his effort to reboot his struggling presidential campaign, Texas Gov. Rick Perry made a statement Tuesday morning with a starkly conservative flat tax proposal. The plan would set personal income and corporate taxes at 20 percent, would eliminate the capital gains and estate tax, and would be paired with a commitment, and eventually a constitutional amendment, to bring federal spending down to 18 percentof gross domestic product. The plan was crafted with the help of magazine publisher Steve Forbes, who used a similar plan in his unsuccessful runs for the White House in 1996 and 2000.

Already, it may have succeeded by drawing a sharp contrast with his chief rival, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, whose 59-point economic plan has been attacked for being too complicated, and for stopping short of a single-rate flat tax. Perry's plan may shore up support from the anti-tax, libertarian-leaning side of the conservative movement. "It's better than anything on the table right now," says Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform. Norquist had been critical of businessman Herman Cain's "9-9-9" proposal, which includes a 9 percent flat income tax but would create a new national sales tax. Chris Chocola, a former Indiana representative and current president of the Club for Growth, an anti-tax advocacy group which is a major player in GOP primary politics, praised Perry and blasted Romney for failing to offer up a similar plan. "I continue to be disappointed that Governor Romney has yet to embrace a flat or fair tax," Chocola said in a written statement. "He would be wise to avoid using class warfare when comparing his current proposals to those of Governor Perry or Herman Cain."

[Is Herman Cain's 9-9-9 plan a good idea?]

But despite the support from die-hard anti-tax activists, the plan is raising questions from some conservatives. For one thing, like Forbes' plan, it's optional. Taxpayers could opt to keep their current rate, and whatever deductions they enjoy, rather than going into the new plan. "It undermines the claim that he's sweeping away the very complexity of the current code," says Alan Viard, an economist with the conservative American Enterprise Institute. "I was very disappointed to see that feature." Even if taxpayers opt into the new system, if they make less than $500,000 a year they can still keep deductions for charity, for interest on their mortgages, and for local and state tax deductions, annoying those who say that the United States needs to clear away all tax deductions. Daniel Mitchell, an economist with the libertarian Cato Institute, criticized the plan for continuing those deductions, but said it overall was an improvement. "It's no big surprise that it doesn't measure up to my idea of perfection," he says.

[Vote Now: Who Is Your Pick for the Republican Nomination?]

The plan ensures that the government will collect less in revenue than it did before, Viard argued. Even if it weren't optional, the new tax rates would amount to an overall tax cut at a time when the government faces gigantic deficits. But because it is optional, in a way it's more of a series of targeted tax breaks than a total tax overhaul—those who would pay less in taxes would opt for the new system, those who would pay more would stick with the old. While that makes some activists such as Norquist happy—he's long advocated lowering taxes as a way to eventually shrink the size of government—Viard says it's dangerous to cut off government revenue while federal deficits continue to climb. While Perry also laid out some ideas of how to cut the federal budget, including eventually raising the eligibility age of Social Security, it's still not entirely clear how he could reduce spending by enough to cover the difference.

Despite the questions, Perry's flat tax proposal is likely just what his campaign needed, a chance to define himself as the serious conservative alternative to Romney. But he'll have to show he can master the details of complex policy before he wins over skeptics.

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Rick Perry unveils flat tax plan

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25 October 2011 Last updated at 20:52 GMT Rick Perry raised $17m in campaign financing during the third quarter Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry has unveiled a plan to reform the tax code and cut US spending.

The Texas governor said his plan centres on a flat, voluntary tax rate of 20% for incomes and companies.

Mr Perry announced the plans in a South Carolina speech on Tuesday.

Mr Perry is retooling his campaign after recently losing momentum in the polls. He became a leading contender when he decided to run in August.

The plan, called "Cut, Balance and Grow" will simplify the tax code so Americans can "file their taxes on a postcard", Mr Perry said.

Brandishing a postcard as he spoke, Mr Perry declared that "tax codes have consequences" as he outlined a broad plan to reform Social Security and Medicare, and balance the budget in eight years.

He outlined a number of exemptions to his flat tax proposal, the broad outlines of which some critics, including his rival for the nomination Mitt Romney, have said would benefit the wealthy.

Mr Perry pledged to end "special breaks for special interests" in Washington through a 20% rate of corporate tax, which is lower than current rates. He also said capital gains and taxes on dividends would be abolished altogether.

Simplifying America's corporate taxes would "shut down the cottage industry of corporate tax evasion", Mr Perry said.

'Bringing dollars home'

The central proposal is a 20% flat tax on companies and personal income, although taxpayers would be given the choice of whether opt for that rate of tax or whether to continue paying tax at current rates.

Tax exemptions would remain in place for mortgage interest, charitable giving, and state and local taxes on families earning less than $500,000 (£313,000) annually.

And, Mr Perry would raise the level at which individuals and dependents start paying tax to $12,500 and would encourage US businesses to repatriate assets and incomes within the US.

The Texas governor also says he would cap government spending at 18% of gross domestic product (GDP) and repeal the Dodd-Frank financial reform legislation, Obama healthcare legislation, and parts of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which set regulations for public companies.

The plan would also reform the way young workers accrue Social Security savings and would freeze federal hiring until the budget is balanced.

He pledged to balance the budget by 2020 and seek a balanced budget amendment to the US constitution, a favoured plan of US conservatives in and outside Washington.

Mr Perry told the crowd: "I offer a plan that changes the way Washington does business."

After a series of recent debates Rick Perry has seen poll ratings slide while Mitt Romney's lead holds steady

Experts say flat tax models, such as the plan put forward by Mr Perry, are usually favoured by those hoping to increase efficiency and fairness in the system, while reducing complexity.

"Our current system can create some serious work disincentives, particularly at low and high ends of the income distribution, so the potential efficiency gains are pretty clear," Justin Ross, Professor of Public Finance at Indiana University, told the BBC.

"Our tax system isn't complex because of the different rates. It's complex because it's difficult to measure our taxable income and that is a problem regardless of whether or not you use progressive marginal rates or a single flat rate."

Rival plans

Mr Perry unveiled his economic roadmap as his ratings in opinion polls have dropped.

Mr Romney, the current front-runner for the nomination, has put forward a 59-point economic plan for the US.

Businessman Herman Cain, who has his poll ratings surge in recent weeks, proposes a "9-9-9" tax plan that would replace the current code with a 9% income tax, business tax, and a national sales tax.

Mr Cain's plan has been criticised by a number of analysts, who suggest his proposal would not raise enough cash to cover US costs, and would unfairly hit the poorest in society.

He was recently criticised during a televised debate by Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, who said the sales tax would eventually become a national value-added tax.

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Perry to Unleash the Attack Dogs on Romney

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One way to deter Mitt Romney in his bid for the Republican presidential nomination would be to wage a slash-and-burn campaign of television ads against him. After another lackluster performance in last night's GOP presidential debate, that seems to be what Texas Gov. Rick Perry is prepared to do.

[Read: Pro-Perry Pastor Blasts Romney, Calls Mormonism a 'Cult']

Perry raised $17 million in the last quarter, more than any other GOP candidate, so he will have sufficient money to finance an air campaign in the early battleground states of Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina and Florida. And he is likely to do it soon, GOP strategists say, because the first caucuses and primaries are only about 90 days away.

Romney remains ahead of his rivals in most opinion polls for the GOP nomination. Republican veterans say that, as the nominating contests approach and as time slips away, attack politics might be the only way to stop him. [Read why the early primary hurts Perry and helps Romney.]

Perry has used harsh critiques against his opponents throughout his political career in Texas. And he gave a preview of things to come this week when he released a hard-hitting web video attacking Romney for his support as governor of the controversial Massachusetts healthcare law. The Perry ad says that law cost thousands of jobs and was the template for the national healthcare overhaul that President Obama backed and that remains extremely unpopular among conservatives. The ad seeks to tie Romney not only to Obama but also to former President Jimmy Carter, a derided figure among conservatives. Carter endorsed Romney's healthcare reform.

In the New Hampshire debate last night, Romney defended that law as appropriate for Massachusetts but added that he wouldn't impose it on the entire nation.

[See a collection of political cartoons on the 2012 GOP hopefuls.]

Romney was widely viewed as the winner of the debate. He showed his usual steadiness and an ability to deflect potentially embarrassing questions. Perry, who is still in the top tier of GOP candidates, took a back seat to other GOP hopefuls, including businessman Herman Cain, who is surging in the polls.

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Perry Donors Say He's Raised $10 Million

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Texas Gov. Rick Perry hopes to quiet doubts about his political endurance with a blockbuster report of his third-quarter fundraising, which some Perry donors say should be about $10 million.

"I expect Perry will announce $10 million raised, and that will have a major impact," said one Perry associate and fundraiser. Such a total would rock the GOP race, since he's only been in the contest for slightly over six weeks. In the last full quarter, front-runner Mitt Romney reported $18 million in donations, but that was over three months.

[See cartoons about the GOP hopefuls]

Plus, say associates eager to change the media theme that the governor is not up for a national race, Perry is ramping up his debate preparations and adding to his communications effort in a bid to cement his top-tier status that's now being challenged by others like surging Herman Cain.

Perry has been battered by mediocre debate performances and, lately, news reports of racial insensitivity due to a hunting camp his family leased that had the N-word in its title several years ago. Perry has said that the family, which never owned the property, painted over the name. Many of his supporters feel that the stories about the ranch are overblown, but they are pleased that they surfaced now and not before the primary and caucus season started next January.

[Read Robert Schlesinger: Rick Perry's Double Talk on Social Security and the Constitution.]

Perry associates say that a big fundraising figure should go a long way to proving that he is in the race for the long-run and that he has substantial financial backing. He also wants to prove that he is just as successful as Romney in the money game.

He has recently stepped up his game, attacking Romney and the president's policies. Associates believe that he is on the comeback and in time to settle in for the compressed caucus and primary schedule.

"Perry is already coming back," says one insider. "He is fighting back effectively."

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Don't Write Perry Off Just Yet

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The past two weeks haven't been kind to Texas Gov. Rick Perry and his dreams of becoming the Republican nominee for president. Weak performances in the debates and a surprising loss in the Florida straw poll has left Perry reeling. Despite an early run of strong polls, a recent Fox News poll, taken from September 25 to September 27, has Perry trailing former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, 19 percent to 23 percent. And Republican Party elites have been anonymously questioning his readiness for prime time in the media.

Despite his floundering, it may be premature to write Perry's political obituary just yet—if only because he's proven himself in the past to be a political survivor. Perry is the longest-serving Texas governor in history, winning re-election three times in races that were hardly cakewalks. Most recently, Perry defeated former Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, even though she had strong support from Texas icons such as former president George H. W. Bush. Here are some ways that Perry could rebound in the 2012 race.

Study up on policy

Maybe Perry can improve his debate performance, maybe not. Debates are important, but not critical to success in a primary. But Perry isn't going to improve his chances of victory unless he gets specific on policy—and fast. So far, Perry has yet to articulate clear plans on the economy or entitlement reform, the two most important domestic issues in the race. On Social Security, Perry has mainly focused on what he isn't in favor of—changing benefits for near-retirees or turning it into a program run by the states. And while he blasted the program as an illegal Ponzi scheme in his book, "Fed Up," he now insists that was an historical assessment, not indicating he would scrap the program if he were president. Perry's lack of clarity on this issue has left him tongue-tied when faced with attacks from Romney

Perry's biggest weakness right now isn't any one of his positions. It's a growing sense among Republicans that he isn't ready for prime-time. Articulating clear policy proposals can address that.

[See cartoons about the GOP.] 

Play the underdog

Taking a hit this early in the campaign may be a blessing in disguise for Perry. The underdog status can be a gold mine in the Republican Party, allowing Perry to blast the media and D.C. elites for trying to push him to an early exit. It's a role that John McCain used in 2008, when his campaign was nearly finished before an unlikely resurrection carried him to the nomination. And so long as Romney is perceived as the front-runner, the focus will be on him and his weaknesses as a candidate. It's worth remembering that, at the start of this election cycle, many believed Romney to be a fatally flawed candidate. The state-wide healthcare overhaul during his time as governor, so similar to the healthcare plan passed by President Obama, is tough to explain. He still has a history of moderate social positions which he's had to walk his way back from. Romney has done wellsidestepping those issues , but an increased spotlight on Romney might remind Republicans why they turned to Perry in the first place. 

Focus on the grassroots

Perry's path to the nomination remains pretty straightforward. Win the Iowa caucuses, put up a respectable fight in New Hampshire, crush Romney in South Carolina, and carry enough momentum to win the big states. Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, who captured an early lead in the Iowa, has been floundering. Her loss has been Perry's gain. Romney has been doing well in Iowa, too—a recent poll from the American Research Group has him leading in the state—but his campaign has chosen not to campaign in Iowa, making victory for him unlikely. Winning the Iowa caucuses requires a combination of devotion from followers and top-notch campaign logistics. Let others worry about who is winning the media day—Perry should focus on convincing Iowans that they need to find their way to the local caucus meeting room and vote.

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Slow and Steady, Romney Gains on Perry in GOP Debate

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Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney didn't exactly wow observers of Thursday night's GOP debate, and he didn't exactly disappoint them, either. Romney has always had trouble connecting with voters and shaking off his white-collar image, but the two-time presidential candidate has learned how to hold his own on camera and deflect potshots from opponents, while also making a few deft stabs of his own. Thursday night, he even got a few off-the-cuff jokes in.

But with the conservative, Tea Party oriented side of the GOP divided, and Texas Gov. Rick Perry failing to impress, Romney's path to the nomination is looking brighter.

As expected, Romney and Perry continued to tussle on Romney's Massachusetts healthcare law, Social Security, and immigration. Romney kept up his attacks on Perry, accusing him of flip-flopping on whether Social Security needs to be reformed or abolished. "There's a Rick Perry out there that is saying—and almost to quote—it says that the federal government shouldn't be in the pension business, that it's unconstitutional," Romney said. "So you better find that Rick Perry and get him to stop saying that." Perry returned fire by blasting the healthcare overhaul law Romney passed in Massachusetts. Romney didn't break new ground—he raised points he's raised in several previous debates—but his onslaught, along with shots at the Perry from others on the stage, got the Texas governor on the defensive, and highlighted his still-muddled positions on Social Security and economic recovery. He's still taking shots from most of the field of candidates, and the beating took a toll as the debate wore on. A puzzling answer on the threat of nuclear weapons in Pakistan made Perry look unprepared on foreign policy.

[See cartoons about the GOP hopefuls.]

With the Romney-Perry battle becoming familiar, the second-tier candidates may have been one of the big stories of Thursday night's debate. Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann continues to fade, but businessman Herman Cain and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum both gave energetic performances. Santorum likely appealed to conservatives who long for a return to the muscular foreign policy of the Bush years, an uncommon theme in the currently isolationist-minded GOP. "We should be fighting wars to win, not fighting wars for politics," Santorum said, regarding Iraq and Afghanistan. Texas Rep. Ron Paul appealed to his base of libertarian supporters, and is now joined by former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson. But any long-shot candidate gaining ground spells trouble for Perry. Each vote for Bachmann, Cain, Santorum, or one of the other conservative candidates such as former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is a vote which comes from the constituency of conservative Romney skeptics which should be Perry's base. Perry needs a knockout to establish himself as the clear front-runner, and in three debates he's failed to do so.

[See who's in and who's out of the 2012 GOP race.]

Perry also took a beating on immigration, perhaps his weakest spot in the GOP race. But it also may have produced his most memorable line. Defending his position that children who were brought into the country illegally should be able to pay in-state tuition, he excoriated his critics. "If you say that we should not educate children who have come into our state for no other reason than they've been brought there by no fault of their own, I don't think you have a heart," he said. For a moment, Perry looked like the most moderate candidate on the stage. But that may not help him in a GOP primary.

Both Perry and Romney have significant weaknesses. Romney's shift from moderate positions on issues like gay rights, gun control, and gay marriage have left him him branded a flip-flopper, and his healthcare law, similar to Obama's healthcare law, looked like it might have been his fatal flaw this time around. The moderate immigration policies Perry supported as governor aren't necessarily an Achilles heal--Arizona Sen. John McCain won the GOP nomination in 2008 despite his support of the much-reviled McCain-Kennedy immigration bill in 2006. More troubling for Perry is the perception that, overall, he's too extreme to win a national election, and that he's not quite ready for prime-time scrutiny. Thursday night did little to defuse that issue, and Romney still has the most to gain from Perry's failure to launch.

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Twitter: @AlexParkerDC

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Conservative Leaders See Perry Beating Romney

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Home > Politics & Policy > Washington Whispers > Conservative Leaders See Perry Beating Romney

September 22, 2011 Print

Conservative political leaders are quickly lining up behind Texas Gov. Rick Perry's presidential campaign, convinced the he has the issues and confidence to beat fellow Republican Mitt Romney and Barack Obama in the 2012 election.

Several conservative leaders who gathered at an off-the-record meeting this week, however said that Perry still needs to do more to tell his story and they urged him to take a page out of Ronald Reagan's 1980 campaign and convince the public that he's not a threat, but a credible alternative to Obama. [Read: Debate Shows GOP 2012 Contest Is a Two Man Race.]

The Washington meeting, attended by Whispers, brought together several elements of the conservative movement, from anti-abortion leaders to pro-gun advocates and Tea Party representatives. Most describe themselves as "Reagan conservatives," as opposed to "George W. Bush conservatives." The difference in Washington Republican circles is important: Those on the Reagan side cheer a smaller government while those aligned with Bush aren't as eager to trim the government. [See a photo gallery of Ronald Reagan.]

They all agreed that the GOP debates have gotten better now that Romney is being challenged by Perry, with most saying that Romney has improved and is making his case much better and with more urgency. 

But they believe Perry has held his own against attacks and should be in peak form tonight at the Google/Fox News debate in Florida where Social Security will take center state. [See a slideshow of the GOP contenders.]

Despite being high on Perry, most conservatives at the meeting said that they are still not convinced that Obama can be defeated. They cited current polling that has the president leading or tied with the top tier GOP challengers. But one made the case that the election might parallel the 1980 election when voters were eager to dump President Carter, but were slow to feel comfortable with Reagan. In the end, Reagan sealed the deal and won in a landslide.

Tags:conservatives, social security, 2012 presidential election, Mitt Romney, Rick Perry, Barack Obama 2011: 2010: 2009: 2008: 2007: 2006:

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Body Language Expert Says Obama Would Clock Perry

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Just a little more than a year from the 2012 election, President Obama's strapped with a wrecked economy, an uncooperative Congress and plenty of competition from the GOP. But when it comes to good old campaigning, communication expert Peter Meyers says Obama still has the golden touch.

"We can focus on the message all we want, the election doesn't go to the candidate who's the smartest or even the most experienced," said Meyers, who has advised world leaders and politicians on how to use body language to influence their message. "It goes to the best communicator. Right now, in the White House, we've got a world class communicator. He is going to have to draw upon all of his skills, but he'd clock Rick Perry in a race."

Meyers compares Obama to former Presidents Clinton and Reagan as speakers, both of whom won re-election after a stumbling start.

He's not the only political adviser to suggest Obama's got it in the bag. Whispers recently reported  that Allan Lichtman, the American University professor whose election formula has correctly called every president since Reagan's 1984 re-election, has Obama taking a second term.

[Read: Never-Wrong Pundit Picks Obama to Win in 2012.]

Meyers doesn't totally discount the other candidates, but doesn't believe they have what it takes.

He admires Perry's presidential look, his ability to deliver memorable zingers like "Ponzi scheme" and his clear, simple answers to tough questions. Meyers even finds his deep voice appealing. Yet, he admonishes Perry's fashion sense and lack of poise when forced to speak off the cuff.

"He meanders mid-sentence and loses his way when someone kicks him off his talking points," Meyers says. "His collars are way to high on his neck; he looks like Catholic school boy, whose mother dressed him for church."

[See a collection of political cartoons about the GOP contenders.]

Mitt Romney doesn't fare much better. "He can obviously stay on point and hold his own with Rick Perry, but his voice gets stuck in his throat instead of coming from his chest, and he tends to sound like a 1970s game show host; it's inauthentic," says Meyers.

Meyers also points to Romney's stammer and rushed cadence as evidence of why he'd likely get trampled in a race against Obama. "He's a fair fighter, and he is polished, but he's almost like a community theater actor. When he makes a good point, you can see in his face that he's very pleased with himself."

Who does Meyers thinks might be able to knock Obama from his oratory pedestal?

"Newt Gingrich comes across as the best communicator the Republicans have got," he says, "It's a shame he doesn't get mentioned more. When Gingrich speaks you can hear the tone of both his intellect and his heart; it's like listening to a sleigh ride — very pleasant."

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Bachmann, Romney Losing Media Battle to Perry

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Tea Partyers helped put Michele Bachmann on the national map, so tonight's CNN/Tea Party Republican presidential debate could be an excellent place for her to regain lost ground. Polls show that Bachmann has lost substantial support over the last month, while Texas Gov. Rick Perry's popularity has skyrocketed. At the same time, data also shows, Bachmann andformer Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney have lost ground to him in the mainstream media.

Data compiled by the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism shows just how much Perry has taken over the national debate, at the expense of Bachmann and Romney. From the moment he announced his candidacy, Perry has received far more media attention than his fellow candidates. In a broad sample of news stories from print, broadcast, and online media studied by Pew, Bachmann and Romney have appeared nearly equally often as lead newsmakers in 2011 (through September 4), with 151 and 153 stories, respectively (in Pew's analysis, a "lead newsmaker" is a person present in 50 percent or more of a news story). Perry has received moderately less coverage, with 126 stories. However, Perry declared his candidacy on August 13, far later than Bachmann or Romney. Since his entry, he has been the lead newsmaker in 90 of Pew's stories, more than four times Romney's level of coverage (20 stories), and nearly seven times Bachmann's (13 stories).

See who Tim Pawlenty has endorsed in 2012

Media coverage of new presidential candidates tends to follow "an almost natural progression of events," says Mark Jurkowitz, associate director of Pew's journalism program. "The candidate explodes onto the scene, they essentially generate a significant amount of coverage if they show certain indices of viability," like successful fundraising and polling. "So the first thing the media tries to figure out if his person is a serious candidate or not, or has potential to be a serious candidate." After that, says Jurkowitz, "there kicks in another process, and that's the vetting process, particularly for candidates who aren't particularly well-known."

This process has played out differently for the biggest Republican candidates, and Bachmann's trajectory seems to have suffered the most during this process. Perry is still only one month into his candidacy and is only beginning to feel the in-depth scrutiny of media vetting. Romney, meanwhile, did not burst onto the scene in the way that Perry did, but as a 2008 top-tier Republican candidate also may not require the vetting that Perry will. "The press doesn't feel like it has to introduce Mitt Romney to the American public," says Jurkowitz.

Bachmann, however, was relatively well-known on a national scale prior to her presidential campaign, having made a name for herself as key Tea Party fixture and conservative firebrand. That image may have put her at a disadvantage in the current campaign. Much prior media coverage of Bachmann had focused on her propensity for making outrageous statements espousing what some consider to be extreme viewpoints. That preconstructed narrative, says Jurkowitz, is hard for the media to shake. "That would create the impression in many people, in many media quarters, that she's not going to be a likely successful presidential candidate, simply because of where she is in the ideological spectrum," he says.

Read about the economic battles that await Congress this fall.

And this is where the damaging circularity of media coverage and popularity comes in. "I think clearly the news media does have the effect of priming the attention that voters give to candidates," says Christopher Arterton, a professor of political management at The George Washington University's Graduate School of Political Management. "The press both follows and leads what's happening both in the polls and other indicators of candidate success."

In other words, to some extent, any publicity is good publicity. So Bachmann's key to regaining her footing with voters may be regaining her place in the spotlight. She does have a proven ability to attract the news media's attention, and with numerous economic battles awaiting on Capitol Hill this fall, Bachmann may have plenty of opportunities to make a media splash. For example, she seized on President Obama's jobs speech last week, as well as the lack of a formal Republican response, to hold a press conference at which she delivered her own reaction.

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Porn magnate funds $1 million quest to embarrass Perry

''Hustler'' magazine publisher Larry Flynt poses as he arrives at the premiere of Woody Harrelson's new film ''The Grand'', set in the world of professional poker, in Hollywood, California March 5 2008.
Credit: Reuters/Fred Prouser
By Emmett Berg
SAN FRANCISCO | Fri Sep 23, 2011 12:45am EDT
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Pornographic magazine publisher Larry Flynt offered $1 million on Thursday to anyone with proof of "an illicit sexual liaison" involving leading Republican presidential candidate and Texas Governor Rick Perry.
The offer by the politically left-leaning Flynt targeting Perry was similar to past efforts by the Hustler magazine founder to embarrass public figures he dislikes.
Los Angeles-based Larry Flynt Productions, which publishes Hustler, said it bought full-page advertisements in the weekly editions of the U.S. satirical tabloid The Onion and the Austin Chronicle, a Texas alternative paper, seeking evidence of any Perry peccadilloes.
"I've been doing this for 35 years," Flynt said in a telephone interview with Reuters. "We've found running these ads were very successful in finding sources to come forward."
A copy of the most recent ad circulated to the media by Flynt's company read, "Have you had a gay or straight sexual encounter with Governor Rick Perry?"
"Can you provide documented evidence of illicit sexual or intimate relations with the governor? Larry Flynt and Hustler magazine will pay you up to $1 million if we choose to publish your verified story and use your material."
Perry headed into a Republican candidate debate on Thursday ranked as the leading contender for the Republican presidential nomination, according to recent public opinion polls.
A USA Today/Gallup poll released this week found Perry ahead of one-time Republican front-runner Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, with 31 percent favoring him to 24 percent for Romney among Republican likely voters.
A spokesman for Perry could not be reached for comment about the Flynt offer.
In 1999, then-incoming U.S. House Speaker Robert Livingston resigned after Flynt claimed to have uncovered evidence of an extramarital affair by the Louisiana Republican.
Flynt had bought a full-page newspaper advertisement offering $1 million for evidence of sexual dalliances by congressional Republicans, who were seeking to impeach then-President Bill Clinton over allegations that he had lied under oath about an affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
Flynt in 2007 made a separate $1 million offer for evidence of illicit sexual encounters by high-ranking lawmakers, but that ended less dramatically than his 1998 offer.
(Editing by Alex Dobuzinskis and Peter Bohan)

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Perry takes fire on immigration at debate

ORLANDO, Florida | Fri Sep 23, 2011 12:50am EDT
ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - Republican Rick Perry took heavy fire from his rivals over a Texas policy that aids illegal immigrants at a presidential debate on Thursday where he struggled to protect his front-running position.
Texas Governor Perry attempted to change the narrative from two previous debates, where he came under fierce attack from former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney and other candidates.
But his competitors accused Perry of coddling illegal immigrants with a Texas policy to allow their children to gain education tuition assistance.
"I would not allow taxpayer-funded benefits to illegal aliens or for their children," said Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann. "That's a magnet. End the magnets for illegal aliens to come into the United States of America."
Other candidates took shots at Tea Party movement favorite Perry over illegal immigration, one of the few issues where he belies his reputation as a staunch conservative.
Perry is ahead in polls of Republicans but his lead is fragile over Romney, who is the choice of many mainstream Republicans. A USA Today/Gallup poll on Wednesday found Perry leading Romney 31 percent to 24 percent among likely Republican voters.
No knockout blows were struck at the debate, and Perry again appeared to flag as the two-hour gathering wore on. A focus group of voters assembled by a debate host, Fox News Channel, declared Romney the winner.
Perry revived old charges that Romney has flip-flopped on key issues from healthcare to education.
"I think Americans just don't know sometimes which Mitt Romney they're dealing with." Perry said. "We'll wait until tomorrow and see which Mitt Romney we're really talking to tonight."
Illegal immigration is a politically charged issue for Republicans, with conservatives wanting stern measures to deal with America's estimated 11 million illegals. Senator John McCain's support for a reform plan in 2007 nearly ended his 2008 presidential bid.
DEFENDS TEXAS PROGRAM
Perry said that as governor of a state with a long border with Mexico, no one had worked harder than he has on border security. He fiercely defended the program as correct for his state, saying to do nothing would leave the immigrant children as a burden.
To those who oppose it, he said, "I don't think you have a heart. We need to be educating these children because they will be a drag on our society."
Republicans increasingly see a good chance to oust Obama from the White House with the U.S. economy struggling to rebound from 9.1 percent unemployment and chronic debt and deficits.
On a day the stock market plunged on fears of renewed recession, the U.S. economy was the top topic and all the candidates promised conservative prescriptions of low taxation and limited regulation to fix it.
The Republicans declared Obama's economic leadership a failure, a point that lesser-known candidate Gary Johnson underscored with a jab that drew guffaws from the audience.
"My next-door neighbor's two dogs have created more shovel-ready jobs than this administration," the former New Mexico governor said during his first debate appearance.
Perry again was forced to defend a Texas policy he ordered to vaccinate adolescent girls against sexually transmitted diseases, but this time he had an answer that attempted to tug at voter heartstrings.
"I got lobbied on this issue. I got lobbied by a 31-year-old young lady who had stage 4 cervical cancer ... And the fact is I erred on the side of life and I will always err on the side of life as a governor and as the president of the United States," he said.
Perry got in plenty of shots at Romney, accusing the former Massachusetts governor of backing an Obama administration education reform known as Race to the Top, and favoring the White House's healthcare reforms.
But Romney managed deft counterpunches and took a high-minded position by declaring Republican candidates may bicker over issues but are united in their goal. He would not repeat a comment he had made in an earlier interview that Perry was not electable.
"Governor Perry and I disagree on some issues," he said. "But one thing's for sure, we all agree that President Obama needs to be former President Obama and we're going to make that happen."
(Additional reporting by Kim Dixon in Orlando and JoAnne Allen in Washington; editing by Alistair Bell and Vicki Allen)

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Fashion Friday: Rick Perry Goes to Fashion Week and Other Style Scoop

Texas Governor Rick Perry stands on stage before the CNN/Tea Party Republican presidential candidates debate in Tampa, Florida September 12, 2011

Scott Audette / Reuters
NewsFeed's Feifei Sun rounds up the brilliant and bizarre from this week in fashion.
Posh Politician. Rick Perry—Texas Governor, Republican presidential candidate and this week's TIME cover subject—made a little time for New York Fashion Week during a recent trip to the Big Apple. Perry and Donald Trump attended the Sherri Hill fashion show, a label whose most famous customer is Snooki. [POLITICO]
(MORE: Behind the Scenes of TIME's Cover Shoot with Rick Perry)
Speaking of Fashion Week. Everything you need to know about the biannual event, which actually exists to allow editors and store buyers to see designers' collections at a communal place, can be summed up by this fantastic photo. [MTV Style]
Move Over, Tina Fey. There's a new Sarah Palin look-a-like in town. [Daily Mail]
Kanye Makes It Official. The rapper will indeed show his first collection at Paris Fashion Week later this month. [Vogue UK]
Better Late Than Never. The CW is finally producing a clothing line inspired by Gossip Girl, a television series that has always seemed to be more about fashion than an actual plot. [WWD]
Feifei Sun is a reporter at TIME. Find her on Twitter at @Feifei_Sun or on Facebook. You can also continue the discussion on TIME's Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIME.

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Perry deploys the elite as Texas research team fires destroy 1000 homes

One of the most devastating wildfire outbreaks in the history of Texas left more than 1,000 homes in ruins Tuesday and stretched ranks of fire of the State for the limit, confronting Governor Rick Perry with a major home disaster, just as the Republican presidential election heats up.

More than 180 fires broke out in the week passed through the Lone Star State private rain, and nearly 600 homes destroyed since then have been lost in a catastrophic fire in and around Bastrop, near Austin, that raged out of control Tuesday for a third day.

Struggles a hell by storm winds, tropical Lee over the weekend, the blaze burned more than 45 miles square (116 square kilometres), forced the evacuation of thousands and killed at least two people, bringing the global outbreak of at least four budget.

Perry cut short a trip to the presidential campaign in South Carolina to deal with the crisis. Tuesday, he visited an area blackened near Bastrop, about 25 miles (40 kilometres) of Austin and later deployed elite of the State research team in the region to search for more possible victims. Texas Task Force 1 is the same outfit sent to New York after the terrorist attacks of 11 September and in New Orleans, Hurricane Katrina.

"Powerful enough Visual of individuals that lose," he said after the tour. "The magnitude of these losses are quite astonishing."

Would the Governor not say if he would take part in the Republican presidential debate on Wednesday evening in California, explaining that it was "significantly more concerned to ensure that Texans are currently supported. But campaign spokesman Mark Miner said in an email later in the day that Perry planned to be there.

Perry, a favorite of the conservative tea party movement which has made a career of against the Government, said, he expects federal assistance with forest fires, and it complained that red tape was maintaining the bulldozers and other heavy equipment to Fort Hood army, 75 miles (120 km) of Bastrop, to use. Fort Hood was fighting against his own fire, an of 3,700 acres (1,500 hectares) blaze.

White House spokesman Jay Carney, said the Obama of Directors has approved seven federal grants in Texas to help with the outbreak of the latest, and "we will continue to work closely with State and local emergency management officials in their efforts to contain these fires."

About 1,200 Firefighters battled the flames, including members of the departments of State autour and crews from outside the State, many of them arriving after Texas launch a call for help. Many firefighters will join the battle, once they have been registered and sent where they are needed.

Five heavy oil aircraft, some from the Government Federal and three aircraft capable of 1,500 litres of water collection in both Lakes also took part in the fight.

"We get support incredible across the country, federal and State agencies," said Mark Stanford, Director of operations for the Texas Forest Service.

The disaster is attributed in large part on the drought in Texas year, one of the most severe dry periods the State has ever seen.

Fire in Bastrop County is easily the most devastating fires in Texas in over a decade, eclipsing a fire which destroyed 168 houses in North Texas in April. Texas April Saginor said Forest Service spokeswoman state forest fire records not to return until the 1990s.

View the original article here

Peliculas Online

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