Karl Rove: Rick Perry’s Extreme Views On Social Security Are ‘Toxic’

[jefferson_dem]

Karl Rove: Rick Perry’s Extreme Views On Social Security Are ‘Toxic’
By Judd Legum on Sep 7, 2011 at 8:40 am

This morning on ABC, Karl Rove said Rick Perry’s extreme views on Social Security — detailed in his book “Fed Up!” — are “toxic” both in the Republican primary and the general election. Rove also dismissed Perry’s response thus far as “inadequate.”

In Perry’s book, released just nine months ago, he writes on page 48 that Social Security is “by far the best example” of a program “violently tossing aside any respect for our founding principles.” On page 50, he says that we have Social Security “at the expense of respect for the Constitution and limited government.”

Rove said Perry’s views amounted to calling for the end of Social Security and replacing it with a state-level program. At the end of August, Perry confirmed to ThinkProgress that he hasn’t “backed off anything in my book.” Karl Rove believes this will be a major problem:

STEPHANPOLOUS: And a lot of questions about how how Rick Perry will handle this test. So much talk about his books and what he’s written in his books, “Fed Up!” Questioning the 16th Amendment, which imposed the income tax. The 17th Amendment, direct election of Senators. And I think he’s gotten the most attention for what he said about Social Security, calling it a Ponzi scheme. Compares it to a “bad disease” that’s been “imposed on us for 70 years.” You know how much trouble that can be for a Republican candidate in a general election. So how does he handle it and must he disavow some of these statements in the book.

ROVE: What they’ve done thus far is, I think, inadequate. Which is to basically say, “look, we didn’t write the book with the presidential campaign in mind.” Well, okay, fine. But they are going to have to find a way to deal with these things. Because, as you say, they are toxic in a general election environment and they are also toxic in a Republican primary. If you say Social Security is a failure and ought to be replaced by a state-level program, then people are going to say: “What do you mean by that?” And make a judgment based on your answer to it. Each candidate has strengths. Each candidate also has challenges. This, for Governor Perry is his challenge. Now he’s got formidable strengths. But this is his biggest challenge.

VIDEO at LINK: http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/09/07/313082/karl-rove-rick-perrys-extreme-views-on-social-security-are-toxic/

[INdemo]

1. SS being Perry's weakness then the Koch Bros is his strength

The corporate mafia want a puppet and Perry could be their man..

[dixiegrrrrl]

2. What is Rove really up to?

He ALWAYS has an agenda.
So far he has attacked Palin and Perry.
What has he said if anything against Bachmann?

[Ready4Change]

4. You are right to watch out and wonder.

I think the current set of GOP wackos are just setting the stage, so that the guy who Rove & Co. will present later will seem far better in comparison.

My guess, as nightmarish as it seems, is Jeb Bush.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

5. BTW what has Jeb been up to lately?

Nobody's talking about him, not even as a prospective "dark horse" candidate, which seems odd given the media's obsession with such things.

[elleng]

7. I agree; been waiting for jebber.

[treestar]

6. Amen, the only thing to do with this info is wonder what

Rove really wants.

[Cosmocat]

9. Perry and Palin won't have him on their inner circle ...

He is taking shots at the candidates who won't have him in their ears ...

He and the Bushes have quietly been in Romney's camp for a while now ...

[Ter]

10. He's a neo con, he's not up to anything

He's not a Tea Bagger, and the Tea Party hates him. Palin is one of the head Tea Baggers, of course he attacked her. She's anti-establishment, while he's the definition of the word.

[no_hypocrisy]

3. That's equivalent to saying that Don Siegelman was railroaded.

[Faryn Balyncd]

8. Perry is the Anti-Eisenhower.