Did Perry use TX fires as an excuse to avoid debating?

[MoonRiver]

If so, he can't hide his ignorance and crazy agenda forever. You may run but you can't hide mf'er.

[Fleshdancer]

1. No. The state of TX is on fire.

Granted he's an idiot and I can't stand him, but what is happening down here warrants the full attention of both his brain cells.

[undeterred]

6. Agreed.

[emilyg]

15. ......

[AngryOldDem]

2. He'd be derelict in his duties not to go back to Texas.

No fan of the man by any means, but he is doing the right thing as governor of the state.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

3. Maybe, but he's definitely using the fires as a photo op and a campaign tool.

I was just saying in another thread, his peeps are out there looking for a sooty, tear-stained baby for Perry to hold against a backdrop of a wall of fire. He's going to milk this for every drop he can, watch and see.

[maddezmom]

4. yes, because he went there did photo op/townhalls then decided it was

time to come back because TX was on fire. It was on fire when he left.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

9. True enough. While he was campaigning last week Texans lost around 300 homes to fire.

In his speech this morning he mistakenly said the 1000 lost were all this weekend. WRONG. approx. 700 were this weekend, the other 300 were from the previous week while he was off pandering to the Teabaggers of the nation.

<snip>Speaking at a news conference near one of the fire-ravaged areas, Texas Gov. Rick Perry said more than 100,000 acres have burned in the drought-stricken state.

Perry said more than 1,000 homes have burned since Labor Day weekend, but Texas emergency management chief Nim Kidd subsequently said that number of homes has actually been lost in the past week.<snip>
http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2011/09/wildfire_destroys_as_many_as_500_homes_in_texas.html

In the same press conference Perry was saying FEMA should be on the ground by tomorrow. When in reality they're already here and making rounds in Bastrop. He is clueless as to what's taking place in the state.

FEMA makes morning rounds in Bastrop
Assessing damage of uncontrolled fires

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be on the ground in Bastrop Tuesday morning assessing damage, and those officials have already approved grants to cover some firefighting costs.
http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/local/fema-makes-morning-rounds-in-bastrop

He had no choice but to come back because the fires escalated to such an extent over the weekend, but I'm not going to delude myself with believing he ran back because the state needed him. Hell, he can't even keep what's taking place in his home state straight. That's not the sign of a person whose been following the situation that closely.

[TBF]

5. There is not much good I can say about Mr. Perry, but this poll really is insulting.

A good part of our state is on fire, and Austin (progressive for those of you who live under rocks) was very hard hit yesterday. Hundreds are now homeless.

Sorry, but this really pissed me off. What would you say if he hadn't headed home - that he was ignoring our residents?

Here is a link to the current map of fires: http://ticc.tamu.edu/Response/FireActivity/default.aspx

[Texasgal]

11. +1.

DU never disapoints.

[Broderick]

7. It is a tragedy in Texas

[redwitch]

8. No. Good grief! The state is a burning mess!

He is still a jerk but he needs to be in Texas until the fires are out.

[NeedleCast]

10. No, He's Doing What He Should

My sister's in-laws had their house burned to the foundation over the weekend. There are a lot of people suffering and Perry is (amazingly) doing the right thing.

(Cue "OMG You're Defending Perry" outrage)

[blogslut]

12. Is he not attending the debate this Wednesday?

This would be the first I've heard of that. I understand he chose not to attend Jim Demint's big hoopty-do but that wasn't a debate. That was more of a fashion show.

[rainbow4321]

13. He probably remembers the backlash that chimp got

When a tornado ripped thru downtown Fort Worth and surrounding areas and chimp did NOT come back from HIS prez campaign trail. Reporters were all in then-Lt Gov Perry's face asking "is he coming BACK"... smirking Perry's response repeatedly was "you will have to ask HIS office people that".

Right after chimp's NON-return, a high profile Catholic church official in NYC (sorry, forget his name) died and it was going to be televised, lots of national level pols were going to attend. Guess who THEN took time off his campaign trail to go and attend that nationally televised photo op...chimp.
So then there was even more backlash that he took time off for that photo op yet he didn't step foot back in Texas when that tornado wiped out so many areas in and around Fort Worth.

[Creideiki]

14. He should stay in Texas, however, he has no better chance to pray away the fires

than he has to pray away the drought or pray away the gay.

Perry's got nothing but appeals to the Divine. A smart adversary would start pointing out that by not ending the fires, or the drought, God is letting us know that Perry does not hold God's Favor.