by Patrick Appel
Mark Yzaguirre asks what sort of Democrat Rick Perry was:
[W]hen and why did Rick Perry come to believe that Social Security and Medicare are public policy blunders and are probably unconstitutional? The reason I ask is because Rick Perry used to be a Democrat. While one can change one’s mind on issues and parties, it seems like Perry’s explanation for why he changed parties is a variation on President Reagan’s famous statement that “I didn’t leave the Democratic Party. The party left me”. The thing is, Reagan said that before Medicare was enacted and after some major ideological soul-searching that still didn’t call for a complete repeal of the New Deal. While Perry was a Democrat, support for Social Security and Medicare were well-established parts of mainstream thought throughout the party.
The Dish 