by Maisie Allison
Responding to a 1993 letter Perry wrote to Hillary Clinton praising her efforts to reform health care, Jennifer Rubin seconds Joe Scarborough, and explains why the Tea Party should be wary:
[One explanation is that he] is a classic Southern Democrat from the 1980s. His social views are conservative, but he thrives on pork. He’s neither in favor of free markets, nor is he anti-business; in fact, he’s very cozy with big-money donors. There is a philosophy of sorts here, an instinctive populism. But it’s not one that would, as the Tea Partyers demand, go after special interests with abandon, get cronyism out of government or insist politicians adhere to strict ethical standards on conflicts of interest.
David Brooks called it “Tom DeLay Republicanism.” Mark Hemingway is dismissive of the letter, adding: “[I]t certainly paints Perry as a guy willing to reach across the aisle.”
(Photo: Texas governor Rick Perry stands with Texas delegates as they cast their votes for U.S. President George W. Bush during the Republican National Convention in New York City in 2004. Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
The Dish 