From Wonkette.com... _______________ GovSex: Touching It with a Ten-Foot Pole Finally! Rick Perry has said something about those awful rumors regarding gubernatorial gerbil stuffing. The Austin American-Statesman is the first major-ish news organization to run a story on the subject. The occasion is, of course, the Texas governor's emphatic -- extremely emphatic -- denial of rumors he described as • "a cancer on the political process that is deadly" • "not correct in any shape, form or fashion" • "irresponsible" • "salacious" • "hurtful to my family" • "uncorroborated filth" • "malicious and hurtful" • "crossing the line of everything decent." In declaring the really, really, really not-true nature of the rumors, Perry declined to address the substance of the story. Instead, he emphasized what can only be called his raging heterosexuality: "I have probably got about as good a marriage as anybody's ever had. This is the first girl I ever had a date with in my life. We dated for 16 years and we married and we started a family, and Anita has been about as perfect a wife as anybody could ever ask for," he said, all but pantomiming an enthusiastic session of God-approved man-on-woman sex. He continued, saying his completely unambiguous straightness has aided him in standing up to this attack as well: "I'm a big, tough guy. . . This is like a bombing mission for me. The missiles come up on a regular basis. I know they're going to come up." Perry then blushed a bit and quickly excused himself, mumbling, "Missiles. Hot, throbbing missiles."
http://www.statesman.com/metrostate/content/metro/03/0305perry.html Governor speaks out on marital rumors In first public comments on talk that's traveled around the state and nation, Perry says his marriage is fine and castigates those who spread rumors online. Ken Herman AMERICAN-STATESMAN At the Governor's Mansion on Thursday, Gov. Rick Perry said the rumors had reached a 'critical mass.' Gov. Rick Perry explains why he's talking about the rumors now: By Ken Herman © 2004 AMERICAN-STATESMAN Thursday, March 4, 2004 Gov. Rick Perry, speaking out for the first time about a widely circulated rumor about his personal life and professional future, said Thursday that he has been targeted by "an obvious, orchestrated effort" launched by political foes. For almost two months, variations of the rumors have swirled around the Capitol, been repeated among friends across the state, been investigated by reporters from around the nation, been gossiped about in Washington and been posted on Web sites that harbor political ill will toward Republicans in general and Perry in particular. In almost all versions, the main theme has been the same: Perry, caught in an act of infidelity, is headed for divorce from wife Anita, who has moved out of the Governor's Mansion. The rumors also say Perry will resign. Perry said it's all false. "This thing got up to a critical mass," he said, acknowledging that the rumors have spread far wider than he has ever seen political gossip travel. "I don't think a rumor can just get to critical mass by itself," he said. "I think you have to have a well-thought-out, organized effort to disseminate that kind of information and keep it going day after day after day after day." . . . sort of like 100.0% of those Clinton rumors or the Kerry intern rumor... . . . "Yes, I think he crosses the line of everything decent. I think he crosses the line of good behavior," Perry said, adding, "I don't think that was taught in anybody's manners class that it's acceptable behavior to go spread those types of malicious and hurtful rumors for no other reason than to further some political objective. "I understand people's desire to pass on salacious rumors in a private setting," Perry said. "He took it to a new level, I would suggest to you, knowing there were TV cameras and knowing there was a reporter from a mainstream newspaper there." Told of Perry's comments, Soechting said: "What crosses the line of everything decent is the utter hypocrisy of Rick Perry injecting his mean-spirited politics into everyone else's personal life while insisting his own personal life is off-limits. "What is truly indecent is the state of children's health care, public schools and insurance rates under Perry's regime," Soechting said in a statement issued by the Texas Democratic Party. . . .
it'll be interesting if Carol Strayhorn runs against him in 2006 since Bush and Perry are buddies and Carol is Scott McLellan's mom.
Yes, it's not a great time to be Gov. Perry... Poll: Perry's support drops AUSTIN — Texans aren't as enamored with Gov. Rick Perry as they once were, according to a new poll in which half the respondents disapproved of his job performance. In a Texas Poll released Friday, 50 percent of respondents said the governor was doing poorly, while 40 percent said they believed Perry was doing well. Ten percent either had no opinion or gave no answer. When Perry ran for governor in 2002, he entered the race with 67 percent of Texans approving of his job performance. He took over as governor in 2000 when George W. Bush resigned to become president. Last summer, his approval rating dropped to 44 percent but rebounded to 46 percent in the fall. The latest poll indicates a 6 percentage point drop in his approval rating. The results of the poll came as Perry denied long-swirling rumors about his personal life and marriage, saying that leading Democrats were spreading lies and "uncorroborated filth." Perry told the Austin American-Statesman in a copyright story Friday that a smear campaign was behind rumors that he and his wife, Anita, plan to divorce over his alleged infidelity and that he will resign. Political observers, including those in his own party, said they believe the governor's poor poll numbers are based on a year of bitter, rancorous fights over redistricting and balancing a $9.9 billion deficit by cutting social services and teachers' benefits, raising fees and allowing large hikes in college tuition. "Texans know that this governor has abdicated his responsibilities and created local crises in education and health care by signing laws that balanced the budget on the backs of schoolteachers and our most vulnerable Texans," said Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn, a fellow Republican who has fought the governor on policy issues. She cited a number of new costs to Texans, including $2.7 billion in new fees and the loss of $1.6 billion in federal money because of state cuts in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program. Perry spokeswoman Kathy Walt said in a statement that Perry "governs by principle, not polls." "Gov. Perry has demonstrated leadership by tackling tough issues like solving budgetary problems without raising taxes, creating jobs and expanding the economy, and improving our children's education," Walt said. "The governor will continue to make tough decisions that are in the best interest of all Texans, regardless of polls." Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, in Houston Saturday to talk with a teacher's group, said he believes the public's support of Perry is higher than the poll shows. "From time to time, over the years, we have seen job approval numbers move around for governors, but I think Gov. Perry is working real hard to move Texas forward," he said. "Most hardworking folks in Texas, including myself, hate to see untrue, nasty rumors being thrown around, and I think it is one of the most distasteful parts of being in political life when you are trying to improve the state," Dewhurst said. The Texas Poll also showed President Bush's approval dropping in his home state, although it is still comfortably high with 55 percent of Texans approving of the job he's doing. Forty-three percent disapprove. It is the lowest approval rating he's registered in Texas as president. The telephone poll of 1,000 Texans was conducted Feb. 12-March 3 by the Scripps Research Center and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. The poll was weighted to reflect Texas' political makeup, with 35 percent of the respondents being Republican, 28 percent Democrats and 24 percent independent. http://www.statesman.com/news/content/gen/ap/TX_Texas_Poll.html
