A PERRY GAFFE? – AT 8:49 A.M. ET:  One of the things that worries conservatives about Rick Perry is his tendency to shoot off his mouth and say things that will come back to haunt him.  Example, musing out loud about Texas seceding from the Union.  Didn't we have a dustup about stuff like that circa 1861-65?

Now Perry has made a statement that is flashing around the internet, and even Republicans are asking whether he's gone too far.  In discussing the monetary policies of Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, Perry said:

"If this guy prints more money between now and the election, I don’t know what y’all would do to him in Iowa, but we -- we would treat him pretty ugly down in Texas. Printing more money to play politics at this particular time in American history is almost treacherous -- or treasonous in my opinion."

Ugh!!

That is way over the top, and thoroughly un-presidential.  You don't talk about treating a public official "pretty ugly down in Texas."  And you certainly don't go near the word "treason."

Liberals are already having a field day with this, suggesting that Bernanke's life may now be in danger.  Indeed, if Obama wanted to, he could order the Secret Service to protect Bernanke, saying something like, "In light of Governor Perry's violent remarks, I am ordering federal protection for the chairman of the Federal Reserve." 

Can you just see the mainstream media go wild?  Can you imagine?

What should Perry do?  He should immediately call Bernanke and apologize, and then apologize for his statement, saying he was just speaking informally and not seriously. 

A few more like this, and Perry will be marginalized very quickly, and bring a good part of the GOP down with him.

We want to see good things from Governor Perry, and we think he has it in him to rise above his current status as a regional politician.  But he might recall the World War II admonition, "Loose lips sink ships."  They also sink presidential campaigns.

August 16, 2011