Rick Perry jabs Tea Party groups backing Ted Cruz

Jun 01, 2012

Rick Perry jabs Tea Party groups backing Ted Cruz

By Catalina Camia, USA TODAY Updated 1h 39m ago

Texas Gov. Rick Perry doesn't have a very high opinion about the out-of-state Tea Party forces getting involved in the state's hot Senate race.

The Associated Press reports Perry said Tea Party supporters backing Ted Cruz for the seat of retiring U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison "don't know anything about how Texas works."

Perry, himself a favorite of the Tea Party movement, repeated his support today for Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst in the Senate race. Dewhurst and Cruz are in a runoff July 31 for the GOP Senate nomination.

Dewhurst, backed by Perry and other big names in the Republican establishment, has been slammed as a "moderate" by the conservative Club for Growth. Cruz received support from the Tea Party Express and Sarah Palin, another darling of the small-government, anti-tax movement.

As for the out-of-state Tea Party types playing in the Texas race, Perry invited them to "come to Texas and learn how to do it right."

Rick Perry jabs Tea Party groups backing Ted Cruz

Sadly Dewhurst is another GOP elitist that will follow in Hutchison footsteps and accomplish nothing.