Michele Bachmann strikes back at Rick Perry ad; accuses the Texas gov. of ‘crony capitalism’

desmoinesregister.com
Jason Noble
11:13 AM, Dec 28, 2011

Creston, Ia. – Michele Bachmann unloaded on Republican presidential rival Rick Perry in a press conference here this morning, railing against his background as a “political insider” in Texas.

The three-minute barrage – interrupted sporadically by the whistles of trains passing by a historic station in downtown Creston – came in response to a new TV ad from Perry which paints Bachmann along with Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul and Rick Santorum as “Washington insiders” for their time in Congress.

Bachmann is a three-term congresswoman from Minnesota. Perry has been the governor of Texas since 2001.

But in her press conference, Bachmann turned the tables on Perry, referring to his 27 years in elected office in Texas, reports of government grants, contracts and appointments given to political donors and the recent news that he is drawing a government pension even as he collects his salary as governor.

“Just because he’s held office outside of Washington, D.C. does not mean that he is not a political insider. It’s what you do in your office that matters,” Bachmann said. “There aren’t very many politicians who have spent more time paying off political donors than Gov. Rick Perry has.”

She added, “”Gov. Perry has 27 years of practice at being ready to be a Washington crony capitalist.”

Bachmann also criticized Gingrich, Paul and Romney in the press conference, tagging Gingrich and Romney as unreliably conservative and warning that Paul was insufficiently hawkish on foreign policy matters.

The press conference followed a coffee-shop event in Creston that drew more than 70 enthusiastic caucus-goers, who cheered Bachmann’s lines opposing illegal immigration, abortion, same-sex marriage and the federal health-care law passed in 2010.

Enthusiastic though they were, the crowd wasn’t entirely behind Bachmann. Rich Queener, of Creston, said he supported Bachmann in the Iowa Straw Poll back in August, but was conflicted over whether to back her or Santorum or another candidate next Tuesday.

“There’s so many of them that are similar that it’s hard to make a real distinction between (them),” Queener said. “I’m stuck on three and I can’t decide for sure which one.”

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