Here in Texas, a once-popular governor pretty much lost his popularity somewhere up there in America. Rick "Good Hair" Perry has returned, an unsuccessful presidential candidate who made a damfool of himself and cost us Texans a bunch of money. His numbers -- once unassailable -- are in the tank, they say. But he still has all that campaign money...
Perry has a few options for what to do with leftover cash in his federal campaign account. He can keep the account open in case he decides to run for president again, which he has not ruled out. He can also donate the money to his state PAC, Texans for Rick Perry, according to the Texas Ethics Commission.
Perry's office did not respond to an inquiry about whether he had decided what to do with any leftover money.
Democrats are calling on Perry to reimburse the state for taxpayer money that was spent to cover his security detail while he campaigned around the country. The Texas Department of Public Safety has long been tasked with providing a security detail for the governor and his family. The department's costs for out-of-state trips soared once Perry began his presidential campaign, according to news reports. ...Fort Worth Star-Telegram
No longer Perry, the presidential candidate, he has become Perry the double-dipper here at home. Deborah Farrar, a Democratic state legislator, is going after the governor.
Farrar also called on Perry to refund the state $92,376 he received last year from his pension, which he started collecting while still drawing a salary as governor. Perry's years in public service allowed him to tap his retirement fund under state law.
While his presidential campaign has reportedly said it spent most of its remaining money before Perry suspended his bid, Farrar predicts that Perry would have no trouble drawing more donations if needed.
"He's shown he can raise funds. He should have had his political supporters paying the tab the whole time," she said. ...Star-Telegram
Embarrassing governor, double-dipper, corporate shill -- the perceptions of who Rick Perry really is are suddenly bugging Texans who used to love their "Governor Good Hair." In the credit column in the much-maligned state of Texas is one of the best political commentators America has: Harvey Kronberg. He notes the "piling on" our governor is suffering when he got out of national politics and came back here to the Republic of Texas.
Harvey Kronberg, editor of The Quorum Report, an Austin-based political website, doesn't expect Perry to face much fallout from the security costs but said it could feed into an "absence of shared sacrifice" perception when paired with other issues, such as the expenses related to a rental house Perry has lived in while the Governor's Mansion is restored.
"The combination of the mansion, the security and the early retirement while working all kind of adds up to something that doesn't seem right ... and perception is reality in politics," Kronberg said. ...Star-Telegram
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