Ron Paul hits back at Rick Perry's aggro-debate posturing

By April MacIntyre Sep 9, 2011, 16:23 GMT

The Lone Star governor and congressman are running against each other for the GOP nod to go up against President Barack Obama in 2012. All images courtesy of Ron Paul

They may be fellow Texans, but there is no love lost between Rick Perry and Ron Paul.

The Lone Star governor and congressman are running against each other for the GOP nod to go up against President Barack Obama in 2012.

Texas Governor Rick Perry (L) went head to head with Rep. Ron Paul, (R-TX) on stage at the Reagan Centennial GOP presidential primary debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California September 7, 2011.

Dr. Paul issued a money bomb email immediately after their televised debate and says "Well, thanks to last night's debate, counterfeit conservative Rick Perry is being FORCED to answer for his Big Government record as Governor of Texas."

The Reuters photos of Rick Perry and Ron Paul were sent to Monsters and Critics that show an aggressive Perry who Dr. Paul's PAC says "It sure looks like he's ready for a fight."

Perry is shown grabbing Dr. Paul's arm and pointing a finger in his face, firing up the notion that Perry was attempting to intimidate his rival. Paul was nonplussed.

"It's a picture of myself with I think the governor of Texas or something," Dr. Paul said to laughter. "We had several governors up there, the truth is I'd never met him before."

"He didn't have any cross words," Dr. Paul said. "The most challenging words were said on the stage" during the debate. The two Texans traded barbs throughout the night, with Perry questioning Paul's Republican credentials and Paul slamming an executive order, issued by Perry, that mandated 12-year-old girls be vaccinated against HPV.

But in his email, Dr. Paul and his Political Action Committee (PAC) sang a different tune:

"Well, if that's what Rick Perry wants, let's give him one...With the national spotlight now on Governor Perry's record, we can't afford to let up."

Dr. Paul's PAC added, "Of course, immediately after our ad started running, Perry's campaign went on the attack against Dr. Paul - entirely missing the point of why Rick Perry's past is important."

"Dr. Paul has never thought that Rick Perry's time as an Al Gore cheer leading Democrat is the big problem here...The real problem is that, too often, Rick Perry still acts like one!"

The PAC for Dr. Paul wrote more anti-Perry rhetoric that claims Perry is irresponsible with the Texas state budget, "It's that after his party switch, Rick Perry said 'I will still vote the same principles, only with an R after my name.' ...It is that Rick Perry supported Hillary Clinton's health care plan. It's that he pushed for a federal bailout and stimulus funds. It's that he supported welfare for illegal immigrants. It's that Rick Perry tried to forcibly vaccinate 12-year-old girls against sexually transmitted diseases by Executive Order. It's that he raised taxes twice. It's that Texas' state debt has more than doubled during Rick Perry's tenure as governor - pushing Texas to the brink of our constitutional debt limit...but now [Perry] is trying to swagger his way into the Tea Party.