Bill White Avoids Obama in Texas, Rick Perry Campaign Pounces

President Obama travels to Texas today, but the state's Democratic candidate for governor won't be there to greet him.

While Mr. Obama delivers remarks on education and attends Democratic fundraisers in Austin and Dallas, Democratic candidate Bill White, the former mayor of Houston, will be at campaign events in other parts of the state.

White last week tried to downplay his decision to not appear with the president, the Dallas Morning News reports. When asked by reporters on Friday if he was worried about being too closely identified with Obama, White said, "I really don't think about stuff like that. I don't use national figures as surrogates for me. I tend to campaign for myself."

Republican Gov. Rick Perry, however, is using the president's visit to tie White to the president's policies. His campaign released a video today that splices pictures of White with the pro-Obama "Yes We Can" music video that became popular during 2008 election.

The White campaign maintains that he is against President Obama's health care reforms and opposes cap-and-trade legislation, the Austin American-Statesman reports. He also calls himself a fiscal conservative.

"Rick Perry wants more than anything to run against President Obama and Washington because he doesn't want to run against Bill White," White spokeswoman Katy Bacon told the newspaper.

Mr. Obama is less popular in Texas than in the country overall, according to polls. A July Rasmussen Reports survey showed 63 percent of Texas voters disapproved of the job the president was doing, compared with 54 percent of Americans nationwide.

The state, however, is still a strong fundraising destination for Democrats, according to the Houston Chronicle. The DNC's fundraising efforts in the state today are "not about one candidate," Hector Nieto, a Texas spokesman for the DNC's Organizing For America, reportedly said.

The president's trip to Texas today is part of a fundraising blitz he is partaking in this month, ahead of the midterm elections this fall.

While he won't meet with White, Mr. Obama will be greeted at the Austin airport today by Perry, who plans to talk to the president about border security.

Some early polling gives Perry the edge so far in the race, but there hasn't been a new poll released in about a month.

CBSNews.com Special Report: Campaign 2010

[usmc49]

BO is President? Not mine... First he is illegal, second he has done everything in his power to keep his true birth certificate out of sight..it would show he was born in Africa where all his relatives also say he was born. He is a Muslim and a slimy one at that..he is afraid to show his true colors. Heck, he does not even use his real name. He is sitting in the White House due to fraud and scum like AAcorn getting illegal votes, duplicate votes, etc.. You can whine all you want about that scum being there but the fraud placed on the Americans and the idiots that love a smooth talking person that cant speak without someone writing his speeches and using a teleprompter will be brought out. I hope it is while I am still alive and can watch him being deported back to Africa ...and he is not black by the way...he denounced his 50% white but he is Mulatto...half black and half white.......

[usmc49]

What really gets me about all this are several things...

First Bill White is WAY TOO OLD TO BE GOVERNOR!!! He is a straight line Democrat in love with that smelly illegal BObama..and not even his real name. Bill White has made more money off his political deals and it is in the millions.
Second, neither sneaky Bill or our current govenor should be in office...there needs to be term limits.. Bill White and his sleezy tv campaigns about Perry being a millionaire are right on but think about it folks! Here is a politician that gets all his meals, room and board, gas and everything else paid for...so his salary goes in the bank, 401, etc and he will become a millionaire over 25 years as a politician!

Neither of them are right for governor. Perry has been there too long and wears boots as he is in with the big business. How do you think so many companies come here and then farm out their work overseas....had they been forced to pay taxes on that work it would be cheaper to hire good ole Americans. (no not the illegals that Texas has far too many of like Arizona and California ---a good example of a state gone over due to illegal fraud and free medical and SSI and illegal kids not here legally due to the 14th amendment to the Constitution which was for the Slaves in the Civil War...not illegals!!)
We need to abolish parties entirely and move to voting for what the candidate's platform is based on...period....and each candidate be given a set amount of money for their campaign...and when spent..that is it...no under the table union money, no george s slimey leftist money ...just an honest amount based on the job running for.
Another problem is what many in Texas and other states are not aware of...simple fact that many run for State Senate type jobs and spend lots of money as they get over a million dollars a year to spend as they want...and no real audits or tracking of same...they can hire who they want, go on trips, buy what they want, spend it on themselves and no one is the wiser...just typical political crap.
Time to vote for only honest folks running...neither here is qualified and the only difference is Bill White is more of a crooked politician than Rick Perry...so you are left with voting for the lesser of two evils and anyone over 55 should not be in any high office~!

[mmme1]

Thelma said, "I wonder how so many Conservative, Tea Party Republican types think the country's problems began on January 20, 2009?

"We didn't do anything before, but now we have an opponent to blame so.... accuse, accuse and STILL offer no solutions".

Damn."

Thelma and friends, we the People know the probs didn't start on Jan 20, 2009 any more than they started in Jan 2000.
We the People also know that the libs accuse, accuse, accuse....always did, always will, world without end, Amen, and offer no solutions but to drive our Country into trillion dollar deficits, far more than any Repub ever did.
Stop your whining and wait till it hits y'all in the face, in 2014 when these massive spending bills come due. Yes, the idiot Repubs who voted yea on these get the boot too. But its Obama, a Dues payin' Chicago Democrat who's in office now.

[wmtjazz]

I wish all this transplants leave our great state. Texas was a dem state till all these transplant move down here. They put on a pair of boots and start saying they are TExan. Please, get the heck on out of here...

[LIBERALS-lie]

by servorum August 9, 2010 5:39 PM EDT
LIBERALS-lie,
Just for the sake of accuracy, that quote about dissent and patriotism was not made by Hillary Clinton but by historian Howard Zinn.
Look it up.


Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/8618-503544_162-20013035.html?assetTypeId=41&messageId=9722416&tag=contentMain;contentBody#ixzz0wBHcMOVh
________________________________________________________________________
Classic LIBERAL-does not admit truth. I did not say that Hillary camu up with the line-she used it.



"Dissent is the highest form of Patriotism" - Hillary Clinton 2006

[truth-b-toll]

There is no way anyone but slick rick will win in tx.
these good ol boys have got stealing and lying down to an artform!
It is amazing though that half of the people that get dumped on (middle and lower middle class) are actually big gop fans!
Hell in my tx town even the bums spout all the rush limpagh and glen nazi beck ********!
It won't change cause these fools have been absolutely brainwashed.

[ronaldr5-2009]

Texas has it's hands full with immigration problems, but we're getting by.
However, the news is getting better:

Perry handed off a letter to Obama written in crayon with lots of pictures so that the Grand Poobaah could understand it. Perry asked for some Federal help with immigration issues.

Nothing will come of it; everybody knows that, and that's just as well.

Bill White is toast.

Perry will for-sure be re-elected; so, the plane trip was a waste of time and money (not that money is important to the crowd in Washington).

The Bush families are always welcome here, no matter what any liberal trash-mouth has to say.

Most of us have jobs, make decent money and like who we are.

That's all we care about; just so ya' know.

Trash it up, girls.

[wmtjazz]

Well fella that statement Grand Poobaah. Showes you not really a Texan. We like to have our facts right. We are not having an immigration problem. We like our folks from down south. The President has a law degree. Went to Harvard. Perry went to A&M darn Aggies. I am part of that system so I will not complain about. Bush is not welcome here no matter what you transplants say. Hookem Horns.

[shierp]

Why wouldn't we like folks from down South. As long as you obey the law, everyone is welcome in Texas. Of course, being in the country illegally might conflict some with the whole "obey the law" thing.
Gig'em Ags!
Hasn't Harvard caused more harm to the United States than any other instittution?

[Stainless-joe]

Why didn't Perry talk with Bush about security or done anything himself?
What a phoney.........another loser like McCain, blame it all on someone else when they have been in their State's government for years????

[velma179]

A good point.

I wonder how so many Conservative, Tea Party Republican types think the country's problems began on January 20, 2009?

"We didn't do anything before, but now we have an opponent to blame so.... accuse, accuse and STILL offer no solutions".

Damn.

[shierp]

If you people ever came out of your democrat "excuse and apologize" media rooms that you live in, you would see that border security is always and has always been a priority in Texas. Perry never stopped worrying about it and Texas has made constant requests of Washington DC.

[Kev117]

The numbers don't lie. Obama has had more legislative successes in a year and a half than Bush had in 8.

CHANGE

He's effective.

Then again, Bush took over 1,000 vacation days. Fully 1/3 his time in office. Obama, about 1/20th.

[run2jazz2]

That is the honest truth! Where was the Tea Party during the previous 8 years of Mission Accomplished and Deficits Don't Matter!

This is why you don't see Bush saying not one word as he knows that he and Cheney will go down in this nation's history as the worst!

[shierp]

The Tea Party started during the Bush presidency. Where were you?

[jimbotheman]

Oh Texas, why haven't you seceded yet ? Get out of the USA and be happy with your ignorant heads in the sand.

[velma179]

Ah c'mon... there are good people in Texas.

Bill White is actually a pretty good guy. I think the headline to this article is totally irresponsible "journalism" --- he had a schedule and he kept it. He is running as a moderate, Obama is portrayed as a "radical leftist" by opponents (it's not true, but that never mattered in politics...) -- so he doesn't run to be by his side.

I hope Bill White wins. Texas deserves a chance to come into the future with some reasonable leadership. It's been a long time coming...

[sjc_1]

You can always tell a Texan, you just can't tell them much.