Perry attacks Romney for "integrity problem"

Republican presidential candidate, Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

/ Mary Altaffer

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this report gave an incorrect result for the straw poll in Michigan. Mitt Romney defeated Rick Perry by 51 percent to 17 percent.

Reeling from dismal showings in back-to-back straw polls over the weekend, Texas Gov. Rick Perry came out with guns blazing on Monday, accusing rival Mitt Romney of "an integrity problem" in a statement and video.

"Mitt Romney has an integrity problem, as evidenced in the video, Words Have Meaning," the Perry campaign said in a statement, providing a link to a web video attacking Romney.

Perry's campaign charged that Romney changed the wording of his book, "No Apology," between the hardcover and paperback editions in order to hide the fact that the former Massachusetts governor's health care plan served as the model for President Obama's national health care law.

"Mitt Romney is trying to run from the fact that President Obama used Romneycare as the model for Obamacare," the Perry campaign said.

Perry first unveiled his line of attack in Thursday's Orlando debate, pointing out that the hardback version of the book included the line, "We can accomplish the same thing for everyone in the country, and it can be done without letting government take over health care." The first part of the sentence, referring to a nationwide health care plan, was later deleted from the paperback edition.

In a strategy he's employed during setbacks in previous Texas political campaigns, Perry is doubling down on his efforts to raise doubts about his chief rival. Over the weekend, Perry faltered in multiple venues: Romney beat him in the Michigan Republican straw poll, 51 percent to 17 percent. In a similar straw poll among Florida Republicans, Romney nearly tied Perry for second place although Perry was the only one of the two overtly stumping for votes. Perry's performance in a Thursday presidential debate before the straw polls has been widely panned.

The recycled attack this morning shows that Perry, who has been the punching bag for all of the candidates in each of the three GOP debates he has participated in so far, is still struggling to switch from playing offense to defense. Aside from attacking Romney for flip-flopping on his views on education reform in recent days and criticism of Romney's health care plan that are a standard part of his stump speech, Perry has struggled to pick fresh fights with his chief rival for the front-runner status.

An article by PolitiFact, a fact-checking service run by a newspaper consortium, rated Perry's attacks "mostly false" because the full context of Romney's words in the hardcover edition of his book talked about the importance of states developing a health care plan. PolitiFact's analysis: "My own preference would be to let each state fashion its own program to meet the distinct needs of its citizens," Romney wrote on page 177. "States could follow the Massachusetts model of they choose, or they could develop plans of their own."

"It has been widely proven that Rick Perry's weak claim on Mitt Romney's book is just a tall tale," said Andrea Saul, spokeswoman for Romney, in response to Perry's Monday statement and video. "Governor Perry should spend his time explaining his own book, 'Fed Up,' and not take on the challenge of two." Romney has attacked Perry for describing Social Security in his book as a "Ponzi scheme."

Painting the book changes as an issue of "integrity" is a new facet of the Perry camp's strategy, and may signify a larger strategy of highlighting Romney's shifting positions. It's an argument that Perry tried, and largely failed, to make in Thursday's debate when he got tongue-tied in the second hour.

[mountainstates1]

Perry is talking about "integrity"?? His party? Republicans, who "booed" an American soldier serving in Iraq? The GOP have defined themselves as radical and un-American.

[Progress4USA]

Many Presidents add their personal mark on the White House grounds:

FDR put in a pool.
Eisenhower added the putting green.
Kennedy add the Rose Garden.
Carter had a Frisbee course.
Clinton added a running track.
Obama added a basket ball court.

I suspect Christie will add McDonalds...

[stm128]

I don't know of any politician that has any integrity, and that includes Perry. They get voted in by telling people what they are going to do for the American public, and people want to believe what they hear so they vote them in office. Politicians have their special interest groups in mind, not the average American worker, because special interest groups pay off politicians and politicians pay the special interest groups back by giving them what they want. The ones to suffer are the "POOR, not Middle working class, because there is no such thing anymore as middle working class."

[Progress4USA]

Yep...what they say they will do FOR the American people gets magically change to what the intend to do TO the American people...

[Alex_Votocracy]

Wow...who do you think came out looking the best after the Florida debate and straw poll last weekend? Come discuss on an open political platform and discussion poll: http://******/pT4FiJ

[morrisdev]

This little fight is hysterical. Romney's got almost 0 experience with immigration, but his biggest issue with Perry (who's got more experience than any of the others) is with immigration. Perry, who's got 0 experience with health care systems (outside of collecting money from them), is all over Romney about his version of ObamaCare.

The new debate structure is to attack anyone who's got any experience in anything, claiming you know better because you've never done it!

I'm voting for RP. He's never actually done anything, so he must be the smartest.

[stn_sage]

OMG! LMAO! The day is barely getting started and we're getting
bombarded by jokes already!
What do I mean?
That ANY politician questions the "integrity" of another, is just
downright HYSTERICAL! Because 99.9999% of them, don't have any
integrity to begin with, folks!
And, I don't conclude that their of these two are the exception
to that general rule!

[stn_sage]

Please note- the final line,'And, I don't conclude that their of these two are the exception to that general rule!', should read
And, I don't conclude that either of these two are the exception
to that general rule!
For some reason, my comments mysteriously become rewritten between
the time I click the submit button and they are posted.
It causes me to wonder if someone is trying to obscure my writing
so as to impugn my credibility?!
Now WHO would want to do THAT?!

[smittyc]

Straw poll in Michigan was 681 votes cast. Romney won about 345 votes. In Fl. where there are over 18.5 million voters Cain won 2600 votes and beat Romney. Romney is another Obama, Romneycare was Obamacares model. Who asked these guys to make any choice on my healthcare? Both state they are big government politicians, by saying government should chose what is best for individual Americans and make them do what government wants and demonstrate their behavior by ramming healthcare down the throat of the American public. Both of these men Obama and Romney are identical in their political philosphies in my opinion, they represent communism. No commie will ever get my vote.

[brian_norwood]

I would value your opinion...if I could believe that you even know what communism actually is.

[m0u5y]

Aren't they the same guy?

[T-Prop]

51% to 17%?

That's a whopping in any book. "Integrity problem" or not!

[todd_i-2009]

I disagree with Mr. Perry. I have followed Mr. Romney's record since watching his work in turning the Olympics around. What I see is a person of great intregity and accomplishment.

[brian_norwood]

If it weren't for the thousands of flip-flops, I would agree with you.