Perry Points to ‘Idiotic’ U.S. Rule That Doesn’t Exist

[cal04]

By Jonathan Weisman
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2011/08/16/perry-points-to-idiotic-u-s-rule-that-doesnt-exist/?mod=WSJBlog&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wsj%2Fwashwire%2Ffeed+%28WSJ.com%3A+Washington+Wire%29

For a small-government conservative on the presidential campaign stump like Texas Gov. Rick Perry, a new federal regulation forcing farmers to get commercial drivers licenses would make a perfect example of Barack Obama’s Washington run amok.

But there is no such regulation.

(snip)
“If you’re a tractor driver, if you drive your tractor across a public road, you’re gonna have to have a commercial driver’s license. Now how idiotic is that?” he thundered to the fair crowd in Des Moines, with the rejoinder, “What were they thinkin’?”

(snip)
Last Wednesday, the agency moved to put the issue to rest. The guidance the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration put out did exactly opposite what Gov. Perry said. It told the states “the common sense exemptions that allow farmers, their employers, and their families to accomplish their day-to-day work and transport their products to market” should remain in place.


U.S. Department of Transportation Reinforces Commitment to No New Regulations for America’s Agricultural Community
http://www.dot.gov/affairs/2011/fmcsa2411.html

[jpak]

1. kick

n/t

[elleng]

2. Don't think I'll be able to 'live' w this crap 'til election.

(Don't drink or smoke much.)
:(

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

3. Tractor Driver.

:rofl:

[Solly Mack]

4. Shocking! Perry is a liar. Who knew?

[Raven]

5. Keep talkin' Rick, keep talkin'.

[chelsea0011]

6. This guy and his misinformation should be a barrel of laughs

[Liberal In Texas]

7. Wingnut Alex Jones was ranting about this on his show last week.

Somehow I knew he was full of crap.

[CleanGreenFuture]

11. AJ, ha! What a maroon! I admit to listen now and then, especially when

something big breaks. I have a little thing where when something breaks on the news, I'll tune in Alex to see how fast he goes from knowing nothing about it one minute, just like the rest of us because it hasn't happened yet, to applying his brand of lunacy to it right out of the box. There is some secret, sinister, conspiracy aspect of every single event within minutes of the news breaking. "He's a liberal terrorist!" or "It's the plan of the New World Order!"

Great fun. That is until his voice wears you to the point of nails-on-the-chalkboard heebies.

[DEdem]

8. He will keep repeating it, fox will present it as truth.

[CleanGreenFuture]

13. Indeed. And welcome to DU, DEdem!

:hi:

[tularetom]

9. I remember driving a tractor ON (not across)a public road at age 14

I didn't have any kind of driver's license and I don't think the guy who owned the tractor did either for that matter. And nobody ever said jack shit.

My point is, even if their was such an idiotic federal law, it couldn't and therefore wouldn't be enforced so it's just another dog whistle to the government haters.

Actually, it's just another blatant fucking lie.

[FarCenter]

15. I started driving tractor at age 6

Although I can't remember the first time that I drove on a public road -- probably a couple of years later.

[gratuitous]

10. You're in thundering opposition to something that doesn't exist, Gov. Perry

Now how idiotic is that?

But you just know that out of this plain and simple error, someone will either twist things so that Perry doesn't look like quite such an ignoramus tool, or if such linguistic gymnastics prove impossible, the gaffe will simply disappear. "What commercial license for tractors? Perry never said anything about that. Let's get talking about reducing spending!"

[bullwinkle428]

12. Some DUer was trying to push this as the gospel truth the other day.

GROAN. It's gonna be a long campaign season.

[0rganism]

14. it's smart politics - he's locking up the nomination now

Who in his party is going to care about wonkish denials from the DOT? Which of his rivals is going to call him out for being wrong about the intrusiveness of government? With any luck, this will go the route of the "death panels" and become an established "truth" by the time of the general election campaign.

Perry is playing this thing just right.