DNC: Rick's "Reality" Tour

WASHINGTON, Aug. 16, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following was released today by the Democratic National Committee:

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100929/DNCLOGO)

Perry's Iowa debut should be called Rick's "Reality" Tour. From inventing a law that doesn't exist to suggesting the Fed Chair is a traitor, Rick's ramblings from the past 48 hours in the Hawkeye state show a candidate that's trying to create his own reality.  Below are a few highlights from his time in Iowa.

Perry Said If Bernanke Printed More Money, "We Would Treat Him Pretty Ugly" In Texas And The Act Of Printing More Money Would Amount To Treason. "Texas Gov. Rick Perry capped off his first full day of campaigning in Iowa on Monday by suggesting that if the Federal Reserve prints more money between now and November 2012 it would be akin to an act of treason. 'If this guy prints more money between now and the election,' Perry said, 'I don't know what y'all would do to him in Iowa, but we -- we would treat him pretty ugly down in Texas. Printing more money to play politics at this particular time in American history is almost treacherous -- or treasonous in my opinion.'" [ABC News, The Note, 8/15/11]

• Karl Rove On Perry's Comment: "You Don't Accuse The Chairman Of The Federal Reserve Of Being A Traitor"... "That Is Not, Again A Presidential Statement." On Fox News, Karl Rove said, "It's his first time on the national stage, and it was a very unfortunate comment. You don't accuse the chairman of the federal reserve of being a traitor to his country and being guilty of treason and suggesting that we treat him pretty ugly in Texas -- that's not, again, a presidential statement." [Fox News, 8/16/11]

Perry Said We Should Use Drones Above The Border To Help With Border Security. "As for using aircraft such as Predator drones, Perry noted many unarmed aircraft are already flown in the area each day as practice for the Air Force pilots who will guide them overseas. 'Why not be flying those missions and using that real-time information to help our law enforcement?' Perry said. 'Because if we will commit to that, I will suggest to you that we will be able to drive the drug cartels away from that border.'" [Boston Globe, 8/16/11]

• Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Have Been Patrolling Southwest Border Since 2005 To Help In Homeland Security, Law Enforcement And In Support Of Disaster Relief Efforts.  "The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Air and Marine (OAM) became a pioneer in the use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for homeland security when it first employed the Predator B UAS at the Southwest border in 2005. Since then, CBP has continued to leverage the Predator B to unprecedented success in homeland security, law enforcement and in support of disaster relief efforts." [CBP.gov, "UAS Overview," 8/31/10

Perry: "If You Drive Your Tractor Across A Public Road, You're Gonna Have To Have A Commercial Driver's License... How Idiotic Is That?" "Rick Perry pulled a Michele Bachmann on Tuesday, passionately condemning a policy that does not actually exist. This time round it was over farming issues. '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?' Perry told a Des Moines crowd. 'What were they thinking?'" [Talking Points Memo, 8/16/11]

• Perry's Comment Based Off A Rumor That The Transportation Department Put To Rest. "Here's what they were thinking. Earlier this year, the State of Illinois began regulating certain kinds of farmers as commercial motor vehicle drivers, a move that caused a lot of consternation in the Illinois farming community, seeing as it would require stiff new driving tests, periodic drug testing and other hurdles. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration stepped in to clarify whether the states had the right to do what Illinois had done, and on May 31, the U.S. Department of Transportation issued a public notice asking for comment on the commercial licensing of farm equipment. Many in the farm community saw that notice as evidence that federal regulations were brewing, and the rumor went viral. That speeded up the process in Washington. Last Wednesday, the agency moved to put the issue to rest... 'We have no intention of instituting onerous regulations on the hardworking families who feed our country and fuel our economy,' Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, himself an Illinoisan and a Republican, said in the agency's statement Aug. 10." [Wall Street Journal, 8/16/11]

SOURCE Democratic National Committee