Here’s what Perry said about Bernanke yesterday:
“If this guy prints more money between now and the election, I dunno what y’all would do to him in Iowa, but we would treat him pretty ugly down in Texas. Printing more money to play politics at this particular time in American history is almost treasonous in my opinion.”
And here’s a quick sampling of the liberal shrieking in response:
Dan Amira, New York Magazine: “The bottom line is that it’s completely outside the bounds of acceptable political discourse to even joke about exacting violence against a government official, who, whether you agree with his policies or not, has committed himself to service to his country.”
Max Read, Gawker: “You sort of get the sense that Rick Perry thinks that Ben Bernanke, hands stained with ink, is actually somewhere in the basement of the Eccles Building, printing the money himself on the orders of George Soros. And then, I guess, giving all the money to Barack Obama’s re-election campaign? Or the Black Panthers or something?”
James Fallows, The Atlantic: “This is the kind of thing you just don’t hear from national-level politicians, and for a reason. (For starters: the punishment for treason is death.)”
Steve Benen, Washington Monthly: “It’s certainly possible that Republican voters will swoon and find Perry’s nonsense endearing, but at this point, the Texas governor has only reinforced fears he’s little more than a thuggish buffoon.”
Rawmuscleglutes, Daily Beast: “There you have the mindset of a man who could issue a death warrant for an innocent man and who would bring back the most brutal torture techniques he could get away with.”
Etc. Clutch those pearls, ladies.
If you want to know what I think about it, ask me later. Right now I’m busy being a terrorist. Or am I a tyrant today? Whichever’s worse, I guess.
*Whoops. Violent rhetoric!
P.S. Perry also called the national debt “a big black cloud hanging over America.” And you know what that means.