In Peach State, Rick Perry has a Pinocchio Problem

Rick Perry was in metro Atlanta today and his traveling companion, Pinocchio, wasn’t far behind…

“Governor Perry is desperate to shift attention away from his liberal policies that encourage illegal immigration. His repeated use of distortions and fabrications on the campaign trail shows that Rick Perry can’t be trusted to tell the truth.” – Ryan Williams, Romney Spokesperson

Rick Perry’s Pinocchio shadow: Inferring that Mitt Romney implemented Cap-And-Trade in Massachusetts. PERRY: “Another state – Massachusetts – was one of the first states to implement its own cap-and-trade program which included limits on carbon emissions for power plants.” (Rick Perry, Remarks, Atlanta, GA, 9/30/11)

The truth: Romney did not implement Cap-And-Trade in Massachusetts. “Former Gov. Mitt Romney opted out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative in 2005, saying it could drive up energy costs for consumers.” (Steve LeBlanc, “Massachusetts Governor Patrick Signs First Multistate Greenhouse Gas Initiative,” The Associated Press, 1/18/07)

• Romney’s Democratic successor – not Romney – signed the state on to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. “Deval Patrick making good on a campaign pledge, signed an agreement Thursday committing Massachusetts to the nation’s first multistate program to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.” (Steve LeBlanc, “Massachusetts Governor Patrick Signs First Multistate Greenhouse Gas Initiative,” The Associated Press, 1/18/07)

• “Former Gov. Mitt Romney Declined To Sign The Agreement In 2005 Because He Said It Would Lead To Higher Energy Costs.” (“Patrick Signs Up Bay State For Battle Vs. Global Warming,” The Lowell Sun, 1/21/07)

UPDATE – ‘Heartless’ Georgia Republicans question Perry’s tuition subsidies for illegal immigrants:

Attorney General Sam Olens: “Our country has a problem with illegal immigration. Programs like Rick Perry’s in-state tuition breaks for illegal immigrants only make it worse. Instead of providing special benefits for illegal immigrants, our nominee must be someone who will secure the border and end incentives for illegal immigration.”

State Representative Bruce Williamson: “Why does Rick Perry support tuition breaks for illegal immigrants that aren’t available to legal American citizens? It is clear that he is not committed to stopping the incentives that have created our illegal immigration problem. In order to stop illegal immigration, we must have a president who has a record of enforcing immigration laws, not one who has a record creating policies that encourage illegal immigration.”

State Representative Wendell Willard: “Why is Rick Perry in favor of taxpayer subsidies for illegal immigrants? Programs such as his tuition breaks for illegal immigrants only make the problem worse by providing incentives for people to break the law. It makes no sense to use taxpayer dollars to fund benefits for illegal immigrants over Americans from out-of-state.”

State Representative Lynne Riley: “Rick Perry’s support for in-state tuition does not line up with the values of Georgia voters. Georgians support enforcing immigration laws, securing our border, and stopping the practices that draw illegal immigrants to our country. Providing in-state tuition for illegal immigrants incentivizes illegal immigration and makes it harder for our country to stop a growing problem.”

► Jayde Wyatt