Goodwill trip to Iraq ends with scare for (TX Gov.) Perry

[sabra]

http://www.khou.com/news/state/stories/khou060201_ac_perryiraq.5d45e16d.html

Goodwill trip to Iraq ends with scare for Perry

AUSTIN – Understanding what American soldiers face in Iraq and Afghanistan got almost a little too realistic for Gov. Rick Perry and three other governors on a goodwill tour last week.

Recounting his weeklong trip Tuesday, Gov. Perry said the entourage was leaving Tikrit, Iraq, aboard an E-310 military transport plane – the kind of aircraft Gov. Perry flew while in the Air Force almost 35 years ago. The plane's sensors detected a possible surface-to-air missile and the pilot veered violently to the right, throwing passengers against the wall of the plane.

Flares were automatically discharged to confuse a heat-seeking missile.

"It was a minute. A very long minute," Gov. Perry said. "You're hoping it's false – you hope it's not the real deal."

The crisis was averted, but no one knew what set off the alarm.

[magellan]

1. That's all they had to put up with?

A little scare while on the way out? LUCKY THEM. I'm sure most soldiers would trade experiences with these chicken hawks if they could.

[saigon68]

25. Doyle who was on the Junket

Is a BIG VIET-NAM DRAFT DODGER
\
He went to show how "TOUGH" he is.

He is a creep

[Massacure]

36. Well the alternative is Green or Walker. They are bigger creeps.

[napi21]

2. Well, I'm glad they got a real taste of what it's like in Iraq!

It's good that at least 3 of our politicians are coming home realizing that things are NOT humky dorey like you hear from so many of them keep repeating!

[cantstandbush]

26. But i thought things were getting better in Iraq? n/t

[tanyev]

3. Somebody came close to adiosing that mofo.

[Dover]

4. Probably a "hair-seeking" missile.

Gov. "good-hair" (as Molly Ivins calls him), sets off a lot of people's alarms.

[AnneD]

6. Had a similar thought.....

Hmmmm, heat seeking missiles, campaign stump speeches.....hmmmm

[johncoby2]

5. Perry crapped in his pants.

Damn. I guess that means Perry decided to come back to Texas.

Sort of wished he would have stayed and helped that country like he has helped Texas.

[Bridget Burke]

7. Texas schools are in trouble...

The Insurance companies are getting fat off health care. (I've got pretty good insurance but choices have been getting slimmer as copays got fatter. This started with Gov Bush & keeps getting worse.) Welfare is harder to get--& most of those folks REALLY need it. Can a 5-year-old get a job?

Who the HELL paid for Perry's trip to Iraq? What the HELL does the war in Iraq have to do with running the State? Perhaps he said Hi to some of our Natl Guard--will they be back before the next hurricane season?

Maybe the ex Aggie Yell Leader is working on his machismo. Carol Keeton Ryland Strayhorn McClellan Cougar Mellencamp is twice the man he is.

[kurth]

9. An incompetent moron just like his predecessor

Voters seem to forget that this idiot spent millions on special session after special session, with nothing to show for it (well, I am sure the legislature was pleased with the booze and hookers). And his Hurricane Rita evacuation plan which took people 12 hours to drive from Houston to Katy...

[priller]

22. He's actually worse than Bush, as Gov, IMHO

I have a good friend who works for the Texas prison system, who sees the governor on a regular basis. She said that she liked Bush personally, that in private he was a friendly guy, that she doesn't know what happened to him once he became President, that he doesn't seem like the same person. But Perry, she can't stand. Says he's the biggest "empty suit" she's ever seen. No brains or sense along with a grossly outsized view of his own importance.

[jobycom]

27. Bush is good at conning people one on one

A lot of people he met casually claimed he was a nice, smart, likable guy. It's part of his act, and people that meet him casually never have to see through it, unless the run afoul of him, like the head of the Funeral Board in Texas did.

Perry's not as likable. But Perry's been a slightly better governor than Bush. Bush came in while the state and the nation were booming, and began spending Texas into a hole even before the national average went down. he had a budget shortfall when he left office. Perry took over a state that had been overspent for the next decade, with a struggling economy locally and nationally. He's had to face the results of Bush's excesses and mismanagement.

Not saying I like Perry, mind you. I just think Bush was worse.

[NativeTexan]

34. They are both idiots. Bush is a Yankee that claims to be Texan....

...and Perry changed parties when the tide changed. And Democrats that turn Republican weren't worth a damn in the first place!

[0007]

18. Another cheer leader? Another flying pilot?


Commonality?
Looks like love to me!

[Bridget Burke]

19. Perry actually served in the Air Force.

Luckily for him, his service was "between wars." He worked on his father's ranch for a year but I can't find evidence of any non-political jobs he's held, since then.

Doesn't that picture look as though Sam Houston is not happy with what he sees? He was Governor of Texas when the state voted to secede from the Union. Then he was removed from office because he refused to swear allegiance to the Confederacy.

[0007]

21. I've always wondered who that guy was. Sam Houston, eh?

Well, thank you for enlighting me.

[Judi Lynn]

28. Another Tom Delay "fan," pointed out by a Buzzflash reader!

July 30, 2003 CONTRIBUTOR ARCHIVES
Tom DeLay's Bitch Lives Here

A BUZZFLASH READER COMMENTARY

Hey yall,

If you are disgusted by the attempt of g.o.p. manservants to turn our beloved Texas into a one party state, you are not alone.

I took the end of the afternoon off to go to Rick Perry's house ....




My favorite moment was when the ex-male cheerleader himself rolled passed me at the end of the day.

God bless Texas,

- Chris

A BUZZFLASH READER COMMENTARY
http://www.buzzflash.com/contributors/03/07/30_delay.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

:woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

[0007]

31. Great photo Judi Lynn. Did you happen to see that one where

this little old old lady is standing outside the Governor's Mansion with a placard that said about the same?

[Judi Lynn]

32. Oh, no! I'll be looking for it,now that I know it's out there. Cool!

It could defintely be the beginning of a trend, with tons of Democrats making the trek to hold their signs for photos in front of Perry's Gov. Mansion.

It might help him with his reading comprehension.

[Bosso 63]

8. reminds me of a song

"If I had a rocket launcher. . ."

Bruce Cockburn stealing fire 1984

[UTUSN]

10. It was Mama STRAYHORN n/t

[hatrack]

11. I hope it didn't damage his amazing hair

Brave, brave Gov. Perry!!

:puke:

[gratuitous]

12. Odd, nobody else has reported this attack

Is Mr. Perry cribbing from the James Frey School of Memoir Writing? It's certainly a thrilling story! I wonder if it's true?

[jobycom]

30. No kidding? Who were the other three governors? Did any of them report

this? We need some investigators.

[Xenotime]

13. So the scare was his makeup kit was ruined...right?

Typical repug gov. his state isn't perfect. What the hell is he doing over there? Goodwill? Please. He is going over there for more oil.

[Gman]

14. As a lifelong Texan

WTF is he doing in Iraq. The only place he needs to be that is away from his home town is Austin. He spends our taxpayer money so he can go to Iraq? Again, WTF does that have to do with the state of Texas?

[efhmc]

15. He wants the votes of all those troops from Ft. Hood.

[Bridget Burke]

23. Fort Hood has had a high number of casualties recently.

FORT HOOD, Texas -- It didn't take long for the painful side of war to be felt again at this Central Texas military post.

The 4th Infantry Division moved into Iraq in force in late December for another year-long deployment, and in less than a two-week period, 11 of its soldiers were killed.

www.kristv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4386340&nav=Bsmh

[efhmc]

24. Believe me, I live about 45 minutes from there. They are dying for a

"noble cause" (what else can they tell themselves) and continue to adore the coward who is getting them killed and to support his flunkies.

[Ilsa]

16. I was wondering the same thing from here along the Texas coast.

All I can figure is that he is visiting our NG troops there, or maybe the Killeen and other fort units.

You don't want to know how ugly my thoughts were upon hearing about that near-miss as they were leaving.

[jobycom]

29. What's he doing in Iraq? Are you serious?

He's looking for more money to steal! We're an oil state, and there are plenty of companies here who can make a fortune when we start stealing, um, pumping Iraq's oil. Who do you think all that money will go to? Iraqis? Hell no! Texans! That's who.

[rainbow4321]

37. PR photos/commercials for his Nov 2006 run...

Using the military/troops for background props, I'm sure. He learned it from the idiot-in-chief.
Thank goodness for Tivo..least this time around I can fast forward thru the Perry, Strayhorn, etc.. commercials that will hit the airwaves in the next several months.

[PatGund]

17. Awwww.....

Poor lil' Goodhair.....

Wouldn't his boyfriend miss him though??

[Libby2]

20. Awe, bummer.

[NativeTexan]

33. And Perry not being one of those impowered and out gays....

....was scared shitless I bet. He isn't use to tough stuff. Like Bush he is only use to people bowing at his feet. Bombs and such are only supposed to be for the kids of the average Joe.

[npincus]

35. NOT TRUE! The Chimp said things were getting better over there!

[WhiteTara]

38. I wonder if the pilot did that to scare the pants

off these fools.

[annabanana]

39. I would understand if he did...

It may be the only way they have to get these idiot's attention...