Question: How do you know that Rick Perry is lying? Answer: his lips are moving.
Yea, old joke, but sadly in Perry's case it does not grow less true with age.
Most recently, Perry is touting his compendium of distortions , lies and half-truths , that is his new book.
Politifact assess his recent talking point, to wit: "federal health care overhaul will cost Texas state government "upwards of $30 billion over the next 10 years."
Politifact , in is cool, even-handed way, points out that that the initial reason for any such increase is, wait for it, Texas will have to cover 2 million uncovered adults! Oh the horror of it, having to provide health care for the uninsured. What Federal over-reach, what arrogance, making Texas do right by its least well off citizens!
Politifact The second: People who were eligible for Medicaid before the health care law passed but haven't signed up. According to Stephanie Goodman, a spokeswoman for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, some of these people are expected to come onto the rolls because of the requirement in the new law that all individuals obtain health insurance starting in 2014.
Darn those people for wanting to be covered by affordable health care!
The entire claim gets complicated by the different time frames and figures included and excluded (some rather arbitrily ) from the claim. One large exmaple:
Politifact As for the projected increase in Medicaid costs, the comptroller's report jibes with the health commission's estimates. But it also tabulates the hefty federal contribution. For every dollar the state spends on new Medicaid enrollees through 2019, the federal government will spend $13, according to the figures in the report. The total federal contribution: $76 billion.
Perry is never one to let the facts get in the way of a good lie/half-truth! More broadly, it is easier to play the mob card when you ignore the complexies and shades of gray that are the true colors of reality.
Rick Perry, serial charlatan, oft time lair, all time opportunitist and rabble rouser. It is going to be a long 4 years.
