Perry's bipartisanship, take two

The softer side of Rick Perry made another appearance at his inauguration.

"Texas is better off when Republicans and Democrats work together," the Republican governor told several hundred legislators, guests and spectators in the House chamber, where the inaugural ceremony, traditionally held outside, had been chased by freezing temperatures and ice on the Capitol grounds.

He sounded a similar theme shortly after his 39% re-election. Not to sound all cyncical and everything, but I'll believe it when I see it. Actions speak louder than words, and Governor Perry has a lot of actions in his past that make a joke of those words. The first step is yours to take, Governor. If anyone wants to take the ice storm that hit Austin yesterday as an omen of things to come, feel free.

One more thing:

Perry, 56, who was re-elected with 39 percent of the vote over four opponents in November, is on track to become the longest-serving governor in Texas history. But already there is speculation that he may welcome an invitation to be the vice presidential nominee on the 2008 GOP ticket.

The governor has tried to downplay that speculation, but it was renewed Tuesday when he made brief references to international problems, including the situation in Iraq, the war on terrorism and the "anti-American appeals" of some European and Latin American leaders.

I'd like to state now that I too would welcome an invitation to be the vice presidential nominee on the 2008 GOP ticket. I expect that my chances of getting that invitation are only slightly worse than Rick Perry's, and that's because, technically speaking, I'm not actually a Republican. Wake me up when someone other than a Perry operative or a Chron reporter is doing the speculating.

UPDATE: For a full analysis of Perry's speech plus some fashion commentary, see Muse.

Posted by Charles Kuffner on January 17, 2007 to Show Business for Ugly People