Cross-posted at the Left Coast Rebel

Rick Perry’s caught himself in another Texas-size-pile-o’-the-steamin’-stinky again.

And no, this time it’s not an executive HPV order causing alarm, rather it’s his support of the so-called Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) of 2008.

The same TARP that played a big part in forming today’s Tea Party Movement.

Today Perry was questioned by a certain Rebekah Maxwell (of SteveDeace.com) about his TARP backing.

“No, Ma’am,” is all the pistol-packing Texas governor had to say (audio here).

Unfortunately the facts prove otherwise.

Perry — along with then West Virginia governor Joe Manchin — authored a 2008 pro-TARP letter after the bill’s first-run historic defeat. Read it for yourself, it’s pretty clear that Perry supported TARP.

These two videos tell the story as well:

Why does all of this matter, you say? Why should we care? After all, politicians are politicians. Even the best have to lie and do what is expedient, now and then, right? Rick Perry looks presidential! He says the right things…

Open your eyes. It’s a matter of character and trustworthiness in limited government issues and Rick Perry (and Mittens Romney for that matter) are both sorely lacking.

Limited government and limited governance, executive and otherwise are the most pressing issues of our age and generation.

If we nominate — and elect — someone lacking the integrity and intestinal fortitude to carry the limited government torch — through good times and perilous as they were in 2008 and likely will be again — then we have won a Pyrrhic victory that will haunt us forever.

Because we will have “won” but truly lost that which matters — principles, ideas and the future of this nation.

On this note, Joseph Ashby writing at American Thinker:

No matter how competent and well-meaning an elected official may be, an incompetent and malevolent leader will eventually and inevitably follow. To dramatically increase government power based on the supposed skill of a temporary office holder is a sentence of bureaucratic imprisonment in the not too distant future.

Certainly Perry and Romney are not Barack Obama when it comes to growing government, but both have shown a willingness disregard or hedge on their free-market principles in when under intense political pressure. Voters would be well served to ask themselves if their preferred candidate will make the right decision when future TARPs inevitably come.

What say you, Rick Perry? And you too, Mitt Romney? How about you, dear reader?

Via Memeorandum.