Rick Perry really knows how to make friends.
First, the Dallas Morning News registered their sense of affront that the Governor has put up a wall between himself and Texas media. In an online dallasnews.com editorial DMN's Theodore Kim blasted:
Gov. Rick Perry has declined to meet with newspaper editorial boards in Texas in his re-election run. But his self-imposed embargo apparently does not extend to the national press.
Kim reminds that when called on his lack of contact with Texas' papers, Perry has cited his hectic schedule:
"It's a big state, and it takes a lot of time to do 12 to 15 editorial boards," Perry said. "It's just a better use of our time to be out talking to the people. It was strictly an issue of: How best do you get in front of more Texans?"
While, as Kim notes, Democrat Bill White has identified Perry's problem as a desire "to avoid hard questions".
And that was just the *start* of the bad reactions Perry's quickie little lunch speech.
The kicker is the reaction of the NCEW itself after Perry had left the conference today, when they felt moved enough by the experience to post the following love letter to Governor Perry on their ncew.org website FRONT page:
Dear Gov. Perry:
The National Conference of Editorial Writers was stunned and disappointed today when you spoke at our luncheon and did not take questions.
Had it been due to a tight schedule, we would have understood. But, clearly, you had ample time to work the room by shaking hands both before and after your talk. You also gave an extended interview before TV cameras in the hallway, in full view of NCEW members for whom you indicated you had no more time.
This is an affront to any notion of civil discourse, such as the kind you have called for on other occasions.
We believe you and your staff have been disingenuous in the characterization of your schedule. If you had hoped to make a positive impression on this national press group, I must tell you that you utterly failed.
Sincerely,
Tom Waseleski
NCEW President
Apparently, Governor Perry got the same memo from Sarah Palin that Christine O'Donnell did -- stay away from the national media.
Well, clearly the NCEW knows how to write a memo too.
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