Three presidential candidates appeared at a central Iowa fundraiser this evening to rally Republicans and blast President Obama.
Over 400 Polk County Republicans gathered for the event, which featured Texas Congressman Ron Paul, Texas Governor Rick Perry and Michigan Congressman Thaddeus McCotter, all declared candidates for the GOP’s presidential nomination. Perry said President Obama had “worsened” the nation’s economic crisis, by pursuing “trickle-down bureaucracy”.
“Here in Iowa, you’ve lost 12,100 jobs since President Obama’s stimulus package was passed,” Perry told reporters during a news conference after his speech. “…One in eight Iowans are on food stamps. That’s a testament to this widespread misery that we’re seeing across the country.”
Perry said food stamp use that high in a state known for feeding the world is a worrisome symptom of dependency.
“Economic freedom comes from working and wages, not from welfare,” Perry said. “And my mission is getting this economy working again.”
Congressman Paul warned economic calamity may be ahead, with rioting similar to what’s happened in Europe, as Americans grow more anxious about the economy.
“I don’t have to change my message,” Paul, a three-time candidate for president, told reporters before his speech. “The message stays the same, but the country changes. The country becomes more ready for what I’ve been saying when it comes to the sound money issue and the economy and deficits, as well as the foreign policy and personal liberties. It all becomes more appropriate because the country is getting in worse shape.”
McCotter, during his remarks to Polk County Republicans, suggested President Obama is the chief D.C. lobbyist for big government.