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Texas Governor Rick Perry is answering Michele Bachmann’s Super PAC ad now airing in South Carolina.

From the press release:

AUSTIN – A committee supporting Michele Bachmann has released a blatantly false ad that completely misrepresents Gov. Perry’s fiscally conservative record in Texas.
“Gov. Perry is a proven fiscal conservative, having cut taxes, signed six balanced budgets, and led Texas to become America’s top job-creating state,” said Ray Sullivan, RickPerry.org’s communications director. “Congresswoman Bachmann’s front-group ad is patently and provably false. Unlike Washington, the Texas budget is balanced, does not run deficits and limits spending, even as Texas added jobs and population in big numbers.”
 
FALSE CLAIM: “Rick Perry doubled spending in a decade.”
 
TRUTH: State spending – the non-federal dollars state lawmakers can control – is six percent lower under Gov. Perry than it was under the two-year budget in effect when he took office, adjusting for population growth and inflation. In unadjusted amounts, state spending is $80.5 billion for the 2012-13 biennium compared to $55.7 billion for the 2000-01 biennium. Texas’ population growth plus inflation since 2001 is 54 percent. The current Texas budget funds the state’s vital needs by operating within available revenues and providing tax cuts for small businesses. Gov. Perry is the only Texas governor since World War II to cut state (general revenue) spending.
 
FALSE CLAIM: “This year, Rick Perry is spending more money than the state takes in.”
 
TRUTH: Texas’ budget has been certified as balanced by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, with an estimated $6.5 billion remaining unspent in the state’s Rainy Day Fund. Every budget Gov. Perry has signed has been balanced.
 
FALSE CLAIM: “Covering his deficits with record borrowing.”
 
TRUTH: Texas does not have a deficit. The state’s recent sale of Tax and Revenue Anticipation Notes (TRANs) is cash-flow management tool that dates back to 1987. These notes are sold every fiscal year to manage cash flow and to provide up-front payments to public schools. They are repaid within the fiscal year with tax revenue that comes in after the upfront school payments are made. Texas earned the highest possible ratings in anticipation of this offering, receiving a rating of SP-1+ by Standard & Poor’s, MIG 1 by Moody’s Investors Service and F1+ by Fitch Inc. Texas’ net interest rate of .27 percent is down from last year’s rate of .34 percent, representing the state’s lowest net rate ever for these notes.

This ad began running yesterday, so Perry’s response is a little late.

But, it is apparent as we go into Labor Day weekend, this race is just getting started.

Let the media fly…..

According to the latest Quinnipiac Poll.

Among Republicans and independent voters leaning Republican, Perry gets 24 percent to Romney’s 18 percent, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s 11 percent, Minnesota U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann’s 10 percent, Texas U.S. Rep. Ron Paul’s 9 percent and businessman Herman Cain’s 5 percent. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich gets 3 percent, while former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, former Sen. Rick Santorum and Michigan U.S. Rep. Thaddeus McCotter get 1 percent each. 

If Palin doesn’t run, Perry leads Romney 26 – 20 percent with Bachmann at 12 percent. 

Romney is viewed favorably by 36 percent, unfavorably by 27 percent – somewhat better than Perry’s split 22 – 23 percent favorable rating, with 55 percent who don’t know enough about him to form an opinion. Among Republicans, however, Perry is 44 – 5 percent favorable, compared to Romney’s 57 – 14 favorable rating. Bachmann is 36 – 26 percent unfavorable among all voters and 50 – 14 percent favorable among Republicans.

In general election match-ups, Romney is tied with Obama and Obama leads Perry by 3 points.

Again, this is a national poll and means less than the early GOP states where the race will occur first. 

The only unknown in this race is whether Sarah Palin will run. Otherwise, it will be Perry as the front-runner Vs. Romney the moderate-establishment candidate.

According to the latest CNN Poll.

The survey, released Monday, indicates that 27 percent of Republicans nationwide support Perry for their party’s nomination, with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who’s making his second bid for the White House, at 14 percent. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin follows at ten percent, with Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani at nine percent, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, who’s making his third bid for the presidency, at six percent. Every one else listed on the questionnaire registered in the low single digits.

Another national poll, like Gallup, last week that shows Texas Governor Rick Perry as the front-runner.

The momentum has been clear and it is all Perry. 

Wonder what Sarah Palin is thinking now?

According to the latest Magellan Strategies survey.

Magellan Strategies today released the results of an autodial survey of 637 likely 2012 Republican primary voters in South Carolina.  The survey finds Rick Perry leading Mitt Romney by 11 points.  Among all voters, Rick Perry has 31%, Mitt Romney has 20%, and Michele Bachmann is third with 14%.  The rest of the Republican field rounds out with Herman Cain with 9%, Newt Gingrich with 5%, Ron Paul and the “Other Candidate” with 4%, Rick Santorum and Jon Huntsman with 2%, and 9% undecided.

Texas Governor Rick Perry has zoomed to the top of the polls. If he can beat Bachmann in Iowa, she may drop out before the South Carolina Primary election. But, then again, if Romney does not win New Hampshire by a substantial margin, he may be dead coming into South Carolina too.

Remember Republicans like to end their Presidential primaries EARLY.