Dems hijack Perry press conference

BOR 6/15/10
LIVEBLOG - Rick Perry Campaign Tries to Host Press Conference at TCDP Coordinated Campaign

I will be live-blogging for the next hour or so. Latest updates will be atop the post.

3:33pm - Starting to get press reports in. Here's a video report from the Texas Tribune:

AAS 6/15/10
Dems hijack Perry press conference

While Gov. Rick Perry was in China, his campaign spokesman called a curbside press event in front of the office of Travis County Democrats’ coordinated campaign, which serves as the local campaign office for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill White and all other Democrats running for office in Travis County.

Mark Miner, Perry’s mouthpiece, stood in the early afternoon’s sweltering heat - in a dark suit nonetheless - to try to talk to members of the Capitol press corps.

But unless you were standing inches from the sweaty Miner, you couldn’t hear anything but the chants of Democratic campaign workers, one of whom donned a chicken outfit.

"Rick Chicken Perry," they squawked. "Debate Bill now."

Trailblazers blog DMN 6/15/10
Perry campaign stunt runs afowl

Sometimes it's just not a good idea to hold a news conference at your opponent's campaign office. The Rick Perry camp scheduled just such an event today outside Democrat Bill White's headquarters in Austin. The Perry camp wanted to trumpet their claim that White benefited from a company hired to deal with Hurricane Rita while White was mayor. But when Perry spokesman Mark Miner tried to speak, he was drowned out by White supporters - including one in a yellow chicken suit - demanding the governor debate his Democratic opponent. Miner says Perry will debate when White releases his income taxes for the years he served as deputy energy secretary in Washington.

(snip)
In any event, instead of focusing on generators, TV cameras focused on White supporters holding hand-made signs and chanting, "Rick 'Chicken' Perry." The Texas Tribune's Elise Hu captured the political theater.

Texas Tribune 6/15/10
Team Rick Perry's afternoon media availability felt more like a pep rally for the other team.

About one hundred White supporters (including a man in a chicken suit) were armed with "Debate Bill" posters and a lot of volume when Team Perry chose Bill White's Austin headquarters as the location for their Tuesday press conference. White supporters shouted and chanted over Perry spokesman Mark Miner's presentation of a BTEC turbine - which Miner said is a symbolic reminder of the profit White made off of his investment in the company. The City of Houston contracted with BTEC to aid in Hurricane Rita recovery while White was mayor.

(snip)

The White supporters chanted, among other things, "Rick Chicken Perry," hoping to pressure Team Perry into setting a debate against White before the November election. The Perry camp has said it will not debate until White releases more of his tax returns.

Mark Miner just got thoroughly and sufficiently pwned

First Reading blog AAS 6/16/10
A rare miscue from the Perry campaign?

(snip)
It’s not often that Gov. Rick Perry’s campaign loses the day-to-day tactical battle in a campaign, but that’s what appeared to happen Tuesday when Perry spokesman Mark Miner tried to hold a press conference near a Democratic campaign office in Austin.

Miner wanted to talk about Democrat Bill White’s business investments, but he was drowned out by Democrats calling on Perry to debate. And yes, one of the shouters donned a chicken suit.

Before I go any further, I have several questions about the chicken suit, mostly this: Did they just have a chicken suit sitting on a shelf somewhere? If not, I can’t wait to see "chicken suit" show up on someone’s contribution-and-expenditure report.

Truth be told, the chicken suit was a brilliant move, because it made the event nearly impossible to ignore.

Burnt Orange Report 6/17/10
Rick Chicken Perry Meets Disco Chicken: "Ask Mee! Ask Mee!"

Today is Day 52 of Rick Perry refusing to debate Bill White.

Rick Chicken Perry continues to refuse to debate Bill White. Enjoy this viral video, and help us spread it around: