Rick Perry's Republican Governor's Association served as cashier for the purchase of 700 copies of his book Fed-Up. Dallas-based AT&T paid for the books, which were distributed to state legislators, lobbyists and activists at a conservative policy summit in December in Washington. The cost: $18,349, according to the latest campaign filing by the Republican Governors Association, which Perry heads. That amounts to $26 a book - more than the publisher's cover price of $22. Our Dave Michaels first reported that AT&T had purchased the books, which were placed on each seat in a ballroom where Perry delivered his anti-Washington message. What wasn't known was the cost.
The purchase has raised some concerns among campaign-reform advocates who note that AT&T, which was boosting sales of Perry's book, has a lot of business before the state of Texas and Texas regulators. The Republican governor and his book have been a hit in conservative circles that embrace his states rights message. Sales of the book benefit the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a low-tax, small-government Austin-based group that is among Perry's biggest political boosters.
The new filing, which covers RGA contributions and expenditures in the final two months of 2010, includes an expenditure of $39,835 to Perry's pollster, Mike Baselice of Austin. The Perry camp has denied rumors that it is polling the governor's popularity in early presidential primary states. Baselice is on contract with the RGA and says the polling he's done for the group wasn't about Perry. In fact, he says hasn't even included Perry's name in anything he's done regarding the potential 2012 field.
Source: http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/01/att-spends-18000-buying-rick-p.html
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