Texas Governor Rick Perry picked a fight with New York (and the wrong comedian).
Lewis Black hit back last week at the Republican governor’s effort to lure businesses to his state. “Texas is calling? Well, good thing I’ve got caller ID. Listen Texas, you try to steal jobs from California and Illinois is one thing,” said Black on The Daily Show. “But you try to trash talk New York? Not on my watch!” He added, “People come here from all over the world–for the freedom to live as they choose, for the variety of cultures, but most of all for the fact that it’s not Texas!”
Perry had invited people to leave New York State: “If you’re tired of the same old recipe of taxation, over-regulation, and frivolous litigation, get out before you go broke. Texas is calling.”
Lewis discussed his Texas-sized beef with the governor during an appearance Monday on The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell. The Daily Show contributor suggested Perry should “just go back to college and start over.”
“Really, take another four years and let’s look at the world again, Rick. This time, try to remember some stuff and pay attention in class,” said Black on The Last Word. “The fact that he may run for president again–if that happens, I mean, as a comedian, I’m thrilled. But as a citizen, I weep.”
He also discussed the joy of paying taxes, saying it was a “privilege” after his years as a broke actor.
“I didn’t help pay for the streets. I didn’t help pay for the water bill. I didn’t help pay for anything. So the idea that I could pay for a lot of the stuff that needs to be paid for was, like, joyous,” said Black. “What do you think, you know, that they’re going to call you when the bridge goes, they’re going to call you up and say, ‘Hey, bring your toolkit?’ You know, you have to pay for stuff. “
Sarah Muller