APPARENTLY THERE ARE SOME LIMITS TO SELF-RELIANCE IN PERRY COUNTRY

From today's big New York Times story about Paint Creek and Haskell County, Texas, where Rick Perry grew up:

His parents, who are still active members of the community, always attending church and often stopping by the senior center's lively free lunch program, usually travel to Austin to see their son, friends said.

I'm sorry -- is it nasty of me to highlight that? Look, maybe Perry's parents volunteer. Maybe they choose to pay. I'm sure they show up for the company, not really for the free food.

But still. I'm sure there's some government money involved in the provision of these free lunches, either directly or indirectly. To hear folks like Rick Perry talk, taking something provided by the government that you should provide for yourself, or your family should provide for you, is anathema to people where Perry comes from, anathema like turning vegan or attending a gay wedding. It's unthinkable. (Medicare and Social Security excepted, of course.)

But there it is: socialism, not just where Perry lives, but provided to his own family.