Gov. Rick Perry was quickly faced with questions about his charge – criticized by conservatives – that Mitt Romney practiced “vulture capitalism” through his work with Bain Capital.
And since he’s opposed the Dodd Frank financial regulations law, he was asked what specific regulations he might put in place to curb vulture capitalism.
Perry quickly turned it into a defense of his charges against Romney, citing a steel mill that closed in South Carolina, and a chance to tout Texas’ record on job creation, saying, “We’re all about capitalism.”
He also upped the ante, demanding again that Romney release his income tax returns.
Perry said his record has long been open to the public, and he said Newt Gingrich plans to release his as well.
Addressing Romney directly, he said the former Massachusetts governor should release his income tax returns “so the people of this country can see how you made your money. I think that’s a fair thing.”
“As Republicans, we cannot fire our nominee in September,” Perry said, contending that Romney should release his tax records “so the people of South Carolina can decide if we’ve got a flawed candidate or not.”
Romney, in a response, defended his work for Bain Capital and said he agrees with Perry regarding over-regulation. But he didn’t mention his tax returns.