Former Reagan Official: 'Rick Perry's an Idiot'

The domestic adviser to President Reagan doesn't mince his words

If Rick Perry has a "Rove problem," with the Bush team  targeting him for criticism, he is apparently developing a Bartlett problem as well. Bruce Bartlett, who was a domestic policy adviser to President Reagan and served as the Treasury Department's deputy assistant secretary for economic policy under President George H.W. Bush, had some unflattering comments on the Texas governor and presidential candidate on CNN's American Morning today: "Rick Perry's an idiot, and I don't think anyone would disagree with that," he said, in a discussion about Perry saying Federal Reserve Bank chairman Ben Bernanke would be "treasonous" if he printed more money. CNN's Political Ticker relates Bartlett's own criticism of the Fed:

Bartlett said the politics at the Federal Reserve are a serious problem and in part blamed U.S. presidents, who he said have historically not focused their energies on the bank.

"He [Obama] has had open seats on the fed almost his entire presidency and I think that this sends a signal that he just doesn't care very much about what the fed does," Bartlett said.

But he steered clear of painting Bernanke with the same brush as Benedict Arnold.