During the time that Rick Perry was still in the running for the Republican nomination, I argued that, while the policies he advocated were as bad as those of the others, he was one of the less obnoxious choices in that he did not seem to have the same level of gratuitous meanness. My feelings were based on some articles I read that said that his administration in Texas actually had a good record on diversity and that he had little to do with that state’s policy on the death penalty and had not shown any particular enthusiasm for putting people to death.

In addition, he had a kind of appealing goofiness, made most manifest in his infamous ‘Oops’ debate gaffe. He seemed to be someone who had ignorant and simplistic views on things and was completely out of his depth on the national scene, but otherwise was relatively harmless.

But I was wrong. In implementing his state’s policy to cut off funding for Planned Parenthood, Perry has demonstrated that he can be as mean and vicious as any of the others, since that move also will result in that state’s residents being denied all benefits under the Medicaid Women’s Health Program.

These people really don’t care who gets hurt by their religion-based policies.