Obama Adviser Questions Perry’s Economic Successes

President Barack Obama’s political team is taking an early swipe at Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who’s set to officially dive into the presidential race on Saturday.

Part of Perry’s pitch is the Texas economy, which has fared better than most states during the nation’s economic troubles. Obama senior political adviser David Axelrod says Texas benefited from booming oil prices and increased military spending on two wars. He said Friday on CBS’ “Early Show,” “I don’t think many people would attribute it to the leadership of the governor down there.”

Axelrod also criticized the wider Republican field in Thursday night’s debate, saying they were more interested in pledging allegiance to the tea party’s anti-tax values than in helping middle-class Americans.