Governor Perry's speech in Midland yesterday is being widely reported with some of the stories focused on the Governor's comments pertaining to illegal immigrantion. The real import of the speech is the Governor's use of the "S" word to describe the Obama Administration.

Undoubtedly, some people will find it a crude and demeaning pejorative, and certainly the White House will want to direct people's attention elsewhere. But there is no other reasonable and intelligent way to categorize and describe the underlying philosophy and policy objectives of the White House than socialist.

The focus of the stimulus package on growing the public sector, the takeover of GM (aptly nicknamed "Government Motors"), the hiring of a pay czar to dictate terms of employment to executives at companies that received TARP funds, the health care nationalization plan, and the climate change legislation are all manifestations of the Administration's governing philosophy.

Every Administration has a philosophy, some are harder to discern and others are inept at implementation, but there is no doubt about where President Obama wants to take America. When he galavants around the globe, the President appears more comfortable as a citizen of the world because most of the rest of the world is on a trajectory toward reaffirming socialism, which just twenty years ago seemed asphyxiated. The Eastern Bloc collapsed for many reasons but chief among them is socialism's inability to produce the basic goods and services needed to sustain a nation-state. Yet, the Congress of the United States is recreating the very essence of what is a proven failure.

The extraordinary (now increasingly ordinary) increases in federal spending -- and the taxes, fines and penalties built in to Speaker Pelosi's health care plan and Senator Boxer's Climate change bill -- are examples of what the Governor described. "This is an administration hell-bent on taking America towards a socialist country," he said.

The Administration and its supporters should finally speak clearly and unashamedly about their goals and objectives so that the American people can have a clear view of what's underway.

And speaking frankly about what the Administration is doing is the only way those motivated and animated by liberty and a belief in free markets can get on with the task of preventing America's hurried trot toward socialism.