Not too long ago, Texas Governor Rick Perry got into a bit of a verbal scuffle with California Governor Jerry Brown after releasing radio and TV ads in a handful of hyper-blue states like Illinois and California. Touting Texas’s pro-growth, low-tax policies, the ads ran along the lines of, “Building a business is tough, but I hear building a business in California is next to impossible,” and although Brown dismissed Perry’s efforts as “barely a fart,” Perry’s long-term campaign to attract jobs to Texas from other states has certainly been a source of annoyance for plenty of Democrats.

This time around, Perry is setting his sights on Maryland, another paragon of hyper-blue policies and incidentally ranked by the Tax Foundation as 41st in the nation for business-tax climate:

Maryland is apparently the latest target in an ongoing campaign by Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) to lure businesses and employees to the Lone Star State.

“When you grow tired of Maryland taxes squeezing every dime out of your business, think Texas, where we’ve created more jobs than all the other states combined,” Perry says in a new ad set to begin airing this week in the Washington region, according to WTOP radio.

Besides touting the economic advantages of his state, Perry also takes a shot at Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D), who is weighing a 2016 White House bid.

“Unfortunately, your governor has made Maryland the tax-and-fee state, where businesses and families are paying some of the highest taxes in America,” says Perry.

You mad, Governor O’Malley?

“I know from past experience that the gentleman is all hat and no cattle,” O’Malley said about Perry on Thursday night. To a Texan, those words are akin to saying, “put ’em up.”

O”Malley later told a Democratic audience that he once debated the Texas governor and “kicked his a–,” according to the Baltimore Sun. “And he’s never come back for more.”

Except that, he evidently is coming back for more, and Texas has the economic bona fides for him to talk the talk and walk the walk.

It’s sure a good thing that Texas has lots of space, because a booming economy is bringing in lots of people. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the number of Texas jobs has grown 31.5 percent since 1995, compared with 12 percent nationwide. Following the financial crisis of 2009-2011 the job growth was only 2.4 percent…but this was still six times higher than the anemic 0.4 percent growth rate of the overall American economy.

What’s creating all those jobs? Yes, petrochemical is a big part of it, just as we’re seeing in North Dakota and other states that are providing fuel essential for industry and virtually all aspects of domestic life.  Then add to that an economic climate which has consistently ranked Texas among top states   in various surveys for business friendliness, no personal income taxes,  strong wages, value-priced real estate, and a great living environment, and you have a darned good formula for success.

Update: