Surprisingly, Rick Perry Lands Sheriff Joe Arpaio's Endorsement

In a surprise move, Maricopa County (Ariz.) Sheriff Joe Arpaio on Tuesday endorsed Texas Gov. Rick Perry for president.

Arpaio, who takes a hard line on immigration and earned national fame for housing inmates in tents, said, "The federal government has failed on border crime and border enforcement, and no candidate for president has done more to secure the border than Governor Rick Perry.

"I'm endorsing Rick Perry because we need a tough-on-crime president who will champion and fund full-time border security operations from Brownsville to San Diego. Governor Perry has a superior border security record and plan to make our border and our nation safer."

The comments caught some border minders by surprise, as Perry has championed in-state college tuition for illegal aliens and has mocked the construction of a border fence, saying it will only promote the sale of ladders.

Other GOP hopefuls, notably Michele Bachmann, have taken harder lines on illegal immigration.