Insisting that "Washington is broken," Gov. Rick Perry of Texas officially launched his bid for the Republican presidential nomination on Saturday in South Carolina where he was speaking to conservative activists.
Perry pointed to his record in Austin, the success of the Lone Star State in creating jobs, and attempted to set a stark contrast between himself and President Barack Obama.
What I learned in my 20s traveling the globe as an Air Force pilot, our current president has yet to acknowledge in his 50s that we are the most exceptional nation on the face of the earth, noted Perry. As Americans, we believe freedom is a gift from God, and governments prime function is to defend it.We dont see the role of government as a nanny state, and we recognize there is no government money that wasnt once earned through the sweat and toil of private citizens.
Thats why we object to an administration that sees its role as spending our childrens inheritance on failed economic theories that have given us record debt and left far too many unemployed, threatening not only our economy but our security, continued Perry.
Our reliance on foreign creditors and sources of energy not only compromises our national sovereignty, but jeopardizes our national future. Americas place in the world is in peril, not only because of disastrous economic policies, but from the incoherent muddle known as our foreign policy. Our president has thumbed his nose at traditional allies such as Israel and Great Britain."
Perry insisted that his experience in Texas held valuable lessons in restoring the national economy to a sound footing.
As governor of Texas, I have led based on a few guiding principles:
1) Dont spend all the money;
2) keep taxes low and under control;
3) keep regulations fair and predictable;
4) reform the legal system so frivolous lawsuits dont paralyze employers that are trying to create jobs
Over 10 years, we have followed this recipe of fiscal restraint to produce the strongest economy in the nation. While millions of jobs have been lost over the last decade nationwide, hundreds of thousands of jobs have been added in Texas. Texas is home to one in 12 Americans, and yet since June of 2009, we have created more than four in 10 American jobs," said the two-time head of the Republican Governors Association.
Elected lieutenant governor of the Lone Star State in 1998, Perry moved up to the top job when George W. Bush was sworn in as president after the 2000 election. Perry has faced three gubernatorial elections and prevailed -- most recently turning back a serious primary challenge from U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.
A sharp critic of the role of the federal government, Perry said throughout 2010 that he was not interested in making a run for the presidency. He walked that back in the summer of 2011 and left the door open to entering the contest.
Perry starts off as one of the top contenders for the Republican nomination, though he is trailing former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts in most polls.
The Texas governor will not take part in the Iowa Republican straw poll being held in Ames later on Saturday.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
