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Rick Perry on Principles & Values

Republican Governor (TX)


Obama's a socialist; Founding Fathers didn't want socialists

Q: John McCain wrote about Obama in The Washington Post in an op-ed about a year ago, "I disagree with many of the president's policies, but I believe he is a patriot sincerely intent on using his time in office to advance our country's cause. I reject accusations that his policies and beliefs make him unworthy to lead America or opposed to its founding ideals." Agree?

PERRY: I make a very proud statement and a fact that we have a president that's a socialist. I don't think our Founding Fathers wanted America to be a socialist country. So I disagree with that premise that somehow or another that President Obama reflects our Founding Fathers. He doesn't. He talks about having a more powerful, more centralized, more consuming and costly federal government. I am a Tenth Amendment-believing governor. I truly believe that we need a president that respects the Tenth Amendment. The states will considerably do a better job than a one-size-fits-all Washington, D.C., led by this president.

Source: Meet the Press 2012 GOP New Hampshire debate , Jan 8, 2012

Debates are just not my thing

When Rick Perry came to see me at Trump Tower we had a great discussion. I found him to be a good and personable guy, much different from why you see in the debates. Since then, I have spoken to him on numerous occasions, and every time I speak to him he is so forceful and strong that I have actually said to him: "Rick, why can't you act this was during the debates?" He said, "Donald, the debates are just not my thing." So I said, "Why don't you pretend you are someplace else? You gotta act different. You are getting killed in debates." But he repeated, "Donald, they are just not for me.: Fair enough. But Rick was severely hurt by what took place in the debates. It was sad to see. The debates are turning out to be much more important in this presidential cycle than in past primaries, and if you don't do well in the debates, it's a long climb back to the top. Bu again, Rick is a terrific guy with some solid ideas. It will be interesting to see if he can regain his footing.
Source: Time to Get Tough, by Donald Trump, p.184-185 , Dec 5, 2011

Repudiates pastor's opinion that Mormonism is a cult

Q: [to Perry]: A Baptist pastor at the Values Voter Summit, after introducing Gov. Perry, said that "Mitt Romney is not a Christian," and that "Mormonism is a cult." Mitt Romney asked you to repudiate the comments of that pastor who introduced you on tha stage. Will you?

PERRY: I can no more remove my faith than I can that I'm the son of a tenant farmer. Are we going to be individuals who stand by our faith? I have said I didn't agree with that individual's statement. And our founding fathers truly understood and had an understanding of freedom of religion. But we also are a country that is free to express our opinions. That individual expressed an opinion. I didn't agree with it, Mitt, and I said so. But the fact is, Americans understand faith. And what they've lost faith in is the current resident of the White House.

Q: [to Romney] Is that acceptable to you?

ROMNEY: With regards to the disparaging comments about my faith, I've heard worse, so I'm not going to lose sleep over that.

Source: GOP 2011 primary debate in Las Vegas , Oct 18, 2011

I converted from Democrat at a younger age than Reagan did

BACHMANN: [to Perry]: In the 1980s, Ronald Reagan introduced an economic miracle. And while all of us were wishing and yearning for a third term for Ronald Reagan, you were campaigning and co-chairing Al Gore's 1988 election campaign for president.

PERRY: I, like most people in the state of Texas and in those southern states, grew up a Democrat. Michael Reagan and I were talking just the other day, that I came to the Republican Party sooner in age than his dad, Ronald Reagan did.

Source: 2011 GOP debate at Dartmouth College, NH , Oct 11, 2011

Obama is "hell bent" on taking America towards socialism

Q: [to Romney]: Rep. Bachmann has said that President Obama has "ushered in socialism" during his first term. Gov. Perry says that this administration is "hell bent" toward taking America toward a socialist country" When Speaker Gingrich was asked if he believes Pres. Obama is a socialist, he responded, quote, "Sure, of course he is."

ROMNEY: Pres. Obama takes his political inspiration from the socialist democrats in Europe. Guess what? Europe isn't working in Europe. It's not going to work here.

Source: 2011 GOP Google debate in Orlando FL , Sep 22, 2011

Unelected judges shouldn't tell us when & where we can pray

The American people are fed up with bureaucrats telling them how to live their lives calling the shots on the healthcare insurance they must buy and unspooling more red tape than anyone can handle.

They are also fed up with unelected judges telling the when and where they can pray or observe the Ten Commandments.

This simmering frustration erupted in an overwhelming landslide of conservative voices on election night including members of that new, legitimate force the TEA Party movement.

Source: Speech at 2011 Conservative Political Action Conference , Feb 11, 2011

Modern liberals shifting back to term "Progressive"

Ever since the dawn of the so-called Progressive movement over a century ago, liberals have used every tool at their disposal--including, notably, the Supreme Court--to wage a gradual war on the Constitution and the American way of life, with very little effective opposition from conservatives.

Have you noticed that modern liberals are trying to shift back to the term "Progressive"? They are doing this because they know they have lost the war in defending liberalism. Who can be against progress, after all? But it's a fraudulent use of the word, because ofr the Progressive, progress is marked not by how free you are, but by how much government can "do" for you.

This view--that government should be an interventionist force in American society--remains alive and well today. To me, the idea of living under a distant government that dictates those circumstances and what I may and may not do is not comforting but intolerable. But that is the ethos of the Progressives.

Source: Fed Up!, by Gov. Rick Perry, p. 37-40 , Nov 15, 2010

Take back America: Stand up and lead

I see a world where the federal government involves itself as the last resort, and only according to its constitutionally prescribed powers. This is the world we must restore.
    Taking Back America: So, can we do this? We are Americans. Of course we can have the world we want to live in. Here are the steps we must take to wrest the reins of the federal government from those who have let it run wild for far too long:
  1. Repeal ObamaCare:Under no circumstances should Republicans forsake the clarity of this single mission.
  2. Stand Up and Lead:States have to begin to make the hard choices and to quit blindly accepting money from Washington.
  3. Sustain a National Dialogue About Limited Constitutional Government.
  4. Elect Leaders Who Respect the Constitution and Hold Them Accountable.
  5. Adopt Certain Important Structural Reform: First, we must restrict federal spending. Second, we should restrict its unlimited source of revenue,
Source: Fed Up!, by Gov. Rick Perry, p.174-187 , Nov 15, 2010

America is great; Washington is broken

Something is terribly wrong. There is a sense among Americans that the world we have always known is in danger of being turned upside down.

Now, do not misunderstand me. America is great. Our nation has done, and continues to do, more for the cause of freedom around the world than any nation in the history of man.

But American is in trouble, and the people know it. We sense that our way of life and, perhaps more importantly, our ability to decide how we shall live, is no longer in our control but in the control of an increasingly powerful and oppressive national government--a government run by people who simply do not share our values or our beliefs and blatantly ignore its limits.

In short, it is not America that is broken; it is Washington that is broken.

Source: Fed Up!, by Gov. Rick Perry, p. 3-4 , Nov 15, 2010

Route to success is lower taxes & smaller government

I am proud of what Texas has done in the face of the economic challenges that have gripped our nation in recent years. We know that the route to success is lower taxes, smaller government, and freedom for every individual, because we have seen it work. Our job growth at the end of 2009 and an unemployment rate that has stayed well below the national average.

Indeed, the Texas unemployment rate is the lowest among the nation's ten largest states, as is our state's level of debt. Texas was named the top exporting state in the country for the 8th straight year. That's what happens when you free up citizens to compete. And as a result, we were able to finish our last legislative session with a balanced budget, a tax cut for 40,000 small businesses, and over $8 billion set aside for our state's "rainy-day fund." In fact, Texas & Alaska are responsible for 2/3 of all state dollars set aside in reserve. A sad indictment on the rest of America, this is a source of pride for those of us in Austin.

Source: Fed Up!, by Gov. Rick Perry, p. 9-10 , Nov 15, 2010

Some GOP not on right page; but Dems can't find the library

As frustrated as I am at many in my own party for their waste & incompetence, and as many good friends as I have in the Democratic Party, I am firmly convinced that there is no comparison between the two political parties in modern, 21st-century America. As I have said before, "Republicans often aren't on the right page--indeed, some aren't even in the right chapter. But most are in the right book. Most Democrats today, on the other hand, can't even find the library."

What I mean by that is simple. Republicans, in general, believe in low taxes, low regulation, less spending, free-market health care, constitutional judges, protecting innocent life, enforcing our laws and our borders, peace through strength, empowering the states, and generally advocating principles of limited government. On the other hand, most of my Democratic friends--unfortunately--generally believe in higher taxes, more regulations, capitulation to our enemies, and generally a bigger and more active government than not.

Source: Fed Up!, by Gov. Rick Perry, p. 14-15 , Nov 15, 2010

Prohibiting school prayer is federal overreach

The state of federalism today I see firsthand in Texas. For the years 2010-2011, our budget is just over $180 billion. Of that, 36 percent, or just $65 billion, is money Texans pay in taxes to Washington, and that is sent back with countless strings to tell us how to spend it. It includes money for health care, education, transportation, and countless other domestic programs not mentioned among those 17 clauses enumerating the powers of the central government.

But the problem goes far deeper than that. Prohibition on school prayer, the redefinition of marriage, the nationalization of health care, the proliferation of federal criminal laws, interference with local education, the increased regulation of food --even telling us what kind of lightbulb we can use--there is seemingly no end to the reach of Washington.

What happened to our country? Such policies represent an almost complete abandonment of a limited central government rooted in federalism.

Source: Fed Up!, by Gov. Rick Perry, p. 36-37 , Nov 15, 2010

Supreme Court shouldn't choose how & where we may pray

To whom may the people realistically appeal when the Court arrogantly chooses to hide behind the Constitution while it implements its own policy choices? No one.

That the Court makes policy can hardly be debated--and that many of these policy choices affect the citizen at the core of his personal conscience is equally beyond question. Consider that it is our courts that routinely decide, with little or no chance of further appeal, how and where we may and may not pray to God, when life begins, whether contraception must be allowed to be sold, whether and how we can celebrate religious holidays, what those other than man and woman must be allowed to marry, what level of discrimination may carried out (in the name of ending discrimination), whether a state must allow women to attend an all-male military academy, who may be executed and whether we may execute criminals at all, and generally any issue involving social preference, morality, and our collective concept of right and wrong.

Source: Fed Up!, by Gov. Rick Perry, p. 96 , Nov 15, 2010

Elected Democrat; switched to run statewide as Republican

In 1988 the first Republicans won statewide seats in races other than for governor or for the Senate: A seat on the powerful Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates oil; and the chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court.

Two years later, in 1990, two more Republicans (Rove clients as well) were elected to statewide office, and they would shape state politics for 2 decades. Kay Bailey Hutchinson was elected treasurer, succeeding Ann Richards. Democrats then abolished the position, which made me wonder if political payback is about the only grounds on which Democrats abolish government posts. The other winner, Democrat Rick Perry, had planned to retire from the legislature until his best friend and I talked him into switching partied and running for th GOP nomination for agriculture commissioner. Perry swept rural counties because, as a rancher, he actually knew something about agriculture; he won the suburbs because of his marquee good looks and conservative values. He became governor in 2000.

Source: Courage and Consequence, by Karl Rove, p. 58 , Mar 9, 2010

Hometown of Paint Creek TX is a "throw-back in time"

In some respects, Paint Creek is more an idea than a place; a reaffirmation that there is more to life than the rush of people going to and from work. To some, Paint Creek is a throw-back in time--a fading memory of the way things used to be. For me, Paint Creek was the center of civilization, and everything else was an alternative universe. Our spot of farmland was perched along the rolling plains of West Texas. Dad called our area the Big Empty. I called it paradise. I had thousands of acres to explore, a dog I called my own, and a Shetland pony. We had every amenity a boy could need: electricity from the Rural Electrification Agency; a 14-foot-deep water well in lieu of running water; a1920s bungalow-style house with 6 rooms; a radio to listen to weather reports; a #2 washtub for taking a bath; and a fresh garden by the side of the house, fresh milk from the cow in the pasture, and free-range eggs from the chicken coop. If we were deprived of anything, no one told me. Life was good.
Source: On My Honor, by Gov. Rick Perry, p. 15-16 , Feb 12, 2008

Entered politics in 1984; 5th generation in political family

After settling in Haskell County, my great-great-grandfather was elected county judge from 1900-04. My great-grandfather was elected a county commissioner. After him, my grandfather, Hoyt Perry, ran for county commissioner in the 1940s, but was defeated. My father, Ray, lost the first time he ran for county commissioner in 1964, but he was elected in 1968 and served for 7 terms. The urge to get involved in public service was strong for me. In 1984, I was elected to the Texas legislature representing Haskell County. In 1989, I switched political parties--a traumatic event for someone who was raised in a "yellow dog" Democrat family (the idea being that one would vote for a yellow dog before voting for a Republican). Soon after, I took an even bigger gamble: I would run for statewide office against incumbent Democrat & national populist figure Jim Hightower. No one said I had a chance. The voters said something different, electing me in a squeaker as state commissioner of agriculture in 1990.
Source: On My Honor, by Gov. Rick Perry, p. 22-23 , Feb 12, 2008

It's about freedom OF religion, not freedom FROM religion

The ACLU and like-minded liberals would have us believe that the Establishment Clause equates to freedom FROM religion rather than freedom OF religion. Instead of a reasonable interpretation of the Constitution in a pluralistic society that protects our citizens from a state-sponsored religion being forced upon them, they want to take a more drastic step, which is to whitewash the public square and our public dialogue of any reference to God. Their view is that if one citizen believes there is no God, they must be protected from public references to an Almighty Creator. In an effort to protect a minority view, they go so far as to maintain the position that an atheist, or a non-Christian, cannot be exposed to the majority of religious viewpoints in America without unduly being indoctrinated. What about believing enough in your fellow men and woman to acknowledge that maybe they can think for themselves? What about the educational value inherent in Christian children being exposed to a menorah?
Source: On My Honor, by Gov. Rick Perry, p. 87 , Feb 12, 2008

Romney disallowed Boy Scouts to participate in Olympics

In 2002, BSA contacted Olympic officials under the assumption that the Scouts would participate as they had at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics, working at many venues and participating in various ceremonies. Sometime that fall, however, the Scouts were advised that they were no longer welcome to participate. Chief Scout executive for the council Marty Latimer said, "We don't understand what's wrong. They just don't want us and won't talk to us." He said that Romney had not returned calls from several Scout executives seeking an explanation. We can't get him to return our calls. An Olympic spokeswoman denied that the Scouts had been shut out because of gay protests over the Dale decision.

Several years have gone by, and neither Mitt Romney nor anyone else who served as an official of the 2002 Winter Olympics has given a clear and logical explanation of why the door to volunteerism was shut on a willing "army" of Boy Scout volunteers.

Source: On My Honor, by Gov. Rick Perry, p.121 , Feb 12, 2008

No state-sponsored morality; but sponsor value organizations

I believe developing within our children the desire to succeed, hand in hand with the economic competency ensured by a quality education, is the key to continuing our prosperity. You cannot divorce values from knowledge and expect results. Ultimately, knowledge harnessed for self-indulgence instead of societal good leads to moral decay and ultimately economic decay. I do not advocate state-sponsored morality in the most general sense, but I do argue for the protection of organizations and entities whose influence on American values have been profoundly positive. And I do argue that we continue to make the case to our fellow citizens about the virtue of making right choices, while recognizing in a free society people must ultimately have the prerogative to make wrong choices.
Source: On My Honor, by Gov. Rick Perry, p.175 , Feb 12, 2008

Secular humanism emanates out of man's sin of pride

I believe secular humanism emanates out of man's great downfall: the sin of pride. To put God on the throne of our lives, to surrender to a Higher Being in complete submission, in the secular humanist's mind, is to surrender credit for the accomplishment of one's life. It is essential to say, "I am not so great because everything I have ever accomplished is a gift from God." To some this is not an appealing notion. Yet, where does our capacity to think, dream and emotionally connect come from? It is a gift present within our DNA. This, by the way, is true even if there is no God (a notion I dispute) because our every gift emanates from the unique combination of the genes inherited from our parents.

The life of the secular humanist has a depressing end. Regardless of how great they may consider their accomplishments in life, or how much money they make, it is still the case that they have lived their life for a philosophy that elevates self instead of a worldview that elevates the Creator.

Source: On My Honor, by Gov. Rick Perry, p.180-181 , Feb 12, 2008

Member, National Governors Association/Economic Development.

Perry is a member of the National Governors Association:

The National Governors Association (NGA) is the collective voice of the nation’s governors and one of Washington’s most respected public policy organizations. NGA provides governors with services that range from representing states on Capitol Hill and before the Administration on key federal issues to developing policy reports on innovative state programs and hosting networking seminars for state government executive branch officials. The NGA Center for Best Practices focuses on state innovations and best practices on issues that range from education and health to technology, welfare reform, and the environment. NGA also provides management and technical assistance to both new and incumbent governors.

Since their initial meeting in 1908 to discuss interstate water problems, governors have worked through the National Governors Association to deal with issues of public policy and governance relating to the states. The association’s ongoing mission is to support the work of the governors by providing a bipartisan forum to help shape and implement national policy and to solve state problems.

Fortune Magazine recently named NGA as one of Washington’s most powerful lobbying organizations due, in large part, to NGA’s ability to lead the debate on issues that impact states. From welfare reform to education, from the historic tobacco settlement to wireless communications tax policies, NGA has influenced major public policy issues while maintaining the strength of our Federalist system of government.

There are three standing committees—on Economic Development and Commerce, Human Resources, and Natural Resources—that provide a venue for governors to examine and develop policy positions on key state and national issues.

[Note: NGA positions represent a majority view of the nation’s governors, but do not necessarily reflect a governor’s individual viewpoint. Governors vote on NGA policy positions but the votes are not made public.]

Source: National Governors Association web site www.NGA.org 01-NGA0 on Jan 1, 2001

Member of Republican Governors Association.

Perry is a member of the Republican Governors Association:

Founded in 1963, the Republican Governors Association (RGA) is the official public policy and political organization of the Republican governors and governors-elect of the United States of America

    RGA Mission Statement
  1. To assist in the solution of significant national public policy problems.
  2. To enable the Republican governors to take their proper position in expressing the philosophy of the Republican Party within the national party framework.
  3. To assist in the election of Republican gubernatorial candidates and the reelection of incumbent governors.
  4. To provide a mechanism to facilitate communications and cooperation among its members; with local, state and national Party organizations; with Republicans in the US Congress; and with Republicans in the Executive branch of government during a Republican administration.
The RGA also will work closely with local officials, including state legislators, mayors, county executives and other municipal and county leaders to assist in a free exchange of ideas. As it looks ahead, the RGA is preparing for the 2001- 2002 election cycle in which 38 gubernatorial seats, with 25 seats currently held by Republicans, will be at stake. The cycle begins this year with two highly competitive races, in New Jersey and Virginia. For this and the 36 races in 2002, the RGA will create strong recruiting and fundraising programs to provide maximum political assistance to all Republican candidates.

The RGA will enhance the visibility of the Association as a unified policy-making and political force with the national media, business community and government through a coordinated communications strategy. By building more awareness of the policies of the Republican governors, the political and policy objectives of the Association as a whole can be achieved. Currently, there are 29 Republican governors representing roughly 60 percent of the American people.

Source: Republican Governors Association website, rga.policy.net 01-RGA1 on Aug 15, 2001

Member of Southern Governors' Association.

Perry is a member of the Southern Governors' Association:

The Southern Governors’ Association first met in 1934 to discuss the repeal of discriminatory rates for transporting goods by rail, [and since then SGA] has represented the common interests of southern states’ chief executives and provided a vehicle for promoting them. The ongoing mission of SGA is to support the work of the governors by providing a bipartisan, regional forum to help shape and implement national policy and to solve state and regional problems.

    Objectives:
  1. Identify Vital Issue Interests of Southern States. Through SGA, governors identify federal issues of regional concern. SGA then closely follows these issues, analyzes their regional impact and communicates information back to the governors’ offices through reports and meetings. On select federal issues, governors and their staffs formulate regional policy and make recommendations.
  2. Advocate Regional Interests in Washington. Through SGA, governors advance their mutual interests in Washington and speak with a unified voice on issues important to the region. Through resolutions, joint letters, Congressional testimony, meetings, and other vehicles, SGA communicates the region’s concerns to Congress, the Administration and federal agencies.
  3. Enhance Regional Cooperation. SGA serves as a forum to expedite cooperation among the southern states in solving regional problems. State initiatives reduce dependence on the federal government, maximize state resources, benefit the individual states, enhance interstate relations and place the South in the forefront of regional cooperation and innovation.
  4. Promote Innovative Southern Programs and Practices. SGA provides comparative policy information to its members on pressing issues. Through report and other mechanisms, SGA facilitates the exchange of information on individual state responses to pressing regional concerns or federal government actions.
Source: SGA website, www.SouthernGovernors.org 01-SGA1 on Sep 9, 2001

Member of the Western Governors' Association.

Perry is a member of the Western Governors' Association:

Established in 1984, the Western Governors' Association is an independent, non-partisan organization of governors from 18 western states and three U.S.-flag Pacific islands. The Association was formed to provide strong leadership in an era of critical change in the economy and demography of the West. The Western Governors recognize that many vital issues and opportunities shaping our future span state lines and are shared throughout the West.

Mission

Through their Association, the Western Governors identify and address key policy and governance issues in natural resources, the environment, human services, economic development, international relations and public management. Governors select the issues based on regional interest and impact. WGA helps the governors develop strategies both for the complex, long-term issues facing the West and for the region's immediate needs. Governors use the WGA to develop and advocate policies that reflect regional interests and relationships in debates at the national and state levels.
    The WGA has six basic objectives:
  1. Develop and Communicate Regional Policy
  2. Serve as a Leadership Forum
  3. Build Regional Capacity
  4. Conduct Research and Disseminate Findings
  5. Form Coalitions and Partnerships to Advance Regional Interests
  6. Build Public Understanding and Support for Regional Issues and Policy Positions
Source: Western Governors' Association Mission Statement 01-WGA0 on Aug 17, 2001

Member of the Tea Party movement.

Perry is a member the Tea Party movement

The Tea Party movement is a populist conservative social movement in the United States that emerged in 2009 through a series of locally and nationally coordinated protests. The protests were partially in response to several Federal laws: the stimulus package; te healthcare bill; and the TARP bailouts. The name "Tea Party" refers to the Boston Tea Party of 1773, the source of the phrase, "No Taxation Without Representation."

Source: Tea Party movement 10-Tea on Aug 11, 2010

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Page last updated: Feb 23, 2012