Free Republic

If Rick Perry does mount a successful bid for the U.S. presidency, it will be interesting to see whether he can translate his past and present criticisms of the federal government into concrete changes to the sprawling bureaucracy. Perry has yet to say he will or won’t toss his hat into the Republican race for the right to square off against President Barack Obama in 2012. He is, however, making all the moves of a potential candidate testing the waters. Insiders are mixed on the odds. Some say he’s definitely in; others put the odds at 50-50. But the mere...

The two biggest names who haven't decided yet on whether to run for the Republican presidential nomination are Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. The two have a budding friendship, The Hill reports. And the bond is becoming so tight that one of them may readily endorse the other should he/she decide to launch a presidential bid. That would represent crucial support for the endorsee, likely establishing him/her as the tea party favorite. "He does what is right regardless of whether it is popular. He walks the walk of a true conservative," Palin wrote.

President Obama wouldn't stand a chance if Texas Gov. Rick Perry were to win the Republican nomination. That's Merrill Matthews' theory anyway. On the conservative website Human Events, he compares Obama to Perry in terms we can all understand. Which brings us to the Obama vs. Perry records on the economy. Unemployment: Then, 7.3% of Americans were unemployed and 9.1% are unemployed today. ...Yet, as this Times article demonstrates, there's no doubt Perry brings more to the table in terms of successful governing experience than anyone else seeking to challenge Obama.

Two major names remain on the 2012 bench. Each has a giant persona, comes from a giant state, and has a giant following. Yes, it’s Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. Their political friendship, while somewhat recent, seems real — so real that it would be easy to imagine one endorsing the other if only one of them would jump into the race. That would give an instant charge of credibility and buzz to the endorsee, and likely set either Palin or Perry as the Tea Party favorite. Their friendship goes back to their days as...

When Sarah Palin’s “Going Rogue” was released in late 2009, people around the country stood in line for hours to meet her at book signings, and to shake her hand and ask her to run for president in 2012. And this was after the MSM had spent nearly a year and half dragging her and her family through the mud, accusing Palin of every misdeed imaginable, and going out of their way to remind us how unprepared Palin was for the vice presidency (according to MSM standards of course). From the release of “Going Rogue” through the November 2010 elections,...

Gov. Rick Perry may or may not try to become the leader of what was once called the free world. In the meantime, he has cemented his reputation as one of the most powerful governors ever to walk the corridors of the Texas Capitol. As the longest serving governor in state history, Perry has named more people to boards and commissions than any predecessor — 5,495 at last count, Legislative Reference Library figures show — allowing him to put his conservative stamp on every corner of state government. The reach of his power, and his willingness to use it, have...

Why these Republicans love sitting on the fence. What's the rush? Having those three words -- "potential presidential candidate'' -- next to your name can be addictive. "There's a fun factor to being almost a candidate,'' said John Sununu, New Hampshire's former governor and party chairman. "People listen to you, but you don't have all of the responsibilities that come with running for president.'' Palin, who is well known nationally from her vice presidential bid in 2008, two biographies, one reality television show, and now, a documentary titled The Undefeated, can probably afford to wait the longest. As head of...

AUSTIN - The just-concluded 82nd Legislature has armed Gov. Rick Perry with a host of red-meat issues to present to conservative Republican voters if he jumps into the wide-open presidential primary race. But analysts say some of those issues could carry consequences down the road in reaching broader constituencies in a general election match-up against President Barack Obama. Texas' longest-serving governor burnished his conservative profile with legislative victories that included a no-tax budget with $15 billion in cuts, property rights protections, voter ID legislation and a bill requiring sonograms before abortions. Two other Perry-backed issues - an immigration measure to...

This week marked the end of a legislative season in which Texas Gov. Rick Perry got pretty much everything he wanted - especially if what he wanted were talking points for a Republican presidential campaign. The Texas legislature passed a fiscally austere budget that left $6 billion in the state's rainy-day fund, and bills requiring women seeking abortions to get sonograms, voters to show photo identification and plaintiffs who bring lawsuits deemed frivolous to pay court costs and attorney fees. Even where he was defeated, Perry won points from conservatives for putting up a fight. He tried to ban "sanctuary...

Texas Gov. Rick Perry ridiculed Washington leadership Thursday on a whirlwind trip through California, positioning himself as a champion of limited government, states' rights and low taxes as he edges toward a decision on whether to enter the 2012 presidential campaign. The Republican governor held a string of private meetings and events with members of Congress, conservative activists, CEOs and potential fundraisers who could become part of a national campaign. Perry, a former Air Force pilot, is the longest-serving governor in Texas history. He opposes abortion rights and is a favorite among social conservatives. He has been touting his record...

A society of sheep must in time beget a government of wolves.- Bertrand de Jouvenel des Ursins, usually known only as Bertrand de Jouvenel (31 October 1903, Paris – 1 March 1987) was a French philosopher, political economist, and futurist. G u l a g B o u n d Video, "Gov. Rick Perry’s amazing speech to RLC 2011" at TheRightScoop.com James Richard "Rick" Perry assumed the governorship of Texas in 2000 when he took over from George W. Bush, who resigned to take the oath of office of President. He holds all records for Texas gubernatorial tenure. Perry has...

James Richard “Rick” Perry assumed the governorship of Texas in 2000 when he took over from George W. Bush, who resigned to take the oath of office of President. He holds all records for Texas gubernatorial tenure. Perry has the distinction of being the only governor in modern Texas history to have appointed at least one person to every possible state office, board, or commission position which requires gubernatorial appointment (as well as to several elected offices to which the governor can appoint someone to fill an unexpired term, such as six of the nine current members of the Texas...

While former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney remains the preferred 2012 Republican presidential nominee, three rivals are close behind -- including two who haven't announced they are running. In a Fox News poll released Wednesday, Romney received the backing of 18 percent of GOP primary voters. He's followed by Texas Gov. Rick Perry at 13 percent, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann at 11 percent and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani at 10 percent. Perry and Giuliani have not declared their candidacies. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, also undeclared, is now in single digits at 8 percent support, and Texas Congressman...

Rick Perry has a history of acrimony with George W. Bush Mark Z. Barabak June 30, 2011 Reporting from Austin, Texas Rick Perry was in Iowa three years ago, talking up a favored candidate, when the subject turned to George W. Bush, the president and a fellow Republican who preceded Perry as Texas governor. Bush, or "George," as Perry called him, was no fiscal conservative — "never was" — and his work on tort reform, a subject dear to Republican hearts, paled next to Perry's achievements, the governor said. "I mean, '95, '97, '99," Perry went on, elaborately ticking the...

At a time Gov. Rick Perry has considerably stepped up his travel schedule, the Legislature on Tuesday amended a school finance bill to keep the details of the cost of his security team secret for 18 months. At Perry's urging, lawmakers inserted language into SB1 that will keep the details of travel vouchers submitted by his Department of Public Safety security team secret for 18 months after trips are completed. Both the Texas House and Senate passed the bill Tuesday. Sen. Robert Duncan, R-Lubbock, said the conference committee agreed to language that provides "a more balanced approach" than legislation during...

Okay, so here are some unsolicited but heartfelt words of caution for Governor Rick Perry of Texas as he contemplates whether to enter the Republican primary for President of the United States. As you and your trusted aides crunch numbers, take the pulse of major donors, look at various match-ups in states like Iowa, South Carolina, and Florida, please keep this in mind: The conservatives, Republicans, independents, and even the growing number of Democrats who embrace traditional values and strongly oppose Barack Obama and his socialist tendencies, are tired. They are bone tired, worried beyond words, and quite frankly sick...