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Rick Perry established a new gold standard for hawkish foreign policy at Saturday night’s GOP debate in New Hampshire. Not only is he mad President Obama withdrew US forces, he wants to put them back on the ground there immediately. “I would send troops back into Iraq,” Rick Perry told a New Hampshire audience at Saturday night’s GOP debate, warning that without yet another military operation in Iraq it would fall under the influence of neighboring Iran. “I think it’s a huge error for us,” he said. “We’re going to see Iran in my opinion, move back in at literally...

Three days after cancelling appearances in South Carolina and returning to Texas to “reassess” his presidential campaign, Texas Gov. Rick Perry released a statement Friday saying he will compete nationwide. "As my campaign for president moves forward, our superior organization and resources allow me to compete nationwide, where I’m confident our unmatched jobs record, conservative fiscal and social policies, and status as the only Washington outsider can win over Republican voters," Perry said in a news release announcing he had filed paperwork to be listed on primary election ballots in Arizona, Illinois, Ohio, Vermont and Washington, D.C.

You’re not going to lose a lot of bets by inferring that a candidate who says he is “suspending” his campaign is in fact about to drop out. But Rick Perry’s reconsideration of his role in the Republican nomination race appears to have been genuine and he is pressing forward for the time being. Why did Mr. Perry decide to remain in the race? Knowing the answer is crucial to understanding whether Mr. Perry has any chance of mounting a comeback — and how his decision might reverberate upon Mitt Romney and the other Republican candidates. Let me posit two...

.....It's too bad that his confrontation with Politico reporter Mike Allen didn't come earlier in the campaign, because "You got a name?" makes a great sound bite on how to treat the left-wing media ambushes. It would also be the way he would probably confront world leaders who are not operating in our best interests -- firm but unwavering. One thing is for certain: a president Perry would not be bowing to any Saudi potentate or any other world leader. ......Frankly, I don't think pragmatism is what is called for at this time. Slash-and-burn is what is needed to reduce...

National conservative leaders are wondering who, if anyone, can stop Mitt Romney from walking off with the Republican nomination after his narrow win in Iowa and his expected comfortable victory in New Hampshire next week. The name that keeps surfacing is Rick Perry, which says a lot about the desperation that the anti-Romney forces are feeling now. [snip] Perry insiders say that the plausible course forward for the candidate is to make this a one-on-one race with Mr. Romney so that the conservative vote doesn't split in two, three or four ways. South Carolina has a history of deciding the...

As you wake up this morning, Rick Santorum​ only lost to Mitt Romney​ by 8 votes. Santorum spent about a dollar per vote and Romney spent hundreds of dollars for his votes. Rick Santorum substantially over performed and while the Romney camp wants you to believe a win is a win, Romney got less votes in 2012 than he got in 2008. In addition, everything you heard last night from the professional class of political pundit was bull crap. The political press and pundits have gotten so used to standard narratives that they cannot deviate from the mean even when...

....... Perry is still the affable governor of Texas, and voters still want to like him, which has become easier since he's mostly stopped screwing up all the time... ...He tells the crowd that the small towns of Iowa are just like the small towns of Texas, where he grew up: "The same people, the same values." As the days to the caucuses wane, Perry has things other candidates would kill for: Crowds who want to meet him, ads all over the airwaves, a decent ground organization, an anti-Washington message people are hungry for, and terrific hair. The question is...

........There remains no one in the GOP field quite like Perry, a plain-speaking governor from a sprawling, Southwestern state who, when he says he's never been a creature of Washington, is telling it straight. With the debates behind him, he's been able to play to his strengths, his record as an 11-year governor, his anti-government attitude, and his capacity to bond with voters through allusions to faith, farm work and military service. But there's no doubt he has altered his approach. Gone are the days when he tried to stand toe-to-toe with front-runner Mitt Romney and boast about his job-creation...

January 13, 2010: Gov. Perry: Texas Knows Best How to Educate Our Students - Texas will not apply for Federal Race to the Top Funding Gov. Rick Perry today announced that Texas will not submit an application for federal Race to the Top education funds. Despite tremendous education successes, Texas’ application would be penalized by the U.S. Department of Education for refusing to commit to adopt national curriculum standards and tests and to incur ongoing costs. “Texas is on the right path toward improved education, and we would be foolish and irresponsible to place our children’s future in the hands...

Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum said Thursday that he's "proud" of the money he brought back to his state by way of earmarks, rebuffing new attacks by Texas Gov. Rick Perry. Santorum said that if he were elected president, he would oppose earmarks -- the process by which a lawmaker directs spending to a particular project -- because Congress had placed a temporary moratorium on the practice. But he didn't back down from new attacks this morning by Perry, who labeled the surging Santorum a "prolific earmarker," and launched a radio ad, to boot, echoing that charge. "If you look...

Texas Governor Rick Perry is playing up his status as a “Washington outsider” in a new TV ad released today, which will air on broadcast and cable TV in Iowa. The ad flashes a picture of the four current or former members of Congress running against Perry in the Republican presidential race: former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, Texas Representative Ron Paul, and Minnesota Representative Michele Bachmann. “If Washington’s the problem, why trust a congressman to fix it?” the announcer says. The announcer says Perry’s opponents have spent a combined 63 years in Congress “leaving us...

LOS ANGELES, December 23, 2011--At the Republican Jewish Coalition 2012 Presidential Candidates Forum, Texas Governor Rick Perry offered a heartfelt speech about his love for Israel. The Republican Jewish Coalition is a sophisticated audience, and they want to hear about a wide range of issues beyond Israel. Yet Israel was virtually the entire focus of Governor Perry's remarks. In his case, it was not pandering. As a devout Evangelical Christian, Governor Perry is a true believer. He loves Israel, and will crack down hard on those who try to hurt the Jewish state. His entire remarks are below. [snip] Whether...

As many commentators have already noted, the pursuit of the Republican Party’s nomination for president has been one of the most — if not the most—unpredictable races in the modern era. And votes are yet to be cast. No candidate typifies the capriciousness of the race thus far better than Texas Gov. Rick Perry. And now Perry, once thought to be written off, is polling in double-digits again in Iowa and South Carolina. What makes Perry different from the others who rose just as quickly as they fell is his strong grassroots organization. At the center of that organization is...

December 21, 2011New Rick Perry ad features Anita Perry: American StoryThe Right Scoop This is a great ad but I must admit that I just about fell in the floor laughing at Rick’s entrance toward the end. But his wife does a great job telling their story and I liked the bit about Washington needing some Christian values.

Will Republican voters give Governor Rick Perry a second chance? For what it is worth, I give him a 5% chance of being elected next November. Others also seem to think he has a shot and he is even beginning to get niot only another look but some endorsements. Ace of Ace of Spades HQ — a pretty big blogger — made a very good case for Rick Perry, which is why Ace has such a good reputation. He pointed out that most voters have not been paying attention to the race and bloggers and their readers have paid perhaps...

..Fueled by a bigger pile of campaign donations than most of his rivals, Perry is blitzing Iowa in a 42-town bus tour that enables him to personally deliver his campaign message and capitalize on his skills at retail politics. Team Perry is also saturating the state with radio and TV ads and plans to import hundreds of Texans, including Republican state officials and pro-Perry lawmakers, to woo caucus-goers. "We’re certainly hearing his name a lot with radio and TV commercials, probably a lot more than the other candidates," said Dr. Bill Davidson of Bettendorf in eastern Iowa. "I like the...

U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, now leads the race for the Republican nomination for president — in Iowa. Iowa’s Jan. 3, 2012, caucuses kick off the 2012 primary election season. Recent polls in Iowa had shown Paul gaining ground on the race’s frontrunner, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. Two Iowa polls released Dec. 19 now show Paul leading by 3 and 6 points, respectively. An Insider Advantage poll has Paul at 24 percent; former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney at 18 percent; Texas Gov. Rick Perry at 16 percent; Gingrich at 13 percent; U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., at...

December 19, 2011A Time For Choosing: Rick Perry for President Mike Flynn Yes, I’ve seen the debates. And, yes, I’ve watched the “oops” moment probably a dozen times. While he has steadily improved, Rick Perry is not a skilled debater. Seeing him debate is like watching a high-wire act, where each moment is tense with the fear that the performer could slip and fall. I get it. But, when did debate performance become our sole criteria for picking a President? When did the RNC decide to team up with the legacy media and turn the nomination contest into an almost...

I have strolled down many roads this primary season. I have been intrigued by many of the candidates, some of who have had their rise and fall. They all have excellent attributes in one way or another that can attract a conservative voter. Even the former speaker who reminds me of the old “E.F. Hutton” commercials brought me on board for awhile despite his couching liaisons. However, the road I currently find myself on once again is the road with Governor Perry. I know that I am solidly on this road now. I know this because this is the first...

Rick Perry rebound in Iowa: Assisted by veterans? Polls show Rick Perry gaining ground and Newt Gingrich weakening in Iowa. Why Rick Perry may be picking up the vet vote. By Liz Marlantes, DCDecoder / December 14, 2011 Lots of news stories today about how the race to win Iowa is still wide open. The New York Times’ Nate Silver takes a whirl through the polling data and says any of five candidates could plausibly win. And Politico’s Maggie Haberman reports that internal poll numbers from the Mitt Romney and Rick Perry camps show Newt Gingrich’s lead in Iowa is...