We’re not going to abolish the CDC. We’re not going to allow in Chinese toothpaste with anti-freeze and hope the free market will figure out how to deal with it. When it comes to health and safety, we do need the government to step in sometimes. When it comes to other matters, the government should step aside and leave everyone alone.
The key is knowing when and how to step in. In this case, Perry was wrong... and admitted he was. Regardless of the reasons for the decree, it was still wrong and you can argue with Gov Perry himself if you disagree with his recant.