Perry apologizes for 'heartless' comment on immigration question (text and Video)

The Hill Tube ^ | 09/28/11 03:21 PM ET | Justin Sink

[Rudder]

Rick Perry said Wednesday that he was sorry for saying at last week's Republican debate that those opposed to providing an in-state tuition break to the children of illegal immigrants "did not have a heart."

“I was probably a bit over-passionate by using that word and it was inappropriate,” Perry said in a interview with Newsmax. “In Texas in 2001 we had 181 members of the legislature — only four voted against this piece of legislation — because it wasn’t about immigration it was about education.”

But Perry stood by his argument that building a fence along the entire Mexican border was unwise. The Texas governor said that the fence would likely be expensive, ineffective and violate the property rights of those who owned land on the border.

“In the metropolitan areas where the fencing actually can play a positive role, absolutely,” he said. “But you have to have boots on the ground … having an obstacle without observation is no obstacle at all. So just the idea of building a fence and saying, ‘That will take care of it, let’s just build a fence,’ has never worked in the history of mankind.”

[shield]

ROMNEY IS YOUR GUY, THEN. This is between a poor dry dirt cottom farm boy and that NE liberal with a R after his name. Mittens ran off to France so he could avoid the Viet Nam War as all the Romney’s have hidden so they’d not have to be in a war to protect their country. So jump on it buddy. He’s your type of guy obviously.

[af_vet_rr]

But Perry stood by his argument that building a fence along the entire Mexican border was unwise. The Texas governor said that the fence would likely be expensive, ineffective and violate the property rights of those who owned land on the border.

And yet Perry wanted to take half a million acres from Texas landowners and have a foreign company build a massive corridor from Mexico to Oklahoma. That same company was represented by Rudy Giuliani's lawfirm. The same Rudy Giuliani that Perry campaigned for.

Please Rick Perry, tell us more about property rights.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

I would still vote for Perry over Zero in a heartbeat.

So far, I haven’t found a 100% candidate.

RINOmney - has believed every side of all major issues. I don’t believe him at all about a single thing he says. Off my list.
HuntsRINO - enough said. Off my list.
Cain - never elected dog catcher. Never had an elective office where you don’t lead by decree. 666 plan leaves me cold.
Bachman - never had executive experience. Comes across as unbalanced to me at times.
Santorum - I was one of his big Senate supporters in PA - spent time with him privately on a long train ride - nice family guy, sharp - have been disappointed in his performance in debates. Don’t think he’s ready.
Newt - great opposition leader. Not so good at being in charge of the House. Retread wife situation. Heavy jewelry shopper. Twitter padder.
Sarah - not in. Disappointed in how she has spent her time since ejecting from Governorship in AK.

Reagan - signed abortion bill in CA, no fault divorce bill in CA, amnesty, accepted tax increases in exchange for spending cuts that never happened... Oh, wait! He was good over all!

In the end, my standard is 85% conservative and up gets my vote gladly.

I’ll be back for the other 15% later.

[TexasFreeper2009]

everyone on FR that attacks Perry and never Romney is aiding and abetting the enemy in my opinion.

Bachmann and Santorum could of built themselves up and made themselves heroes by going after Romney, instead they and their supporters went after a fellow conservative and destroyed their campaigns and possibly Perry’s too.

What is so alarming about these numbers to me is that, support did not shift to another conservative (like Cain) in the race, ROMNEY picked up the support, and that ensures his victory.

So again, Planned Parenthood thanks you for your help!

[McGavin999]

Most of these people are either Romney or Paul supporters. They won't tell you they support Romney because of how he's disliked by the owner of this site, so they come creeping in pretending to be arch conservatives and torpedo anyone who might gain on their man.

The Paul supporters, well, what can you say about people who support someone who thinks 9-11 was our fault.

[jersey117]

Not that you’re “for” Romney. It’s that you will end up with him by eliminating the other candidates who have many more conservative values than Mitt. Show me what irreparable harm Perry has done to Texas? I’ve been here ten years and all you ever hear is how great Texas is. Now that the man who ran the state for a decade jumps in, everyone is persecuting him in a mean spirited over the top manner. It’s sad to watch.

[Red6]

He's slick, but is Romney any different, no.

BTW- here are the counter arguments:

1. Texas has no income tax but a consumption (sales) and property tax, as such illegals pay taxes like all others.

2. The children of illegals had no say in the matter, their parents made that decision. Should the children be punished for things they have no control over?

3. He's very tough on the border issue, sending the State Guard, pressing the federal government for more help, deporting illegals that cause problems, his stance on sanctuary cities...

http://www.texastribune.org/immigration-in-texas/immigration/perry-sanctuary-cities-focus-offers-political-cove/

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Perry-adds-sanctuary-cities-to-special-session-1688644.php#loopBegin

4. They are here, that is a reality. Perry does not have the means to find and deport them all, a federal task BTW, (why not blame him for cancer and accuse him for not having solved that too? Unrealistic expectations imposed on a border state governor that has a large illegal population and lacks the means to really fix the problem where other states and the federal government play a role). As such we have the option to open educational institutions to make them productive members of society or create a permanent self perpetuating lower and disenfranchised class of unskilled labor. What is true is that even if Romney gets elected, he will NOT do anything like deport the illegals, so his use of the issue of educating their children is sort of a joke where he too won't fix the real issue but blames Perry (who BTW is doing a lot) for not doing enough.

[Rudder]

Here's your kitty:

[af_vet_rr]

ROMNEY IS YOUR GUY, THEN.

Don't let the MSM propagandists guide your beliefs that Perry and Romney are the only candidates in this primary or that they are the only ones that can beat Obama.

[World'sGoneInsane]

You're not by any chance a professional logistician? You may qualify for disability.

Please, just go vote for your candidate.

[gov_bean_ counter]

Hmmm, and who benefits (or would benefit) most from those two decisions?

[shield]

I never turn on the TV...so they do not affect me one little bit...as Sarah said in her interview Cain was the flavor...I watched that online today. Sarah hit the mark on that.

[af_vet_rr]

He's slick like Clinton, or tries to be, and some mannerisms and speech patterns. Others on here have also made the observation. It's more style and political tactics than specific policy positions.

Perry had no problems with his election in 2002 after coming out in support of open borders in 2001, and he had no problems with his elections in 2006 and 2010 after coming out in support of guest worker programs. Slick is an understatement. Those stances would have ended the careers of conservatives in other states.

[Rudder]

Perry reminds me of Slick Willie more and more with each passing day.

That quintessential, double-dealing, smarmy, glad-handing politician?

[bwc2221]

You Perry fangirls are something else. My guess is that neither Mr. Romneycare nore Mr. Open Borders will be the nominee.

In the 2008 Iowa Caucus results: 1: Huckabee, 2: Romney, 3: Thompson. How’d that work out?

http://politics.nytimes.com/election-guide/2008/results/states/IA.html

I thought Texans were supposed to be macho. You fangirls are as big a cry babies as the Dallas “Cowgirls.”

[dfwgator]

Too little, too late.

[Rudder]

Perry, Don’t go away mad, just GO AWAY!

That's a Motley suggestion...

[fieldmarshaldj]

NOT forgiven. Go away, La Raza Ricky ! And take Slick Willard with you.

[Rudder]

a lot too late...