Asked About Cruz, Perry Trumpets His Own Experience (Slams Open Carry, Welcomes Muslims)

The Texas Tribune ^ | February 5, 2015 | Abby Livingston and Robert Costa

[2ndDivisionVet]

For any Texans torn between Rick Perry and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz as likely presidential candidates, the state’s former governor argued Thursday that executive experience matters.

In a wide-ranging interview with The Texas Tribune and The Washington Post, Perry discussed international, presidential and Texas politics.

Asked about what separates him from Cruz, Perry never mentioned his potential rival by name. Instead, he downplayed Senate experience and alluded to the fact that Cruz’s tenure in office is the same as then-Sen. Barack Obama's when he ran for president in 2008.

“It’s one of the selling points, if you will, to the American people as they decide who’s going to follow Barack Obama,” he said. “I think they’re going to make a rather radical shift, away from a young, untested United States senator whose policies have really failed.”

Perry, Cruz and around a dozen other Republicans are in the early stages of building expected campaigns for the Republican nomination. Texas will probably be a battleground for donors, political operative talent and delegates.

Other Republican candidates with Texas roots like former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul are not ceding the state to the former governor. But the competition could be potentially fierce with Perry's fellow Texas resident, Cruz.

“They’re going to look for somebody that’s got the executive experience,” Perry said of possible supporters. “And my feel, my advice and my instinct is that they’re going to look for someone who has a substantial track record, someone who’s been tested and someone who has the results of what they put into place.”

But that message could be lost amid his ongoing legal problems stemming from his veto of funding for the state's public integrity unit.

GOP operatives have speculated that Perry’s indictment and the subsequent negative publicity put donors at risk. His camp sought to undercut that argument by unveiling 80 donors on Wednesday.

“I can’t think of maybe one or two donors in this whole process that’s even asked about it,” Perry said Thursday. “Most people see it for what it is — it’s a political prosecution.”

He said his legal team is confident the case will be thrown out and he will survive politically.

“What you can’t do at the ballot box, let’s try and do at the courthouse,” he said. “They couldn’t defeat me in 14 years as governor, so 'Let’s try to go and besmirch him and at least try and keep him from being the president.'”

Now out of office, Perry is fully concentrated on that potential campaign.

He now lives in a 1,400 square-foot condominium with his wife, former Texas first lady Anita Perry – a contrast to the Governor’s Mansion that he often jokes about. They are building a home east of Austin.

And it's from there, as a state government outsider for the first time in 30 years, that he's watched some of the recent controversies at the state Capitol.

He said he was not impressed with state Rep. Molly White’s recent Facebook post ordering her staff to ask Muslim representatives visiting her office "to renounce Islamic terrorist groups and publicly announce allegiance to America and our laws."

“It’s every legislator's right to say what they want to say,” he said of the Belton Republican's Facebook comments. “I certainly wouldn’t have.”

“I think the message needs to be sent and has historically been sent that we are a very diverse state,” he said. “We have a lot of different people, different religions, different cultures that call Texas home. We want them to feel comfortable there.”

He also commented on the other controversy consuming debate in Austin: the open carrying of handguns.

Perry said he was “not necessarily all that fond of this open carry concept,” adding that those who carry guns ought to be “appropriately backgrounded, appropriately vetted, appropriately trained.”

“We license people to drive on our highways,” he said. “We give them that privilege. The same is true with our concealed handguns.”

But also, he said he prefers concealed handguns for “a more practical reason.”

“I don’t want the bad guys to know if I’m carrying," he said. "I don’t want to be the first person shot if something’s going down.”

His successor, Gov. Greg Abbott, recently proposed the end of Perry’s Emerging Technology Fund and diverting some of that money into another program Perry backed, the Texas Enterprise Fund.

Both funds have come under scrutiny and criticism. Perry insisted the changes do not bother him.

“I’m not the governor anymore,” he said. “There’s never been a program that has been put in place from my perspective, whether it’s my program or whether it was another governor’s program, that ought to be in place forever.”

“They’ll either stand or fall on their own, and I hope there’s a good thoughtful conversation, and if the governor decides he doesn’t want to have that tool in his toolbox, that’s his call.”

Perry also discussed several national issues. Among them:

•ISIS: Perry, a former Air Force pilot, was visibly angry about ISIS's immolation of a Jordanian fighter pilot. Asked if Americans and their allies should kill every member of ISIS, he answered: "That would be my preference."

•Vaccines: Perry came out in strong support of parents getting their children vaccinated.

Read more about the interview from The Washington Post.

[2ndDivisionVet]

"He said he was not impressed with state Rep. Molly White’s recent Facebook post ordering her staff to ask Muslim representatives visiting her office "to renounce Islamic terrorist groups and publicly announce allegiance to America and our laws." “It’s every legislator's right to say what they want to say,” he said of the Belton Republican's Facebook comments. “I certainly wouldn’t have.” “I think the message needs to be sent and has historically been sent that we are a very diverse state,” he said. “We have a lot of different people, different religions, different cultures that call Texas home. We want them to feel comfortable there.”

[txhurl]

He said he was not impressed with state Rep. Molly White’s recent Facebook post ordering her staff to ask Muslim representatives visiting her office “to renounce Islamic terrorist groups and publicly announce allegiance to America and our laws.”

“It’s every legislator’s right to say what they want to say,” he said of the Belton Republican’s Facebook comments. “I certainly wouldn’t have.”

---

So he doesn’t think Muslims should be alliant to their new State and carry on with their Sharia Implementation.

[spintreebob]

If the Texas primary were today how much would each of these get if they are the only ones on the ballot?
Rick Perry, xGov
Ted Cruz, Sen
Jeb Bush, Father of Top vote getter in Texas.
Rand Paul, Son of longtime Texas poliician.

Huckabee, Walker, etal have no base in Texas. Can we assume they would not be in the hunt if there were a TX primary?

[2ndDivisionVet]

Huckabee is a low wattage Elmer Gantry.

[Sacajaweau]

btt

[Sacajaweau]

Interesting title...too bad it’s a wild distortion of the truth. There’s a reason for “the whole truth” statement

[pallis]

I want a candidate who slams Muslims, and welcomes open carry. I also want one who recognizes that driving is a privilege, and possession of a firearm is a right, not to be compared to each other.

[2ndDivisionVet]

See my post #21.

[Fightin Whitey]

Huckabee is a low wattage Elmer Gantry

Perfect description.

[bgill]

He didn’t run again in Texas because he finally got the message he’s done/finished/shown the door here.

[CynicalBear]

You had better do some study up on Perry and Muslims. He’s been working with them for years trying to integrate them. He is obviously oblivious to their threat to this country. No way will I vote for him and said so the last time he ran.

[SoConPubbie]

Don’t be fooled by 2DV’s lying headline.

Perry is making a good and honest case here.

Really?

From the article:

He also commented on the other controversy consuming debate in Austin: the open carrying of handguns.

Perry said he was “not necessarily all that fond of this open carry concept,” adding that those who carry guns ought to be “appropriately backgrounded, appropriately vetted, appropriately trained.”

“We license people to drive on our highways,” he said. “We give them that privilege. The same is true with our concealed handguns.”

But also, he said he prefers concealed handguns for “a more practical reason.”

“I don’t want the bad guys to know if I’m carrying," he said. "I don’t want to be the first person shot if something’s going down.”

[AmericanVictory]

You are correct. I am sorry I did not read more carefully. I find it disappointing that he said it the way he did after considering your correction. I believe it will cost him and his campaign.

[CynicalBear]

>>His backing of the legislator who did that seems to point in that direction. It does not seem to quite reflect the headline.<<

You read his statement like I did the first time but you had better read it again. He said she had the right to say it but he surely wouldn't have. Given his history of working with the Muslims to welcome them into Texas, install education about Muslims in schools (positive image education) and congratulating them on building a mosque.

[Irish Eyes]

RINO Perry also demands FORCED vaccinations using products he owns stock in.

Perry does NOT demand forced vaccinations. To state your opinion is one thing but lying is another.

Have only read a few comments and I can not believe how so many are distorting what Perry has said.

[bobby.223]

Okay FReepers, who said: “Hillary Clinton was a great Secretary of State”?..............Yep, none other than that illegal/muslim lover and New World Order proponent La Raza Ricarrdo Perrynista.

[I want the USA back]

I want the towelheads to feel welcome back where they got their towels.
This guy is a jerk.

[GeronL]

It was Perry that made it a state-wide mandate that sex-ready (as Kalipornia schools say) 12 year old girls get the shot, they were to add boys to the list later. It was the blow-back that caused the change.

Sure there was a very narrow “opt-out” if you went to court and demanded and pleaded and cried enough for the master government. It should be opt-in, and pay for it yourself.

[Awgie]

Once a dufus...

[Diogenesis]

Clever of you to use the present tense.

Let's go back in time.

"The vaccine, Gardasil, is manufactured by Merck,
which was represented in Austin by the lobbyist Mike Toomey,
who was chief of staff for Mr. Perry from 2002 to 2004. "

---

2007
On 2/7/07, the WSJ reported that Merck was desperate for cash.
With estimates that the settlements Merck will owe for its Vioxx litigation
will amount to approximately $970 million, and the expiration of some of its patents,
Merck faces a huge cash flow problem.
But if Gardasil is mandated, Merck will generate sales of approximately
$1 billion in the first year alone, with 5 year revenue projections of up to $4 billion"

---

2007
In 2007, when Texas governor Rick Perry issued
an executive order that all girls entering the 6th grade
would receive Gardasil, parents were furious.
Some argued that the vaccine would promote promiscuity.
The order was eventually overturned."

---

"Critics rip Perry's vaccine mandate
Governor rejects opponents' calls to reverse order
AUSTIN - Gov. Rick Perry stood firm Monday against a political firestorm generated by his
order that sixth-grade girls be inoculated against a sexually transmitted virus linked to cervical cancer.
Social conservatives from Texas to Washington called on Perry to reverse his order making
Texas the first state to require the vaccine, saying the mandate makes sex seem permissible
and that parents should be the ones to decide whether to immunize their daughters.
And several Texas lawmakers expressed outrage at Perry for circumventing the legislative process. "

---

"RP65 - Relating to the immunization of young women
from the cancer-causing Human Papillomavirus.
Friday, February 02, 2007 o Executive Order
BY THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF TEXAS
Rules.The Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner
shall adopt rules that mandate the age appropriate vaccination
of all female children for HPV prior to admission to the sixth grade."

---

The definition of mandate is a command by a person,
group, or organization (the 'mandator') to another
(the 'mandatary') to act in a particular way, or here
to ingest, inject, imbed a poison or other substance
they do not want and for which informed consent was
never taken.