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TAMPA, Florida - Mitt Romney regained the lead in the Republican presidential nomination race with a big win in Florida, but drew criticism on Wednesday in what should have been his victory lap with remarks suggesting he was indifferent to America's poor. Romney rolled to an impressive triumph in Florida, capturing 46 percent of the vote to Newt Gingrich's 32 percent after pounding his nearest rival with negative advertisements. The victory restored him to front-runner status in the state-by-state battle for the Republican nomination to run against Democratic President Barack Obama in the November 6 general election. But the wealthy...

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Newt Gingrich was confronted by a black man outside Tommy's Country Ham House, who questioned him on his comments on having poor children work as janitors. The man said what Gingrich was asking for amounted to a "new form of slavery" and would force young African Americans to drop out of school.

In a campaign speech late Tuesday night, Governor Rick Perry stated that he is "returning to Texas" to reassess whether he is going to continue running for President. The speech contained several emotional moments, in particular two moments. The first was when he read a letter from an adoring supporter who called him a "great man." The letter described a conversation that Mr. Perry had had with a soldier and how his supporter looked on in awe as he watched Governor Perry call the veteran his "Christian brother." The second was when Perry announced that he would be returning to...

Gov. Rick Perry, R-Texas, appears doomed to a fifth-place finish in Iowa. Unless he drops out, that would make South Carolina his last stand against Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney. The problem is that he might not receive an invitation to an upcoming South Carolina debate (given the debate criteria). Candidates can qualify to participate in the CNN/Southern Republican Leadership Conference debate January 19th (two days before the South Carolina primary) in one of four ways. First and second, they can place in the top four in either Iowa or New Hampshire. Third and fourth, they can qualify by averaging seven...

....“You’ve got a choice, and that choice is in a governor who has a track record of creating jobs,” Perry told a standing crowd of about 175 in a packed hotel ballroom here in the town that shares his name. “We understand how to compete.” ....No other candidate in the race talks about their home state anything like the way Perry does about his. Michele Bachmann behaves as though if she represents Iowa in the House, not Minnesota. Mitt Romney seems to downplay his history in Massachusetts, highlighting instead the vacation home he owns in New Hampshire. Newt Gingrich represented...

"Okay. It is now officially crunch-time for conservative voters. Time for them to grow-up, stand on principle, admit there is not a perfect candidate, cast aside the pretenders, flip-floppers, and flakes, and unite behind the most genuine traditional values espousing candidate in the field. That being Texas governor Rick Perry."

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With less than 48 hours until Iowans kick off the GOP caucuses, a crowd of California lawmakers have joined Steve Forbes, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and other supporters making a final push for Texas Gov. Rick Perry. California Assemblymembers Dan Logue, Shannon Grove, Brian Jones and Curt Hagman have all hit the ground in the Hawkeye State Iowa Monday, ready for duty. Logue, in a phone interview, just told us that “Iowa is going to do well for Perry — and this is just the first step of many steps.”

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa – Walk into this West Des Moines hotel, and you’ll easily encounter volunteers in Rick Perry fleeces or staffers wearing official Rick Perry badges. The Perry campaign has set up shop here just days before the Iowa caucuses while nearly two thousand volunteers fan out across the state to promote the Texas governor with an expansive ground game as the campaign hopes he’ll earn a top three spot in the caucuses Tuesday. A source close to the Perry campaign confirmed to ABC News they have signed up 1500 precinct leaders across Iowa. At each of the...

Texas Gov. Rick Perry hammered President Obama's energy and immigration policies Wednesday and berated him for not holding a welcome-home parade to salute the U.S. soldiers who served during the war in Iraq over the past nine years. "It really disturbs me that nearly after nine years of war in Iraq that this president wouldn't welcome home our many heroes with a simple parade in their honor," ... We need to welcome our soldiers home -- give them that parade, give them that pat on the back, tell them thank you for the freedom that we have in this country,"

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...

Link only: http://www.elpasotimes.com/texas/ci_19640173

ON THE RECORD-December 28, 2011Gov. Rick Perry on the Attack in Iowa Kimberly Guilfoyle This is a rush transcript. KIMBERLY GUILFOYLE, HOST: What are your plans for Iowa, and how do you expect to do? GOV. RICK PERRY: Well, it's a sprint, that's for sure. We're moving across a lot of Iowa and hitting a lot of not just small towns but medium-sized towns... And the crowds have been fantastic. I mean, we've hit coffee shops that -- 200 to 300 people and flowing out into the streets and a lot of excitement..... So we're going to keep running and...

With one week left before the Iowa caucuses, Texas Governor Rick Perry is touting his outsider status in a new ad that highlights his opponents' combined 63 years of congressional experience. As the narrator says, "If Washington's the problem, why trust a congressman to fix it?" Prominently featuring fellow GOP contenders Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul and Rick Santorum; the ad reminds voters that federal legislators are responsible for the earmarks and deficit spending that have led to our unsustainable national debt and that the nation needs a leader who will provide real solutions.

Gov. Rick Perry was near the height of his popularity when he barnstormed California in September to raise money for his presidential bid and to participate in his first nationally televised debate. His state-provided security guards were flying pretty high, too, spending more than $32,000 in taxpayer money for travel and lodging in San Francisco, $4,400 to dine near the Ronald Reagan Library and Museum in Simi Valley, and another $6,400 for plane tickets to San Diego, records show.

AUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry today issued the following statement condemning the terrorist attacks on Christian churches in Nigeria on Christmas Day: “These attacks are designed to strike at the foundation of a civil society by massacring innocent civilians at worship. These savage acts are part of a disturbing trend of attacks on Christians extending from Nigeria to Egypt to Iraq. Americans should not be afraid to express solidarity with these Christian communities, and to recognize their persecution for the evil that it is. “The United States should stand with our allies to support the Nigerian government in the aftermath...

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...

AUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry today released the following statement regarding the death of Kim Jong Il: “The death of vicious dictator Kim Jong Il provides some cause for hope but does not automatically end the reign of inhumane tyranny he and his father constructed. Twenty-three million people still live under North Korea’s isolationist, inhumane and tyrannical policies. North Korea remains a nuclear power, and there is a great threat that those weapons might fall into the wrong hands if civil war breaks out. “At the same time, Kim Jong Il’s death is an opportunity to reunify the peninsula if...

Today is the last day of Gov. Rick Perry's pre-Christmas Iowa bus tour. Perry will return Friday to Texas for a brief Christmas break, then it's back to campaigning. The Perry campaign has called the bus tour a chance for Iowans to give the Texas governor a second look. As the tour progressed, Perry refined his message and appeared to excite crowds, and by Wednesday afternoon he had assumed the role of a political outsider, which he used at each campaign stop. “We need someone who will walk in who has the discipline, who has the courage to break up...

..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...

NEW HAMPTON, Iowa — This state was once poised to launch Rick Perry on the path to the Republican nomination. Now, it’s threatening to end his campaign. There’s an opportunity for Perry: Newt Gingrich, the fifth candidate to shoot to the top of state polls, is slipping. Voters continue to say their minds aren’t made up, and the leading candidates aren’t spending much time here — unlike Perry, who launched a 14-day bus tour last week. That complements a slew of ads running in the state and a retrenched appeal to the evangelical, social-conservative voters in his natural base who...

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...

Via Breitbart TV, a clever wink at the social-con constituency he’s now counting on to put him over the top. And not only in Iowa, either: Given the Tebow love around here lately, I think this dude might have just locked up the next Hot Gas reader poll.Actually, I think Perry might be the Trent Dilfer of the caucuses: Terrible, yet somehow still ultimately the winner.CLICK ABOVE LINK FOR VIDEO

It’s now a three-way race before voting begins for the Republican presidential nomination. as either Newt Gringrich, Mitt Romney, or Rick Perry will be the GOP standard-bearer to challenge President Obama. The same pundits that have confidently miscalled the GOP race all along are now declaring it’s a two-way race between former Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Governor Mitt Romney. They’re wrong. Either man might be the nominee, but not necessarily. Romney is the former frontrunner. He’s educated, polished, and has tremendous private-sector success and some high-level public experience. He even has a picturesque family. But a majority of Republican...

The Texas governor hasn't always regarded federalized health care as unconstitutional and noxious to liberty In Rick Perry's 2010 book Fed Up, he declares that federalized health care is unconstitutional, insists that handling the issue at the state or local level is essential to liberty, and argues that introducing government run health care foolishly risks destroying the best system in the world. "It's not hard to see who believes in the Constitution and who doesn't if we look closely. For now, if you are an establishment politician in Washington, you'd better be prepared for a complete review of your record,"...

Rick Perry is the latest Republican presidential candidate to call for the firing of Ambassador Howard Gutman. The Texas governor announced his decision in a statement released this evening: "Ambassador Gutman's troubling statement is part of a pattern of hostility on the part of the Obama administration toward Israel. In the same week that Ambassador Gutman excused anti-Semitism because of Israel's refusal to accommodate Palestinian demands, President Obama's Secretary of Defense ranted that the Israelis must get back to the 'd*** table' for negotiations, and his Secretary of State insinuated that Israel's democracy is less than viable because of gender-related...

WASHINGTON — It could prove an awkward encounter for Gov. Rick Perry as he heads to Washington on Wednesday to appear at a presidential candidate forum and meet with lawmakers on Capitol Hill — lawmakers whose work hours and salaries he has proposed slashing. Perry's campaign will hit the city he vows to shake up this week, and it remains unclear just how warm the reception will be from the lawmakers who have borne the brunt of his campaign rhetoric. His trip will include at least one Capitol Hill appearance. At the invitation of U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Lewisville, Perry...

While Ron Paul attacks Newt Gingrich for being a flip-flopper, Newt Gingrich attacks Mitt Romney for his too-liberal record and Mitt Romney attacks Fox News for being "overly aggressive," one GOP presidential contender is focused on the issues that matter. In a new ad, Texas Governor Rick Perry compares President Barack Obama's rhetoric on energy to that of former President Jimmy Carter showing that little has changed in over 30 years.

"In spite of all the Naysayers who were predicting failure, our economy is growing again; no more manufactured crisis' no more games, we are headed in the right direction." "I love these folks who say well this is Obama's economy; that's fine, "give it to me...!" President Barack Hussein Obama

November 29, 2011Sneak Peek: Gov. Rick Perry ‘On the Record’ Tonight! by Greta Van Susteren Don’t miss our wide-ranging interview with GOP presidential candidate Gov. Rick Perry on tonight’s ON THE RECORD at 10 ET! For now, here is a sneak preview...

At a town hall meeting at the Institute of Politics at New Hampshire’s Saint Anselm’s College Tuesday, Rick Perry asked that all of the college students in the crowd who will be 21 by Nov. 12 support his bid for the presidency. Say what? The voting age in the United States is, of course, 18. And the 2012 election will be held on Nov. 6, 2012. (The New Hampshire Republican primary, which brought Perry to the state, will take place on Jan. 10). “Those who are going to be over 21 on November 12th, I ask for your support,” Perry...

AMHERST, N.H. - Texas Gov. Rick Perry today received the endorsement of Sheriff Joe Arpaio, a steadfast advocate for border security and national leader in combating on illegal immigration, citing Gov. Perry's unmatched efforts to bolster border security in Texas in light of a federal government that for too long has abdicated this basic responsibility to the states. Sheriff Arpaio made his announcement at Joey's Diner in Amherst, New Hampshire. "The federal government has failed on border crime and border enforcement, and no candidate for president has done more to secure the border than Governor Rick Perry. I have been...

November 28, 2011 Get ready for a Perry comeback By Bryan Fischer Newt is the current flavor of the month in the GOP race for the presidential nomination, and grabbed a coup in New Hampshire with the endorsement of the Union-Leader. However, Newt has enough baggage with enough rocks in it to drag him below surface again. His amnesty stance on immigration puts him to the left of Perry on that issue, and we now know he took $1.8 million from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac right when they were dragging the housing industry to the bottom of the sea....

It’s been a long, hard road for Rick Perry the last few months, what with his unforgettable “oops” moment, that strange speech in New Hampshire, the birtherism interlude, the Mormon “cult” distraction and — well, you get the idea. But with the constant struggles on the campaign trail, Perry has been able to count on a solid phalanx of support from Texas Republicans. Wait? He hasn’t? Uh, oh. By the latest count, Perry has won endorsements from only eight of his home state’s 23 Republican House members and neither of the state’s two senators.

AUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry issued the following statement on the failure of the supercommittee: “Ultimately, responsibility for this failure lays at President Obama’s feet. The whole reason a supercommittee was created was because the President wasn’t willing to lead, wasn’t willing to even put on paper his plans for cutting spending. It’s amazing to what lengths he will go to avoid making tough decisions. And who pays the price for Washington’s failure? The American people and our military personnel, who will now be subjected to a half trillion dollars in national defense cuts? “The President and Congress should work...

COLLEGE STATION, Tex. — Rick Perry arrived on the campus of Texas A&M University in the tumultuous fall of 1968, cut his hair short, regulation military style, and donned a uniform. College students across America were rising up against the Vietnam War, but Mr. Perry, a member of the Corps of Cadets here, would not be among them. “There will be no Columbia, no Berkeley here,” the university president, Earl Rudder, declared that fall. When a small band of antiwar protesters took to the steps of the Memorial Student Center, a building ... “I don’t want to use the word...

Texas Gov. Rick Perry had a great debate on Nov. 22, 2011. Here are the Top 5 moments, with Rick Perry in his own words:

“ … states' rights, states’ rights, states' rights!” — Rick Perry at the Alamo, June 15, 2009 Until you get higher in the hills, Laconia might be considered the vortex of New Hampshire redneck politics, heavy into the Tea Party. The Lakes Region Tea Party is small but might be indicative of how things will go. A straw poll on Nov. 16 gave Newt Gingrich 49 percent while Cain tied with Ron Paul at 15. Romney 12 percent and Rick Perry 0. Similar results in a straw poll at a Republican club in Alabama on Saturday: Newt 45 percent, Cain...

Rick Perry followed his best debate performance with one of his best speeches on the campaign trail in Iowa. The GOP presidential candidate delivered the keynote address at the Scott County GOP’s Third Annual Reagan Dinner. Perry provided a preview of a new policy proposal that he will reveal today. “I’m going to unveil a plan to uproot all three branches of government and overhaul Washington,” Perry said. “It touches every branch of Washington.” One part of the plan that should hit home with many Iowa caucus goers is Perry’s ideas for the judiciary. “I’m going to address lifetime federal...

Lawmakers who've endorsed Rick Perry for president reacted warily to his plan for a part-time Congress and expressed concern about his proposal to cut their salaries in half. In response to inquiries from The Hill, the lawmakers disagreed with some aspects of the plan but said they liked other parts, such as the idea of spending more time in their districts. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) vowed to continue to stand by Perry, although he wasn’t necessarily on board with all of the Texas governor's plans. “I don’t anticipate that I’m going to agree with everything he says,” Inhofe said. At...

In his latest campaign ad, Texas Gov. Rick Perry calls himself an "outsider." "I want to force Congress to balance the budget, and if they don't, I say we cut their pay in half, send them home. Replacing one Washington insider with another won't change a thing. If you want an outsider who will overhaul Washington, then I'm your guy."

NEW YORK—Republican presidential hopeful Rick Perry says President Barack Obama and his administration are responsible for policies that have endangered agents patrolling the U.S.-Mexico border. The Texas governor made his remarks while picking up an award from the Federal Law Enforcement Foundation. Perry said lack of funding and "bureaucratic bungling" in Washington have made the border less safe. He singled out one program in particular, Operation Fast and Furious. The arms-trafficking probe run by the Justice Department allowed AK-47s and other weapons to leak into the black market.

EU bans claim that water can prevent dehydration Brussels bureaucrats were ridiculed yesterday after banning drink manufacturers from claiming that water can prevent dehydration. EU officials concluded that, following a three-year investigation, there was no evidence to prove the previously undisputed fact. Producers of bottled water are now forbidden by law from making the claim and will face a two-year jail sentence if they defy the edict, which comes into force in the UK next month. Last night, critics claimed the EU was at odds with both science and common sense. Conservative MEP Roger Helmer said: “This is stupidity writ...

WWW.RICKPERRY.ORG November 16, 2011 Dear Leader Pelosi, After reading about House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer’s outburst over my “Overhauling Washington” plan, I wonder if his obstructionism reflects your own opposition and that of the Democratic Caucus to urgent reforms the American people so vehemently demand. After increasing the debt by $4 trillion in less than three years, no one can believe that Americans are satisfied with business as usual, and that a permanent political class in Washington can get us out of the mess you and your colleagues have created. A part-time Congress with half the pay would still make...

Texas Gov. Rick Perry has challenged the women conservatives love to hate — House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi — to a public debate next week. In a letter obtained by The Hill, Perry requested that the pair meet for a debate during Perry’s visit to Washington next week to compare the plan he rolled out this week to “Uproot and Overhaul Washington” with the current system. “I think it would be a tremendous service to the American public to see a public airing of those differences,” he wrote. “Let the people decide.” Perry’s challenge comes just days after his roll...

I guess Obama's home state is no longer part of his 57 states.

GARDEN GROVE (CBS) — An Albertson’s supermarket on Harbor Boulevard was evacuated Monday after a burglary suspect fell through the ceiling to the ground near a cash register. Police say around 9:30 p.m., a female shopper reported seeing a man’s leg descend from the ceiling before disappearing again. The customer then alerted the store’s manager, before the suspect suddenly came crashing to the ground by the checkout lane.

Rick Perry says Texas is the most successful state in America. He's right. Texan economic output exceeds Mexico's and Australia's and rivals India's. Rick Perry has been governor of Texas for nearly 11 years. Does the logic of politics lead us to conclude that the governor of the nation's most successful state, ipso facto, is the best man to be president of the economically gasping United States? We are about to find out. Getting lost, however, among the governor's adventures in the lovely hamlets of New Hampshire is that Texas, with or without him, has a story the rest of...

AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 3 -- The Texas Democratic Party issued the following news release: According to data released by the Health and Human Services Department in October, retired teachers and retired state employees in Texas have been among the biggest beneficiaries of the early retirement provision of the health care law. The Teacher Retirement System of Texas received $70,629,796 from the feds to offer health insurance to early retirees, and the Employees Retirement system of Texas received $30,175,627. These two state entities are among the top 25 beneficiaries of this provision of the health care law in the country. More...