Free Republic

In a column for the Daily Caller, Tancredo, who ran twice for his party's presidential nomination in an effort to inject the illegal immigration issue into the larger debate, is slamming Perry for his soft policies on illegal immigration in Texas -- and what Tancredo calls his "Muslim blind spot." "What is not yet as widely known about Perry is that he extends his taxpayer-funded compassion not only to illegal aliens but also to Muslim groups seeking to whitewash the violent history of that religion," Tancredo writes. "Perry endorsed and facilitated the adoption in Texas public schools of a pro-Muslim...

MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry says he opposes a fence along the U.S. border with Mexico. Speaking to hundreds of New Hampshire voters at a private reception Saturday afternoon, the Texas governor says a fence would be ineffective and take too long to build. The comments, which produced one angry shout, expose a rift with some conservative voters over Perry's immigration record. Tea party activists in Texas have been particularly upset by his steady opposition to the fence. He also signed a law giving illegal immigrants in-state tuition for Texas universities.

A Fox News Poll unveiled late Thursday revealed that Gov. Rick Perry of Texas held a solid lead over former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts in the race for the Republican presidential nomination. (snip) When other candidates -- including former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani -- were added to the mix, Perry remained in the lead. Both Palin and Giuliani have left the door open to running for the Republican presidential nomination. Perry led that scenario with 26 percent followed by Romney with 18 percent. Palin took third with 8 percent followed by...