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发帖数: 29846 | 1 Saturday, 13 Aug 2011 01:23 PM
CHARLESTON, S.C. - Rick Perry, the conservative governor of Texas, declared
himself a candidate for U.S. president Saturday, shaking up the race for the
Republican nomination to face Democratic President Barack Obama in 2012.
Perry made the announcement in a statement issued shortly before he was to
address a gathering of conservatives in South Carolina to launch his
campaign.
"It is time to get America working again," Perry said in the statement. "
That's why with the support of my family and an unwavering belief in the
goodness of America, I declare to you today my candidacy for president of
the United States."
The three-term Texas governor has touted a record of job growth in Texas and
also is known as a strident critic of federal power and an opponent of
abortion rights and gay marriage. He is considered a strong fundraiser.
Opinion polls indicate Perry enters the race close on the heels of former
Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, the early front-runner to win the 2012
Republican nomination.
The announcement by Perry, who has made his deep Christian faith a big part
of his public image, came one week after he led a seven-hour religious rally
in Houston to pray for America, a nation he described as "in crisis."
In remarks posted before his speech on his campaign's website, Perry said, "
As Americans, we believe freedom is a gift from God, and government's prime
function is to defend it. We don't see the role of government as a nanny
state, and we recognize there is no government money that wasn't once earned
through the sweat and toil of private citizens."
Perry sharply criticizes the Obama administration in the remarks.
"That's why we object to an administration that sees its role as spending
our children's inheritance on failed economic theories that have given us
record debt and left far too many unemployed, threatening not only our
economy, but our security. Our reliance on foreign creditors and sources of
energy not only compromises our national sovereignty, but jeopardizes our
national future," Perry said.
OUTSIDER'S POLITICAL RESUME
Perry is a staunch conservative with a Washington outsider's political
resume and a pro-business record of job growth during more than a decade as
chief executive in Texas.
That is a potent blend in a party dominated by social conservatives and
followers of the conservative Tea Party movement, and in a campaign that
likely will focus heavily on the lagging U.S. economy and stubbornly high
unemployment.
Perry has been sharply critical of the federal government and caused a stir
in 2009 when he openly pondered his state's secession from the United States.
Raised on a west Texas farm, Perry has never lost an election. After a stint
in the Air Force, he rose through the ranks of Texas politics from the
House of Representatives to agriculture commissioner, lieutenant governor
and then governor in 2000 when Bush left for the White House.
Perry could draw comparisons to George W. Bush, the last Texas governor in
the White House, raising the possibility of "Texas fatigue" among voters.
The two men and their staffs have a sometimes strained relationship, made
worse in recent years by Perry's criticism of heavy government spending
during Bush's presidency.
Perry could have a strong regional base as the only southern governor in the
race, but could find it difficult to win over a broader electorate with
fresh memories of Bush, who left office unpopular among many Americans.
Perry's critics say job growth in Texas has been fueled by the energy sector
and trade with Latin America, not Perry's policies, and was just as strong
at times under previous governors. They also note many of those jobs were
low-wage, and the Texas record also includes heavy cuts in education, low
levels of public service and high rates of uninsured.
Perry's candidacy could steal support from conservative Tea Party favorite
Michele Bachmann, replacing her as Romney's top rival and potentially
bridging the gap between the party's establishment center and right-wing
activists. |
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