Presidential hopeful Perry brings campaign to Anderson

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By Stan Welch

Republican Presidential candidate and Texas Governor Rick Perry brought his flagging candidacy to Anderson Monday morning.

Speaking at a local restaurant, Perry drew applause from approximately 100 supporters and customers as he called for a return to the days when Congress met only part of the time, and its members had other means of support.

“ The Texas legislature meets for one hundred forty days, every other year. They come in, they balance the budget and they go home. Texas is the thirteenth largest economy in the world, and we manage it without a full time government in session,” said Perry.

“A part time Congress and a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution will put an end to the nonsense going on in Washington right now,” said Perry, who also stressed his humble roots as a Texas farm boy, and his service to his country as a USAF pilot and Governor of Texas.

He also promised to take on what he called an unholy alliance between Washington and Wall Street. “They have been robbing Main Street for too long. It’s time it stopped and I’m the candidate who will step up and stop it.”

Perry professed his faith, adding, “I will restore our Judaeo-Christian values and apologize to no one for doing so. As a born again Christian, I realize what it is to know grace. It is a second chance, and after my performance in the early debates, a second chance is a good thing to have,” he said, drawing laughter from the crowd.

He also challenged President Obama’s decision to cut a trillion dollars from the defense budget, saying that such cuts put America’s freedom at risk. “We need to do more to ensure that our veterans have jobs when they come home. Texas has created a million new jobs during my time in office, and we can do that on the national level too.”

He attacked frontrunner Mitt Romney saying that Romney’s capital investment company, Bain Capital, had routinely plundered companies coffers before laying off hundreds of workers. “When Mitt Romney says he knows what it is to worry about getting a pink slip, he means he worries about running out of them to hand out to workers he has fired.”

Perry has trailed Romney and Rick Santorum in recent weeks after making a strong showing earlier in the campaign. South Carolina will hold its primary on January 21. Perry made it plain that he is pinning most of his hopes on the result. “The other primaries and caucuses winnow out candidates. South Carolina picks presidents,” he said, alluding to the state’s 30 year streak in selecting the eventual nomination winner.