|
Perry getting back into the swing of things in Texas
AUSTIN, Feb 12, 2012 (Fort Worth Star-Telegram - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --
Three weeks after abandoning his presidential campaign, Gov. Rick Perry is re-engaging as leader of the nation's second-largest state, eager to dispel the perception that his ill-fated bid for the White House undercut his political strength back home.
In speeches and limited media interviews last week, the 61-year-old governor projected an assertive, forward-looking tone. He offered a broad preview of his goals for the state and continued to leave open the possibility of seeking re-election as governor and making another run for president in four years.
He also continued to express a lack of interest in the vice presidency, often recalling Texan John Nance Garner's earthy description of the post as "not worth a bucket of warm spit."
Perry's message seemed designed to show Texans that he's firmly back at the helm of state government -- or, as he told a receptive audience at a Republican dinner in Round Rock -- "I'm not slipping off into the sunset."
But some analysts say Perry could face a steep challenge in recapturing the stature he had before the presidential race.
"I think it's pretty clear that he's not as strong as ever," said Mark Jones, chairman of the political science department at Rice University. "He's not seen as invincible anymore."
In particular, the state's longest-serving governor may also have hurt himself among Texas Hispanics, a growingly powerful political force, by accepting the endorsement of Maricopa County Sheriff Joseph M. "Joe" Arpaio of Arizona, said a Hispanic leader in the Legislature.
Arpaio, who describes himself as "America's toughest sheriff," is known for his outspoken position against illegal immigration.
"I think the governor is going to have to explain that association to regain credibility in the Hispanic community," said Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio, chairman of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus.
But Perry's Republican rivals accused him of being soft on illegal immigration for supporting a Texas law providing in-state tuition for children of illegal immigrants.
Buoyed by his image as a successful governor, Perry became the front-runner within days after he entered the race for the Republican nomination in mid-August.
He began foundering after poor debate performances and other setbacks. He finished fifth in the Iowa caucuses and quit the race two days before the South Carolina primary, when polls showed him likely to finish last.
His homecoming hasn't been easy.
A poll conducted for the Star-Telegram and other major Texas newspapers in late January showed that Perry's unsuccessful campaign apparently eroded his Texas political base, knocking his approval rating to 40 percent, an all-time low.
A majority of those surveyed said Perry shouldn't seek re-election, and 45 percent said his campaign harmed Texas' image.
Mickey Blum, president of Blum & Weprin, which did the survey, said the findings show that Perry is "clearly weakened" as he returns to his duties as governor. "There is a real sense of lost confidence, and that can't help him," she said.
Demise exaggerated?
Some Texas politicians and others sharply dispute the assessment that Perry is now a lost cause.
"I think the stories of his demise are greatly exaggerated," said Bill Hammond, president and CEO of the Texas Association of Business, which supports Perry's pro-business initiatives. "I don't think he loses respect or power or anything. I think he'll be fully engaged."
Rep. Todd Smith, R-Euless, said he believes that Perry "would be very difficult to beat" if he seeks re-election.
Spokesman Josh Havens said the governor was at work in his second-floor Capitol office within a "couple of days" after leaving the campaign and has maintained a regular schedule of policy briefings, meetings and phone calls.
Capitol staffers say Perry's aides have been active in pre-legislative planning and other issues.
The governor has also repeatedly exercised one of his constitutional powers by making 53 appointments since ending his presidential campaign, nominating people to the Texas Public Safety Commission, the North Texas Tollway Authority and the Texas Tech University board of regents, among others. He made more than 300 appointments while campaigning.
"He's very enthusiastic and sounded like the same old Rick Perry," said Rep. Phil King, R-Weatherford, who spoke with him by phone last week about legislative issues. "He was already talking about the next budget cycle and what we're going to have to do in the next legislative session."
Though he is no longer in the campaign, Perry has also served notice that he will continue to speak out vigorously against what he has described as "the misguided, socialist policies" of President Barack Obama. He has endorsed former House Speaker Newt Gingrich in the still-unsettled Republican nomination race but is committed to backing the eventual nominee.
Perry has been on a "conference call or two" with Gingrich to discuss fundraising and other issues, said Ray Sullivan, communications director for Perry's presidential campaign. The full extent of Perry's involvement in supporting Gingrich may not emerge until courts resolve a Texas redistricting dispute and set a date for the state's presidential primaries.
Perry stepped back into the spotlight Monday with an address at the Williamson County Reagan Dinner in Round Rock and a national appearance three days later in Washington, D.C., before the Conservative Political Action Conference.
He also gave interviews to Fox News and conservative radio host Mark Davis of WBAP.
'Rearmed, reloaded'
The speeches contained some of the swashbuckling delivery that Perry displayed while campaigning.
He drew applause in Round Rock when he said he still has "plenty of fight left in this old 61-year-old body" and promised renewed opposition to new taxes.
He used a similar line in his interview with Fox: "I just went home, rearmed, reloaded my mags and I'm going to be fighting on a different front," he said.
Perry told Davis that he was "really not" interested in a vice presidential nod and would prefer to remain governor of Texas, working with a conservative Republican president as a "point man" promoting the merits of state sovereignty under the Constitution's 10th Amendment.
Regarding the vice presidency, he said, "you wake up every morning and you go check on the health of the president. And, other than that, there's not a real role there."
The real test of Perry's strength will come with the next session of the Legislature, with fault lines already becoming apparent over education, Medicaid, transportation and other issues.
As in the 2011 session, Perry's resistance to new or increased taxes is under challenge from Democrats, who say lawmakers need to come up with more money to meet the needs of a growing population and avoid another round of spending cuts on top of the $15 billion in reductions from last year.
One controversial option is drawing from the state's rainy-day fund, which is expected to grow to $9.4 billion over the next two years.
In Round Rock, Perry said his policies of low taxes and limited government have helped create the state's economic success, which he trumpeted on the campaign trail. "I'm not about to let Texas relinquish the title of the best job climate in the country," he said.
In his interview with Davis, Perry suggested that he may want to remain governor after his term ends in January 2015.
"I'll be real honest with you," he said. "The idea of going on and doing something different is not particularly appealing to me as long as I'm making a difference in the state of Texas, as long as the people of this state think we're headed in the right direction."
Dave Montgomery,
512-476-4294
Twitter: @daveymontgomery
___ (c)2012 the Fort Worth Star-Telegram Visit the Fort Worth Star-Telegram at
www.star-telegram.com Distributed by MCT Information Services
[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
|
TMCnet LOGIN
Webinars
