Rick Perry
| Rick Perry |
 |
| 47th Governor of Texas |
| Incumbent |
Assumed office
December 21, 2000 |
| Lieutenant |
Bill Ratliff
David Dewhurst |
| Preceded by |
George W. Bush |
| 39th Lieutenant Governor of Texas |
In office
January 19, 1999 – December 21, 2000 |
| Governor |
George W. Bush |
| Preceded by |
Bob Bullock |
| Succeeded by |
Bill Ratliff |
| 9th Commissioner of Agriculture of Texas |
In office
January 15, 1991 – January 19, 1999 |
| Governor |
Ann Richards
George W. Bush |
| Preceded by |
Jim Hightower |
| Succeeded by |
Susan Combs |
Member of the Texas House of Representatives
from the 64th district |
In office
January 8, 1985 – January 8, 1991 |
| Preceded by |
Joe Hanna |
| Succeeded by |
John Cook |
| Personal details |
| Born |
James Richard Perry
March 4, 1950 (age 64)
Paint Creek, Texas, U.S. |
| Political party |
Democratic (Before 1989)
Republican (1989–present) |
| Spouse(s) |
Anita Thigpen (1982–present) |
| Children |
1 son
1 daughter |
| Residence |
Governor's Mansion |
| Alma mater |
Texas A&M University |
| Religion |
Nondenominational Christianity[1] |
| Signature |
 |
| Website |
Official website |
| Military service |
| Allegiance |
 United States |
| Service/branch |
 United States Air Force |
| Years of service |
1972–1977 |
| Rank |
 Captain |
| Unit |
772nd Tactical Airlift Squadron |
James Richard "
Rick"
Perry (born March 4, 1950) is an
American politician who is the
47th and current governor of Texas. A
Republican, he was elected
lieutenant governor of Texas in 1998 and assumed the governorship in December 2000 when then-governor
George W. Bush resigned to become
president of the United States.
Perry is the longest serving governor in Texas state history. As a
result, he is the only governor in modern Texas history to have
appointed at least one person to every eligible state office, board, or
commission position (as well as to several elected offices to which the
governor can appoint someone to fill an unexpired term, such as six of
the nine current members of the
Texas Supreme Court).
Perry was elected to full
gubernatorial terms in 2002, 2006 and 2010 and is the fourth Texas governor (after
Allan Shivers,
Price Daniel, and
John Connally) to serve three terms. With a tenure in office to date of 13 years, 242 days, Perry is the second longest serving current U.S. governor – after
Terry Branstad of Iowa. Perry served as chairman of the
Republican Governors Association in 2008 (succeeding
Sonny Perdue of
Georgia) and again in 2011.
[2]
Perry won the Texas 2010 Republican gubernatorial
primary election, defeating
U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and former
Wharton County Republican Party Chairwoman and businesswoman
Debra Medina.
[3] In the
2010 Texas gubernatorial election, Perry won a third term by defeating former
Houston mayor
Bill White and Kathie Glass.
[4]
On August 13, 2011, Perry announced in
South Carolina that he was running for the
Republican nomination for
President of the United States in the
2012 presidential election. Perry suspended his campaign in January 2012 and eventually endorsed Republican nominee
Mitt Romney.
On July 8, 2013, Perry announced that he would not seek re-election to his fourth term in the
2014 election, planning to retire instead.
[5] Unnamed sources said to be close to Perry told the
National Review that Perry may focus on another White House bid for 2016.
[6]
On August 15, 2014, Perry was
indicted by a
grand jury on
felony charges for
abuse of power. He was accused of coercing a Democratic
District Attorney who had been convicted of
drunk driving to resign by threatening to
veto funding for state public corruption prosecutors.
[7][8][9] Some, including those on the American Left, consider the indictment controversial.
[10]
Early life, education, and military service
A fifth-generation Texan, Perry was born on March 4, 1950 in
Paint Creek, about 60 miles (97 km) north of
Abilene in
West Texas, to
ranchers Joseph Ray Perry and the former Amelia June Holt. Perry's ancestry is almost entirely
English, dating as far back as the original thirteen colonies. His family has been in Texas since before the Texan Revolution.
[11][12][13]
His father, a
Democrat, was a long-time
Haskell County commissioner and
school board
member. Perry has said that his interest in politics probably began in
November 1961, when his father took him to the funeral of U.S.
Representative
Sam Rayburn (D-TX),
[14] who during his long public career served as
speaker of the Texas House for a short time at the age of 29 and then later for 17 years as the
Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Perry was in the
Boy Scouts (BSA) and earned the rank of
Eagle Scout; his son, Griffin, later became an Eagle Scout as well.
[15][16] The BSA has honored Perry with the
Distinguished Eagle Scout Award.
[17]
Perry graduated from
Paint Creek High School in 1968. He then attended
Texas A&M University, where he was a member of the
Corps of Cadets, a member of the
Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity, was elected senior class social secretary, and was also elected as one of A&M's five
yell leaders.
[18][19] Perry graduated in 1972 with a
Bachelor of Science in
animal science.
[20][21]
Perry said that the Corps of Cadets gave him the discipline to complete his animal sciences degree and earn a commission in the
Air Force.
In a 1989 interview he said that "I was probably a bit of a free
spirit, not particularly structured real well for life outside of a
military regime, I would have not lasted at
Texas Tech or the
University of Texas. I would have hit the fraternity scene and lasted about one semester."
[20]
Ultimately, Perry was elected a yell leader — a male cheerleader who
has traditional responsibilities at major athletic events — and social
secretary for his class.
[20]
In the early 1970s, Perry interned during several summers with the
Southwestern Company,
as a door-to-door book salesman. "I count my time working for Dortch
Oldham [president of the Southwestern Company] as one of the most
important formative experiences of my life," Perry said in 2010. "There
is nothing that tests your commitment to a goal like getting a few doors
closed in your face." He said that "Mr. Oldham taught legions of young
people to communicate quickly, clearly and with passion, a lesson that
has served me well in my life since then."
[22]
Upon graduation in 1972, Perry was commissioned in the United States
Air Force and completed pilot training in February 1974. He was then
assigned as a
C-130 pilot to the 772nd Tactical Airlift Squadron at
Dyess Air Force Base. Perry's duties included two-month overseas rotations at
RAF Mildenhall in
England and
Rhein-Main Air Base in
Germany. His missions included a 1974
U.S. State Department drought relief effort in
Mali,
Mauritania and
Chad, and two years later, earthquake relief in
Guatemala.
[23] He left the U.S. Air Force in 1977 with the rank of
captain, returned to Texas, and went into business farming cotton with his father.
[24]
Early political career
Texas Legislature
In 1984, Perry was elected to the
Texas House of Representatives as a
Democrat from district 64, which included his home county of
Haskell.
He served on the House Appropriations and Calendars committees during
his three two-year terms in office. He befriended fellow freshman state
representative
Lena Guerrero of
Austin, a staunch
liberal Democrat who endorsed Perry's reelection bid in 2006 on personal, rather than philosophical, grounds.
Perry was part of the "Pit Bulls", a group of Appropriations members
who sat on the lower dais in the committee room (or "pit") who pushed
for austere state budgets during the 1980s.
[25] At one point,
The Dallas Morning News named him one of the ten most effective members of the legislature.
[26]
In 1987, Perry voted for a $5.7 billion tax increase proposed by Republican governor
Bill Clements.
[27] Perry supported
Al Gore in the
1988 Democratic presidential primaries and worked in an unspecified capacity for Gore's campaign in Texas.
[28] On September 29, 1989, Perry announced that he was
switching parties, becoming a Republican.
[29]
Agriculture Commissioner
In 1990, as a newly minted Republican, Perry challenged
Jim Hightower, the
incumbent Democratic
Agriculture Commissioner. Hightower had worked on behalf of
Jesse Jackson for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1988, while Perry had supported
U.S. Senator Al Gore of
Tennessee.
During 1990, Hightower's office was embroiled in an FBI investigation
into corruption and bribery. Three aides were convicted in 1993 of
using public funds for political fundraising, although Hightower himself
was not found to be involved in the wrongdoings.
[30] Perry narrowly defeated Hightower in November 1990.
As Agriculture Commissioner, Perry was responsible for promoting the
sale of Texas farm produce to other states and foreign nations, and for
supervising the calibration of weights and measures, such as
gasoline pumps and
grocery store scales.
[31]
In April 1993, Perry, while serving as Texas agriculture
commissioner, expressed support for the effort to reform the nation's
health care, describing it as "most commendable".
[32] The health care plan, first revealed in September, was ultimately
unsuccessful due to Republican congressional opposition.
[33][34][35][36][37]
In 2005, after being questioned on the issue by a potential opponent in
the Republican governor primary, Perry said that he expressed his
support only in order to get Clinton to pay more attention to rural
health care.
[38]
In 1994, Perry was reelected Agriculture Commissioner by a large
margin, getting 2,546,287 votes (62 percent) to Democrat Marvin
Gregory's 1,479,692 (36 percent).
Libertarian Clyde L. Garland received the remaining 85,836 votes (2 percent).
[39] Gregory, a chicken farmer from
Sulphur Springs, Texas, was on the
Texas Agricultural Finance Authority with Perry in the early nineties, as a Republican. He became a Democrat before running against Perry in 1994.
[40]
Lieutenant Governor
In 1998, Perry chose not to seek a third term as Agriculture Commissioner, running instead for
Lieutenant Governor to succeed the retiring Democrat
Bob Bullock. During this election, Rick Perry had a notable falling out with his previous top political strategist
Karl Rove, which began the much-reported rivalry between the
Bush and Perry camps.
[41] Perry polled 1,858,837 votes (50.04 percent) to the 1,790,106 (48.19 percent) cast for Democrat
John Sharp of
Victoria, who had relinquished the
Comptroller's position after two terms to seek the lieutenant governorship.
Libertarian Anthony Garcia polled another 65,150 votes (1.75 percent).
[39] Perry thus became the state's first Republican lieutenant governor since Reconstruction, taking office on January 19, 1999.
Governor of Texas
President George W. Bush and Texas Governor Rick Perry shake hands after
a question and answer session at the Port Arthur airport. Port Arthur
was hit hard by Hurricane Rita.
Perry assumed the office of governor on December 21, 2000, following
the resignation of George W. Bush – who was preparing to become
President of the United States.
[15] He won the office in his own right in the
2002 gubernatorial election, where he received 57.80% of votes to Laredo oilman and businessman
Tony Sanchez's 39.96%.
[39] He was re-elected in the
2006 gubernatorial election against three major opponents, polling 39% of votes against runner-up former U.S. Congressman
Chris Bell of Houston with 29.8%. In the
2010 gubernatorial election, Perry became the first Texas governor to be elected to three four-year terms, polling 54.97% of votes to former Houston Mayor
Bill White's 42.48%.
In his three gubernatorial campaigns, Perry received hard-money
campaign contributions of $102 million, half of which came from 204
donors.
[42]
In the 2001 legislative session, Perry set a record for his use of the
veto, rejecting 82 acts, more than any other governor in any single legislative session in the history of the state since
Reconstruction.
[43] [44][45]
Fiscal policies
In his presidential campaign, Perry has highlighted the economic
success Texas achieved under his governorship, although the true success
of his policies has been questioned.
[46][47][48][49][50][51]
A proclaimed proponent of fiscal conservatism, Perry has often
campaigned on job growth and tax issues, such as his opposition to
creating a state
income tax.
Perry refused in 2002 to promise not to raise taxes as governor, and in
the following years did propose or approve various tax and debt
[52] increases.
[53][54][55][56] In 2009, Perry signed
Grover Norquist's pledge to "oppose and veto any and all efforts to increase taxes".
Texas began borrowing money in 2003 to pay for roads and will owe
$17.3 billion by the end of 2012, increasing total state debt, from
$13.4 billion in 2001 to $37.8 billion in 2011.
[57]
The state's public finance authority sold $2 billion in bonds for
unemployment benefits, and it's authorized to sell $1.5 billion more if
necessary. Texas federal borrowing topped $1.6 billion in October 2010,
before the bond sales.
[58]
Texans voted November 8, 2011 for a Water Works Bill with an additional
$6 billion of debt and against new tax breaks for landowners.
[59]
A Republican on the Natural Resources Committee laments “we couldn’t
get the votes” which would break Perry's pledge not to raise taxes.
[60]
In 2003, Perry signed legislation that created the
Texas Enterprise Fund,
which has since given $435 million in grants to businesses. The New
York Times reported that many of the companies receiving grants, or
their chief executives, have made contributions to Perry's campaigns or
to the Republican Governors Association.
[61]
Perry has been criticized for supporting corporate tax breaks and other
incentives, while the state government was experiencing budget
deficits.
[62][63]
Healthcare
As governor, Perry has been an outspoken opponent of federal health-care reform proposals and of the
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, describing the latter as "socialism on American soil".
[64] Perry's focus in Texas has been on
tort reform, signing a bill in 2003 which restricted non-economic damages in
medical malpractice judgments.
[65]
Perry touted this approach in his Presidential campaign, although
independent analysts have concluded that it has failed to increase the
supply of physicians or limit health-care costs in Texas.
[64][66]
During Perry's governorship, Texas rose from second to first among
states with the highest proportion of uninsured residents at 26%, and
had the lowest level of access to prenatal care in the U.S.
[64] Perry and the state legislature have cut
Medicaid spending.
[64][67] The
Los Angeles Times
wrote that under Perry, "working Texans increasingly have been priced
out of private healthcare while the state's safety net has withered."
[67]
Perry's office has said that Texas represents a model private-sector
approach to health-care. His spokeswoman stated that "Texas does provide
an adequate safety net to those truly in need... and many individuals
simply choose not to purchase healthcare coverage."
[67]
Perry is
pro-life and has signed bills with rules or restrictions for
abortion procedures and funding for them.
[68][69]
In December 2011, Perry said he had undergone a "transformation" and
now opposed all abortions, including in cases of rape and incest. The
next day he clarified that he would allow an exception for abortions
that would save a mother's life.
[70][71]
In February 2007, Perry issued an
executive order mandating that Texas girls receive the
HPV vaccine, which protects against some strains of the
human papilloma virus, a contributing factor to some forms of
cervical cancer.
[72] Following the move, news outlets reported various apparent financial connections between Perry and the vaccine's manufacturer,
Merck.
[72][73] Merck's
political action committee has contributed $28,500 since 2001 to Perry's campaigns.
[74] The order was criticized by some parents and
social conservatives, and a lawsuit was filed later that month.
[75]
In May 2007, the Texas Legislature passed a bill undoing the order;
Perry did not veto the bill, saying the veto would have been overruled,
but blamed lawmakers who supported the bill for the deaths of future
cancer victims.
[76]
In 2011, Governor Perry both had adult stem cell surgery, in Houston
by Dr. Jones, and started "laying the groundwork" for the
commercialization of the adult stem cell industry in Texas.
[77][78]
Religion
Perry grew up in the
United Methodist Church,
and he and his family were members of Tarrytown United Methodist Church
until 2010, when Perry and his family began attending the Austin-based
non-denominational evangelical
megachurch, Lake Hills Church.
In 2006, Perry stated that he believes in the
inerrancy of the Bible and that those who do not accept
Jesus
as their savior will go to hell. A couple of days later, he clarified,
"I don't know that there's any human being that has the ability to
interpret what God and his final decision-making is going to be."
[79]
In his 2008 book
On My Honor, Perry expressed his views on the
Establishment Clause and the
Free Exercise Clause
of the U.S. Constitution. "Let's be clear: I don't believe government,
which taxes people regardless of their faith, should espouse a specific
faith. I also don't think we should allow a small minority of
atheists to sanitize our civil dialogue on religious references."
[80]
In June 2011, Perry proclaimed August 6 as a Day of Prayer and
Fasting, inviting other governors to join him in a prayer meeting hosted by the
American Family Association in Houston.
[81][82] The event was criticized as going beyond prayer and fasting to include launching Perry's presidential campaign.
[83]
Perry has called himself "a firm believer in
intelligent design as a matter of faith and intellect", and has expressed support for its teaching alongside
evolution
in Texas schools, but has also said that "educators and local school
officials, not the governor, should determine science curriculum."
[84]
Education
Perry has repeatedly attacked the
Robin Hood plan
to provide court-mandated equitable school financing for all school
districts in the state. In 2005, following rejection of Perry's proposal
to replace the Robin Hood plan, Perry vetoed all funding for public
schools for the 2007–2008 biennium, saying he would not "approve an
education budget that shortchanges teacher salary increases, textbooks,
education technology, and education reforms. And I cannot let $2 billion
sit in some bank account when it can go directly to the classroom."
[85] Following a second rejection of Perry's bill, Perry asked
John Sharp to head a task force charged with preparing a bipartisan education plan, which was subsequently adopted.
[86][87]
In 2001, Perry expressed his pride in the enactment of the statute
extending in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants who meet Texas'
residency requirements. It also required the undocumented students to
pledge to apply for permanent residency or citizenship if this became a
possibility for them.
[88]
Homosexuality
In 2002, Perry described the Texas same-sex
anti-sodomy law as "appropriate".
[89] The
United States Supreme Court's civil rights decision in
Lawrence v. Texas (2003) struck down the statute Perry referred to the following year for violating the
14th Amendment to the
U.S. Constitution.
Perry supported the
2005 ballot proposition
which amended the Texas constitution by defining marriage as "only a
union between a man and a woman" and prohibiting the state from creating
or recognizing "any legal status identical or similar to marriage".
[90] In 2011, after New York legalized same-sex marriage, Perry stated that it was their right to do so under the principle of
states' rights delineated in the
Tenth Amendment.
[91]
A spokesman later reiterated Perry's support for a federal
constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, saying that position
was not inconsistent since an amendment would require approval by
three-fourths of the states.
[92]
In his first book,
On My Honor, published in 2008, Perry drew a parallel between
homosexuality
and alcoholism, writing that he is "no expert on the 'nature versus
nurture' debate", but that gays should simply choose abstinence.
[93] During the 2012 presidential campaign, he criticized the repeal of "
don't ask, don't tell".
[94]
He said that using foreign aid as a policy tool against foreign
countries which do not give full rights to homosexuals was “not in
America’s interests”.
[95]
Perry, an Eagle Scout, has called on the
Boy Scouts to continue their ban on homosexuality and blamed America for not living up to the ideals of the scouts.
[96]
Crime
Perry's campaigns for lieutenant governor and governor focused on a
tough stance on crime. He has supported
block grants for crime programs.
[97]
Jeff L. Blackburn, chief counsel of the
Innocence Project of Texas,
said of Perry that "He has done more good than any other governor we've
ever had ... unless, of course, it involves the death penalty. On the
death penalty, Rick Perry has a profound mental block."
[98]
In 2007, Perry signed a law ending automatic arrest for
cannabis possession.
[99]
Death penalty
Perry supports the
death penalty.
[100] In June 2002, he vetoed a ban on the
execution of
mentally retarded inmates.
[97] As of April 27, 2014, there have been 275 executions since Perry first took office in 2000.
[101]
Cases in which Perry has been criticized for his lack of intervention include those of
Cameron Todd Willingham,
Frances Newton, and Mexican nationals
José Medellín and
Humberto Leal Garcia.
[102][103][104][105]
Perry commuted the death sentence of
Kenneth Foster,
who was convicted of murder despite evidence that he was only present
at the scene of the crime. Foster was convicted under a Texas law that
makes co-conspirators liable in certain cases of homicide. In this case,
it tied Foster to the triggerman. Perry raised doubts about the law and
urged the legislature to re-examine the issue. “I believe the right and
just decision is to commute Foster’s sentence from the death penalty to
life imprisonment,” Perry said in a statement at the time.
[106]
Infrastructure
In 2001, Perry proposed the
Trans-Texas Corridor,
a $145+ billion-dollar project that would build multi-lane highways,
rail lines and data lines from Oklahoma to Mexico, and from east to west
in southern Texas. Instead of paying for the project with taxes, Perry
proposed that it be partially financed, partially built and wholly
operated by private contractors, who would subsequently receive all toll
proceeds.
[107]
All of Perry's gubernatorial opponents opposed the corridor project, as
did the 2006 state party platforms of both the Democratic and
Republican parties.
[108][109]
After much contentious debate between supporters and opponents, an
official decision of "no action" was issued by the Federal Highway
Administration on July 20, 2010, formally ending the project.
Gun ownership
Perry has an A+ rating from the
National Rifle Association.
[110] He possesses a
Concealed Handgun License (CHL)
[111] and has signed a number of bills that increased CHL access.
[112]
2012 presidential campaign
Perry campaigning at the Iowa State Fair
Until 2011, Perry persistently denied aspirations to higher office;
he was originally included on the 2012 presidential straw poll ballot at
the Values Voter Summit in September 2009, but his name was removed at
his request.
[113] In April 2008 while appearing as a guest on
CNBC's
Kudlow & Company, he specifically stated that he would not agree to serve as Vice President in a
McCain
administration, stating that he already had "the best job in the world"
as governor of Texas. Further, during a Republican gubernatorial debate
in January 2010, when asked if he would commit to serving out his term
if re-elected, he replied that "the place hasn't been made yet" where he
would rather serve than the governor of Texas. In December 2010, when
asked if he was a "definite maybe" to run for president in 2012, he
replied, "a definite no, brother".
[114]
On May 27, 2011, he said he was "going to think about" running for
the 2012 Republican presidential nomination after the close of the Texas
legislative session.
[115] Perry said in a response to a question from a reporter, "but I think about a lot of things", adding a grin.
[116]
On August 11, a Perry spokesman said that he would be running for
president in 2012, with plans to announce his formal entry into the race the next day.
[117][118] Perry himself confirmed it on a visit to
KVUE, the ABC affiliate in Austin. As the
Associated Press bulletin announcing his entry into the race came across the wire, Perry signed and dated a printed copy of the bulletin.
[119]
On August 13, Perry officially announced that he would be running for president.
[120]
After announcing his candidacy, Perry immediately became a serious contender in the race, with a poll released by
Rasmussen Reports on August 16, 2011, showing him leading in the Republican field at 29 percent, with the eventual Republican nominee
Mitt Romney at a distant second at 18 percent and the then-front runner
Michele Bachmann at 13 percent.
[121]
Perry hoped that Texas' own record of job growth in contrast to the
rest of the country could persuade voters that he could reverse the
economic downturn.
[122]
However, by September Perry's campaign began to suffer following a
number of poor debate performances. Perry suffered further following a
November 2011 debate in which he was unable to name one of the three
government agencies that he would eliminate as president; he later
identified the third agency as the
Department of Energy.
[123]
In October 2011, the
Washington Post reported that Perry's family leases a hunting camp once called "
Niggerhead". According to some local residents interviewed by the
Post,
the Perrys used the camp for years before painting over a large rock
with that name on it, which stands at an entrance to the area, and
during this time Perry hosted friends and supporters at the camp.
[124]
Perry's campaign disputed the claims, stating that the Perrys painted
over the rock almost immediately after acquiring a lease on the property
in 1983.
[125][126] The
Washington Post
news reporter filing the October 1, 2011, news report interviewed seven
people "...who spoke in detail of their memories of seeing the rock
with the name at various points during the years that Perry was
associated with the property through his father, partners or his
signature on a lease".
[127]
On December 6, Perry released a presidential campaign video on
YouTube called "Strong" discussing his religious beliefs, as well as
criticism of Obama's governance.
[128] The video states "there's something wrong in this country when
gays can serve openly in the military,
but our kids can't openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school." The
video was widely criticized in the on-line community and received over
750,000 dislikes on YouTube.
[129]
Perry came in fifth place in the
Iowa caucuses and skipped the
New Hampshire primary. With polls showing Perry trailing in the upcoming
South Carolina primary, Perry announced on January 19, 2012, that he would be dropping out of the 2012 presidential race. Perry initially endorsed
Newt Gingrich, but then endorsed
Mitt Romney in April after Gingrich announced that he was suspending his campaign.
[130]
In September 2012, an article stated that Perry "had major health
issues too – a serious but previously undiagnosed sleep disorder [sleep
apnea] that was discovered just as the front-runner label was slipping
from his hands", which contributed to his losing the candidacy.
According to the article, Perry also suffered from
restless legs syndrome.
[131]
Indictment
On August 15, 2014, Perry was
indicted by a Travis County
grand jury for
abuse of power.
[132][133] He had vetoed $7.5 million in funding for state public corruption prosecutors after the head of that unit, Travis County
District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg, a Democrat, refused to resign after having been convicted of
drunk driving. The indictment includes two charges: abuse of official capacity, a first-degree
felony, and coercion of a public servant, a third-degree felony.
[134][135][136][137]
Perry's Republican supporters called the charges political and partisan,
[9] and several Democratic commentators, including
David Axelrod, Jonathan Prince,
Matthew Yglesias, and
Jonathan Chait have stated that they believe the charges are either weak or unwarranted.
[7][138] On August 16, 2014, Perry described the indictment as a political move and an abuse of power, and vowed to fight the charges.
[139] The Texas Democratic Party asked Perry to resign.
[135]
A
New York Times
editorial considers the indictment controversial, saying it "appears to
be the product of an overzealous prosecution", while portraying Perry
as "one of the least thoughtful and most damaging state leaders in
America".
[10] The Los Angeles Times
editorially stated, "Even in the no-holds-barred world of Texas
politics, the indictment of Gov. Rick Perry last week was a low blow.
... [The courts] do not, however, belong in the middle of a fight
between politicians over policy or power."
[140] The Washington Post
denounced the indictments saying, "The grand jury, however, would
criminalize Mr. Perry’s conduct by twisting the pertinent statutes into a
pair of pretzels."
[141] USA Today
editorially said, "The case might not be as politically motivated as it
seems on the surface. It is being brought by a special prosecutor
appointed by a Republican judge. But it is still misguided in the
extreme. It is part of an unhealthy trend of political issues being
forced into courts rather than being resolved by voters."
[142]
On August 19, 2014, at 5 PM CT, Gov. Rick Perry turned himself in at the Travis County jail.
[143]
Political future
Governor Perry speaking at the 2014 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland.
By the end of his third full term, he will have served up to 14
consecutive years in office once his third full term expires. The
University of Texas at Austin–Texas Tribune Poll released on June 17,
2013, showed Perry leading potential primary challenger
Attorney General Greg Abbott by double digits, 45–19%.
[144] In February, the same poll had Perry leading by a 3-to-1 margin (49–17%) of 32 points over Abbott.
[145]
Perry decided not to run for re-election to a fourth full term,
announcing on July 8, 2013 that he would retire instead in front of
family and supporters at the
Holt Cat Headquarters in
San Antonio, Texas.
[5]
Perry will retire with the 10th longest gubernatorial tenure in United
States history at the end of his term on January 20, 2015 at 5,144 days.
[146] Unnamed sources said to be close to Perry told the
National Review that Perry may focus on another White House bid for 2016.
[6]
Books and speeches
Rick Perry has written two books:
- On My Honor: Why the American Values of the Boy Scouts are Worth Fighting For was published in February 2008.[147] It celebrates the positive impact of the organization on the youth of America and criticizes the ACLU for its legal actions against the Boy Scouts of America.[148]
- Fed Up! Our Fight to Save America from Washington, was written with senior advisor Chip Roy and published in November 2010.[149] It discusses his support for limited central government.
Perry has given a number of speeches, including one at the Heritage
Foundation on the proper role of the federal government and the military
in disaster management.
[150] This speech was given a few months' after
Hurricane Katrina.
Personal life
In 1982, Perry married
Anita Thigpen, his childhood sweetheart whom he had known since
elementary school. They have two grown children, Griffin and Sydney. Anita attended
West Texas State University
and earned a degree in nursing. She has spearheaded a number of
health-related initiatives such as the Anita Thigpen Perry Endowment at
the
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, which focuses on nutrition,
cardiovascular disease,
health education, and early childhood development.
[151] She has also helped develop and host the
Texas Conference for Women.
[152]
Perry has played himself in minor roles for several feature films, including
Man of the House,
Deep in the Heart, and
Hating Breitbart.
In 2001, the
American Cowboy Culture Association, based in
Lubbock,
handed Perry its "The Top Cowboy of Texas" award. In accepting the
honor, Perry cited the importance of his father, Ray Perry, and a former
neighbor in Haskell County, the late Watt R. Matthews (born 1899), who
Perry said taught him "not only about Texas and [its] history.. but also
about the importance of the values that we learned growing up in a
rural environment".
[153]
Perry is also a member of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution and won their Gold Good Citizenship Medal.
Electoral history
