Personal Information
in Paint Creek, Texas, to Joseph and Amelia Perry.
Family
Married to his childhood sweetheart, Anita, who he’s known since elementary
school. They have two children.
Education
1968- Graduated from Paint Creek High School
1972- Graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in Animal Science
On His Honor
Boy Scouts of America (BSA)- earned the rank of Eagle Scout
The BSA later honored Rick Perry with the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award
Civic Organizations
Lifetime member of American Legion Post #75
Religious Beliefs
Governor Perry is a Christian who believes and agrees with this statement from Pastor John Hagee’s “God and Country” sermon, which Governor Perry was in attendance:
“If you live your life and don’t confess your sins to God Almighty through the authority of Christ and His blood, I’m going to say this very plainly, you’re going straight to hell with a nonstop ticket.”
Strong supporter of Israel from his religious beliefs. In an interview with the Jerusalem Post he stated
“I’m a big believer that this country was given to the people of Israel a long time ago, by God, and that’s ordained.”
August 6, 2011- Initiator of The Response prayer rally, which was a call to prayer for a nation in crisis.
Military Career
United States Air Force
Civilian Career
Tenant Farmer- farmed cotton with his father
Political Career
1984- Elected to the Texas House of Representatives as a Democrat
1990- Elected Agriculture Commissioner as a Republican
1998- Elected Lieutenant Governor
December 21, 2000- assumed the position as the 47th Governor of Texas upon the resignation of then-Governor George W. Bush
2002- Was elected Governor of Texas, re-elected in 2006 and 2010. Did not seek the office in 2014
2011 – Unsuccessfully ran for the GOP nomination for President
2015 – Announced another run for the GOP nomination for President
Political Party Affiliation
1984- Started his political career as a member of the Democratic Party
1989- Changed to the Republican Party
Previous Political Endorsements
1988- Supported Al Gore in his bid for President
Served as chairman of Al Gore’s campaign in Texas
2007- Endorsed Rudy Giuliani in his Presidential bid
Later endorsed John McCain after Rudy Giuliani dropped out of the race in January of 2008
Political Associations
Republican Governor’s Association
Currently serves as Chairman of the Republican Governor’s Association
Also served in this same position as Chairman of the Republican Governor’s Association in 2008
National Governor’s Association
Western Governor’s Association
Southern Governor’s Association
Political Stance
Pro-Life
Opposes same sex marriage
Tough on crime
Supports the death penalty
Does not support the theory of man-made global warming
Opposes a border fence to secure our borders, preferring instead to have more “boots on the ground”
2003- Sponsored a state constitutional amendment to cap on medical malpractice rewards. This was a very controversial issues that was barely approved by the voters.
Fiscal Conservative- However, in 2006 Governor Perry found himself on the wrong side of fiscal conservatives within the Republican party because he supported an increase in the state franchise tax, in addition to a property tax reform bill. Many within the Republican Party likened his actions to a “back door” state income tax.
2007- Issued a very controversial executive order mandating that girls in Texas receive the HPV vaccine. There is an opt-out option for parents. Later that same year Governor Perry signed into law a bill that would undo his executive order.
Political Records Set
Is the first Governor to have been elected to 3 full terms- 2002, 2006 and 2010,
Is the longest serving current U.S. Governor
Is the only governor in modern Texas history to have appointed at least one person to every possible state office, board, or commission position which requires gubernatorial appointment.
2001- Set a record for the use of the veto in the legislative session for the given year. He rejected legislation a total of 82 times, more than any other governor in any single legislative session in the history of Texas since Reconstruction.
Sovereignty of Texas
2009- Governor Perry endorsed a resolution supporting state sovereignty, stating this the authority for this action is in the 10th Amendment to the United States Constitution. At the time of the endorsement he made this statement:
“I believe that our federal government has become oppressive in its size, its intrusion into the lives of our citizens, and its interference with the affairs of our State. That is why I am here today to express my unwavering support for efforts all across our country to reaffirm the States’ rights affirmed by the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. I believe that returning to the letter and spirit of the U.S. Constitution and its essential 10th Amendment will free our State from undue regulations, and ultimately strengthen our Union.”
This is where I must interject my personal thoughts on Governor Rick Perry. There are a lot of things that I do not necessarily care for about him, first and foremost is that he is the “typical politician” who’s been in office for years.
However, the one thing that I admire and respect about him is his resolve for the Sovereignty of the great State of Texas. As a die-hard Texas lady who has often thought that perhaps the best thing for Texas would be to secede from The United States of America and become our own country again, Governor Perry receives a resounding applause from me on this issue.
The rumblings among the various political circles who have tossed around Governor Perry’s name as a possible option for President of The United States of America in 2012 has not meant anything to me until the last couple of days when I read this article. Today I saw a local news report that gave this article even more credibility.
I must say that the first thing that comes to my mind for Rick Perry in a potential bid for the Presidency, it would be as the President of The Republic of Texas, not President of The United States of America.
Here is a quote from Governor Perry after a tea party protest held on April 15, 2009:
“Texas is a unique place. When we came into the union in 1845, one of the issues was that we would be able to leave if we decided to do that… My hope is that America and Washington in particular pays attention. We’ve got a great union. There’s absolutely no reason to dissolve it. But if Washington continues to thumb their nose at the American people, who knows what may come of that.”
Later, when asked about this comment, a spokesperson on the governor’s staff stated that Governor Perry was not endorsing secession for the State of Texas. In a follow-up op-ed piece written by Governor Perry himself he stated:
“I have never advocated for secession and never will.”
Is this just another case of political back-tracking to cover his own behind, or would Governor Perry do whatever necessary for the State of Texas if push came to shove? I would like to think he would be the Cowboy he professes to be and step up and do whatever it takes to declare the sovereignty of the great state of Texas. I pray with everything in me that it never comes to this. But if it does, so be it.
In the aftermath of these related incidents several other Texas politicians came out saying that this was a distraction or that he simply got carried away.
However, one politician attributed this quote to Gov. Perry:
“I’m receptive to the principle of secession. You should have the right to leave.”
Actuall, it was 2012 Presidential Candidate Ron Paul who made this statement.
Publications
February 2008- Rick Perry’s first book “On My Honor: Why the American Values of the Boy Scouts are Worth Fighting For” was published
November 2010- His second book, “Fed Up! Our Fight to Save America from Washington” was published
On The Web
Rick Perry For President Official Website
Governor Perry’s Facebook Page
Governor Perry on Twitter
The Response
In The News
See All CDN posts tagged with Rick Perry
Perry indicted for Abuse of Official Capacity – case ongoing
_________________________
Sources:
Wikipedia
Office of the Governor- Rick Perry Official Biography
Schedule Summary: President Joe Biden will deliver remarks at the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday evening.…
Many of us have been watching the images of the protests on the Columbia, Yale,…
A parental rights organization filed civil-rights complaints against two school districts in Colorado on Friday,…
President Joe Biden received the lowest 13th-quarter approval ratings in modern history heading into an…