Thread: Rick Perry says he now supports border fences

He must be up for reelection

Posted on Fri, Feb. 01,
Perry says he now supports border fences
By JAY ROOTStar-Telegram staff writer

Rick Perry AUSTIN -- Gov. Rick Perry issued some of his toughest talk yet on immigration and border security Thursday, saying he favors border fences in some areas while flatly advising Mexican workers who want U.S. citizenship to get in line "just like everybody else."

The remarks came during one of the longest and most wide-ranging news conferences Perry has held in months. The governor displayed his trademark swagger as he discussed his endorsement of Republican presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain, the perils of a Hillary Clinton White House and his controversial order to destroy office e-mail once a week despite criticism from open-government activists.

Hundreds of e-mails from Perry's office, some of them embarrassing, were saved by a citizen activist and have spilled into the open. In them are internal policy discussions about border security, Perry's focus on promoting Rudy Giuliani for president and candid exchanges among top staff members.

But Perry dismissed the flap over his previously secret e-mail records as a game of "gotcha" and defended his policy of deleting the messages once a week.

"If we're going to spend our time gleaning through those for hours instead of doing the work of the people of the state of Texas, I think we're headed in the wrong direction," Perry said.

Perry called reporters to his office in the Capitol one day after Giuliani, the former New York mayor, dropped out of the presidential race. He said he is endorsing McCain, just as Giuliani had, and hinted that the Arizona senator would soon visit Texas to see the state's border security initiative in action.

Like McCain, Perry has increasingly toughened his stance on immigration and border security.

A few months ago, Perry, ahead of a meeting with Mexican President Felipe Calderon in Mexico City, railed against all the "mean rhetoric" sparked by the immigration debate in Washington and declared that border fences "absolutely won't work," according to published reports.

"We know how to deal with border security, and you don't do it by building a fence," Perry said during the August trip. "You do it by putting boots on the ground."

But on Thursday, Perry embraced physical barriers, a red-hot and divisive topic along the border, for some areas.

"There is some strategic fencing that we support. We have said all along that there are areas, particularly in metropolitan areas, that you can use strategic fencing to help control the flow of illegal activities," Perry said.

Perry has also expressed support in the past for the now-doomed plan that would have given work permits to Mexican guest workers -- an idea conservative activists called "amnesty." And in 2001, Perry was the first governor in the nation to sign into law a bill that allows certain illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition at Texas colleges and universities.

On Thursday, the governor stressed border security over immigration reform, and said that if a comprehensive overhaul occurs he wants temporary workers who apply for U.S. citizenship to wait their turn behind others who have already done so.

"There's a line. Get in just like everybody else," he said.

http://www.star-telegram.com/state_news ... 46668.html

Perhaps there are some Presidential asperations coming to the surface. Perry for President, anyone?

Just a joke there Texans, I know, I know, Arkansas was able to ship the Clintons out of state via Washington. Please have mercy on us Texas.

Funny how they're all coming to McCain's defense. Where's Perry been the last few years. Last time I checked Texas had a slight illegal alien problem. Schwarzennegger, Perry, McCain all are from states that have been impacted by the illegal alien invasion AND THEY'VE DONE NADA!!!!

I wrote Perry 2 years ago requesting he take action on increased illegal Immigration his answer basically was "its a federal problem."

Perry and McCain would make a great team.

Enjoy your last term as Governor of Texas Perry because the GOP is hunting for your replacement and it ain't going to be Hutchison either.

Dixie