Gov. Perry Returns To South Carolina

Texas Gov. Rick Perry, one of the three frontrunners for the Republican nomination for president, spoke to a large group of supporters at a fundraiser for the South Carolina GOP in Columbia on Friday.

Perry's brief address on the economy lasted only seven minutes. He stressed the need to improve the economy through private sector growth, rather than tax increases.

"I've governed on just a few but basic principles," Perry said. "Number one is don't spend all the money. Keep the taxes as low as you can while still delivering the essential services. Have a regulatory plan that is fair and predictable and a legal system that does not allow for over-suing. Then, get out of the way government and let the private sector do what the private sector does best: create jobs and create wealth."

Perry criticized President Barack Obama, calling the administration's claim that the recession was over fallacious.

"If you're one of the job seekers that's looked so long that you've just given up, you know for a fact that we're not in a recovery," Perry said. "The president said that we had reversed the recession, but over the past six months we'd just had a run of bad luck. ... Our economic plan shouldn't count on luck, it should count on sound economic principles.

"We don't need an excuse maker as commander in chief," he said.

Perry said he wanted to repeal Obama's health care plan immediately and limit government to only fulfilling its constitutional responsibilities.

After his talk, Perry spent almost an hour shaking hands and taking pictures with supporters from across the state. 

"He said pretty much what we wanted to hear," said Bill Severns of Beaufort. "Get the government out of the things that it's doing and let the private sector get the economy back on track. I think that's what all fiscal conservatives were looking for."

"There's only one issue right now," Joyce Jerow of Pawley's Island said, referring to the economy. "If we can get that taken care of, I think the others might fall into place.

"I've only seen one other candidate in person and I'd like to see them all before I make a decision, but I think he's in the top tier," she said.

Dennis Saylor of Aiken agreed.

"It's obvious he's big on private business making jobs and not the government," Saylor said. "I support that, but as far as a candidate, I'm still shopping."

"We need less regulation and less government," said Georgetown Republican Party chairman Jim Jerow. "Ronald Reagan says the government is the problem and [Perry] almost said that.

"I'd say he's in the top 3," Jerow said. "We like Romney and we like Perry ... we just want to get the right person elected whoever that person is out of the primary."

Mickey Lindler, who co-chaired Lexington County for Pawlenty until Tim Pawlenty dropped out of the race last week, said she believed Perry stood the best chance of winning the primary.

"I look at Rick Perry because he's qualified, he's personable and he's tough," said Lindler, who is also the chairwoman for Republicans of Lexington and Richland. "It's going to come down to Mitt [Romney] and Perry, and I think Perry can take it.

"He doesn't take unnecessary, untruthful shots," she said. "The fact that he came out strong already against some of Obama's deficiencies lets me know that the Republicans can take back the White House with him."