Rick Perry

“I stand before you as the governor of Texas but also stand before you the son of two tenant farmers. Ray Perry who came home after 35 bombing missions over Europe to work his little corner of land out there and Amelia who made sure that my sister Milla and I had everything that we needed, included hand sewing my clothes until I went off to college.”

— Rick Perry

“And I think most people in this country want to see a president that's got the courage to say we're going to cut the tax burden, and reduce the regulatory climate, and we're going to get Americans working.”

— Rick Perry

“It is through states that the American people get the job done every day, often in spite of a deeply flawed bureaucratic federal government.”

— Rick Perry

“Who can be against progress, after all? But it's a fraudulent use of the word - because for the Progressive, progress is marked not be how free you are, but how much government can 'do' for you.”

— Rick Perry

“Here is what we know after more than a decade of Republican rule: Texas works. Even 'The New York Times' let it slip into its pages that, 'Texas is the future.'”

— Rick Perry

“In the rush to become all things to all people, the federal government has lost sight of its core responsibilities. As a result we're stuck in this frustrating paradox where Washington actually neglects things it's clearly supposed to be doing, while interfering in other areas where they are neither welcome nor authorized.”

— Rick Perry

“The foundation for future prosperity is built on the bedrock of good jobs and great schools. We are building a strong foundation one job at a time and one educated Texan at a time.”

— Rick Perry

“America's greatness is not found in the size of its government. America's greatness resides in the hearts and the minds of the people.”

— Rick Perry

“The God we serve does not seek out the perfect, but instead uses our imperfections and our shortcomings for his greater good. I am humbled by my own limitations. But where I am weak, He is strong.”

— Rick Perry

“You got to have a courageous president to stand up and says, listen, if - if you send a bill to me that spends more money than what we've coming in, I'll veto it. I mean, I'm going to try to work with you the best I can, but I'm going to veto it.”

— Rick Perry

“In Michigan, a liberal democrat raised taxes and kept their government programs at the same level. And guess what? Their economy continued into the toilet, it continued down.”

— Rick Perry

“But if you say that we should not educate children who have come into our state for no other reason than they've been brought there by no fault of their own, I don't think you have a heart. We need to be educating these children, because they will become a drag on our society.”

— Rick Perry

“I'm worried about that man or woman sitting around - the coffee table tonight or in their kitchen talking about how are we going to get to work. How are we going to have the dignity to take care of our family.”

— Rick Perry

“Reforming public education, cutting property taxes, fixing adult and child protective services and funding our budget can all occur when Democrats and Republicans engage in consensus and cooperation - not cynicism and combat.”

— Rick Perry

“America needs jobs, smaller government, less spending and a president with the courage to offer more than yet another speech.”

— Rick Perry

“Conservatives are winning offices, and champions of big government are cleaning out their desks right now.”

— Rick Perry

“It is time to change our policy of appeasement toward the Palestinians, to strengthen our ties with the nation of Israel.”

— Rick Perry

“But it wasn't until I graduated from Texas A &amp M University and joined the United States Air Force, flying C-130's all around the globe, that I truly appreciated the blessings of freedom.”

— Rick Perry

“When a criminal breaks into your home I'll let the liberals call the lawyer. I'm going to call Smith &amp Wesson.”

— Rick Perry

“As Americans, we realize that there is no taxpayer money that wasn't first earned through the sweat and toil of one of our citizens.”

— Rick Perry