AUSTIN -- After months of disavowing interest in a bid for the White House, Gov. Rick Perry acknowledged Friday that he will consider running for president after the Legislature ends Monday.
Perry told reporters that his immediate focus is the legislative session. But asked whether he would think about a presidential run afterward, Perry responded:"Yes sir."He was asked about running for president."I'm going to think about it," Perry said.Talk of a possible Perry candidacy has increased recently after conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh declared on his national radio program that Perry is the Republicans' best hope to bring life to an anemic presidential field.Limbaugh said Perry has the potential to "light this up."A California lawmaker who launched a "Draft Rick Perry 2012" website said Friday that he was heartened by Perry's comments. Assemblyman Dan Logue, R-Linda, initiated the effort after he and several colleagues visited Texas recently to discuss Perry's job creation initiatives."I think he's beginning to understand that the country needs somebody like him," said Logue, whose website touts Perry's leadership style and limited-government, free-market initiatives. He said the site has received more than 300 responses.Although Perry's statements caused a stir in media and political circles, Perry spokesman Mark Miner said the governor has not changed course."He thinks about a lot of issues. Nothing has changed," Miner said in an e-mail. "The governor has no intention of running for president."Perry, the state's longest-serving governor, is at the high point of a 26-year political career and has drawn increasing attention with an anti-Washington message that plays well among Tea Party activists.He has dominated the current legislative session and -- with the notable exception of an unsuccessful "sanctuary cities" bill -- he has pushed through a conservative agenda that includes property rights, tort reform, voter identification and mandatory pre-abortion sonograms.'A powerful lure'"Politics is pretty fluid ... and the presidency is a powerful lure," Austin political consultant Bill Miller said. "He's a superattractive candidate for a party that's looking for an idealized candidate, and he's got a lot of attributes that people think are idealized."Miller said he believes that Perry is keeping his options open as the presidential season heats up."What I heard was, 'If you're interested in me running, I'm ready and willing to listen,'" Miller said. "I think he'd do well. He's a great campaigner, and he's never lost an election. He knows how to win."At the same time, analysts say, Perry is still relatively unknown among voters in early presidential caucus and primary states, and his name doesn't come up often on national political talk shows, perhaps because of his oft-repeated lack of interest in the race. Some analysts also say the country may not be ready for another Texan in the White House after George W. Bush's eight years in office.The Republican field is still taking shape. Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota announced his candidacy Monday, following former House Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia into the race. Other potential contenders include Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman.Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, and real estate developer and TV celebrity Donald Trump have all declined to run.Enjoying the attentionTexas' Hispanic Republican Conference endorsed Perry for president this week, expressing hope that the plug would help persuade him to enter the race.Asked about the endorsement, Perry said: "I don't make a lot of anything dealing with that until we get past the Monday deadline for this legislative session. That's our focus. I appreciate everybody's interest, but all of us know that the work at hand is the most important thing we have to do."The conference was formed by the six Hispanic Republicans in the Legislature but includes more than 30 other members, said Rep. Aaron Peña, R-Edinburg, the group's chairman. Peña said the organization believes that Perry has been attentive to Hispanic issues and that the "field is open" in the Republican race for president.Perry had been gaining increased notice in blogs and a diverse range of publications as Republicans and conservative independents size up potential challengers to President Barack Obama.RealClearPolitics, an online journal, reported recently that Perry aides have been quietly making inquiries on his behalf. Other publications spotlighting Perry include The New York Times and the National Journal, which recently ran a cover profile on him.Perry has also boosted his national stature with appearances at major Republican events. Sales of his book, Fed Up, have further stoked attention, in addition to advancing his conservative themes of limited government and state sovereignty.This report includes material from the Star-Telegram archives.Dave Montgomery is Star-Telegram's Austin bureau chief. 512-476-4294Should Rick Perry run for president?
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