Rick Perry to run for president, spokesman says

When I posted this morning I thought the announcement was going to be at the Red State gathering no one I know would take that bet as they agreed. What a day -- stock market is up, Perry is running for President and officially jumps in the race this weekend, tonight is the first preseason game of the NFL, and the Big 12 is blowing up against thanks to the arrogance of ESPN, Texas, and the Longhorn network. Great day for politics and sports.

CBS just had to throw in the dart at the Governor:

Perry, who participated last Saturday in a controversial prayer and fasting event in Houston

What was controversial about it -- that Rick Perry is a Christian who is not afraid to pray for our Nation and our President in front of over 30,000 people and countless more on broadcast to churches around the Country?  Does that bother CBS?

Rick Perry to run for president, spokesman says
(CBS/AP)
Updated at 4:40 p.m. ET\ 

A spokesman for the Texas Republican governor tells the Associated Press that Rick Perry is running for president. 

The announcement of his presidential bid is expected to come Saturday. On that day, Perry will deliver a speech in South Carolina, at a RedState conference in Charleston, and then plans to travel to the key early voting state of New Hampshire. 

On Sunday, Perry will speak at a Republican fundraiser in Iowa for the Black Hawk County Republicans, his campaign confirmed to the CBS News earlier this week.  

His decision to travel to the crucial first-in-the-nation voting state signals that he plans to compete aggressively there for the Republican presidential nomination. 

Perry's entry into the race is sure to draw attention away from the Iowa straw poll in Ames on Saturday, which traditionally has a significant impact on the Republican presidential race. Perry is not on the straw poll ballot. 

The Texas governor is expected to immediately jump to the top tier of contenders for the nomination if he enters the race, in part because he has support from both the Republican establishment and the social and fiscal conservatives. 

Perry, who participated last Saturday in a controversial prayer and fasting event in Houston, has spent recent weeks meeting behind closed-doors with potential donors and supporters about the possibility of a presidential run.

In a recent interview with Time magazine, Perry said that former President George W. Bush -- who preceded Perry as Texas governor -- has been advising him on the decision. 

"He said, 'You'll do what's right,'" Perry said, of a June conversation with the former president. 

"He said, you don't want to wake up when you're 70 and go, 'I wish I had tried that. I wish I had done that.'" 

Questioned about the strength of his conservative credentials, Perry said he didn't think there was "any doubt" that he was at least as conservative as every other candidate in the race - if not more so. 

"I've got a record. And that record, particularly when it comes to the most important issues in this campaign, which is creating the climate of America that gives incentives to job creators to risk their capital and create jobs for our citizens, I will put that up against anybody who's running and particularly against this President we have today, whose jobs record is abysmal," he said.   

Source:  CBS News

Pleased to see the part about Governor Perry talking to President George W Bush about this decision.  We knew his wife had spoken to Laura Bush earlier.  We cannot think of a better person to go to when you are thinking about this decision because President Bush was also Governor of Texas who loved his job in Texas but felt a higher calling to run for President.   Felt the same way then as the candidates in the race before he entered did not excite me.  This time it is even better as I actually agree with Governor Perry even more with his stance on the issues.