Bill Clinton defended Rick Perry on Monday over a law the Texas governor signed that allows children of illegal immigrants to receive in-state college tuition.
The former two-term Democratic president said in an interview with USA Today that it makes his “skin crawl” when Perry’s rivals for the GOP nod slam him “for one of the best things he did.”
“What would they like?” Clinton said. “Would they like the kid to stand on a corner and sell dope or something?”
Perry stood by the law, which he signed in 2001, amid strong criticism for from his fellow GOP presidential hopefuls, particularly Mitt Romney.
The former Massachusetts governor has sought to paint Perry’s policy as “liberal” while simultaneously framing himself as to the right of Perry on immigration reform.
Perry jumped into the GOP presidential nomination race in mid-August and rose to the top of the polls. But his national and statewide numbers have dropped after several less than stellar debate performance. Both Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann and Georgia businessman Herman Cain had similar jumps in the polls. Political observers and those in GOP circles have said this indicates widespread dissatisfaction with the GOP field.
But Clinton also warned his fellow Democrats against underestimating the opposing presidential field.
“It’s always a mistake to underestimate your opponent,” Clinton said. “People grow in these campaigns. How many times have you seen somebody get better in the course of an election? And it’s also unpredictable what happens.”
