Texas Governor and current Republican presidential hopeful Rick Perry slammed President Obama late Sunday, saying he is a “socialist,” who seeks to curtail state rights.
“We have a president who’s a socialist,” the Texas Republican said during a campaign event in South Carolina. “I don’t think our Founding Fathers wanted America to be a socialist” country.
He added that Mr. Obama “talks about having a more powerful, more centralized, more consuming and costly federal government. I am a Tenth Amendment-believing governor.”
Mr. Perry, who is currently campaigning in South Carolina ahead of the state’s primary later this month, is currently trailing in recent polls. The Texas Republican announced earlier this week that he would forgo the New Hampshire primary, instead saying he will focus on attempting to secure a victory in South Carolina, where polls show him trailing former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.
The Texas Republican did not limit his criticism to President Obama. Speaking Monday, Mr. Perry took direct aim at his Republican opponents.
Mr. Perry slammed former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, saying he had “looted” two South Carolina companies during his time at Bain Capital.
“You go to Gaffney, and that little company down there that Bain Capital shut down, that they handed out pink slips in Gaffney, South Carolina. There are people out of work down there because of what Mitt Romney and Bain Capital did,” said Mr. Perry.
Mr. Perry also assailed former Pennsylvania U.S. Senator Rick Santorum, saying he respects the former senator, however, they differ on certain fiscal policies.
“I respect Rick, he is a social conservative. But he is not a fiscal conservative,” said Mr. Perry.
