DENVER — Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry revved up a conservative crowd advocating states’ rights, a strong foreign policy and touting his accomplishments as governor.
Perry lamented the Supreme Court’s decisions regarding Obamacare and gay marriage, stating that they were an attempt to equalize all the states, but that’s now how he envisions the republic
“If the Supreme Court is listening, one size will not fit all,” Perry told the cheering crowd at the Western Conservative Summit in Denver, Colo. “That’s not how this country was set up. This week the Supreme Court made decisions that I did not agree with at all. I have said from the get-go that the decision about traditional marriage needs to be made in the states.”
The former Texas governor and 2016 GOP hopeful emphasized that this presidential election is especially important because the next president will likely have to appoint multiple Supreme Court justices to the bench. In order to create greater autonomy for the states and strengthen America’s spot in the world, Perry stressed the importance of selecting conservative justices.
“Let this country compete again — I am so optimistic about the future of America if we will free up the states from this one size fits all, you’ll see innovation. And from time to time a states gonna foul it up,” Perry said. Then giving the example of Colorado and marijuana legalization he added, “You think about. Experimentation, Colorado comes to mind. But I defend the right for Colorado to be wrong on that issue! It’s their right.”
Perry, an Air Force veteran, also addressed foreign policy and the need to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. Perry’s plan includes working to create a coalition with friendlier Middle Eastern countries such as Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt and Israel to come together with U.S. boots on the ground to overtake the Islamic State.
“Putting together a coalition to eliminate ISIS, that can occur… But this administration is not capable of it and I don’t think they’re capable of it because I look at their track record, and their track record has been to take a step back,” Perry said “So it is going to require a coalition effort with the United States being apart of that effort… to eliminate ISIS. But I think we can put the lid back on and I think we can bring peace to Iraq again.”
