Texas Governor Rick Perry’s speech at day one of the annual Values Voter Summit in Washington was extremely well-received.
During a roughly 30-minute address, Perry managed to hit a number of targets necessary to please the hundreds of social conservatives in attendance.
He blasted President Obama’s economic policies, saying that they’ve “failed our nation.” He accused the president of being “blinded by ideology” and ripped Obama’s new proposal to pay for his jobs plan by raising taxes on the wealthy.
“When they utter phrases like “fair share” you just know they’re playing fast and furious with the truth,” Perry said. He added that the jobs bill shows that the White House is “doubling down” on the 2009 stimulus package.
Perry, who has yet to unveil his own economic plan, advised Obama to freeze all new regulations for at least six months, and to cut taxes for everyone. As president, Perry said, he would do all of that and repeal Obama’s healthcare law. He said that his economic philosophy in Texas has been, “don’t spend all the money.”
“There should not be a single policy coming out of Washington D.C. that interferes with decisions being made by families,” Perry said.
Commenting on the budget, Perry warned lawmakers against making “arbitrary” cuts to defense spending. “We must never put the military on the chopping block.”
Pivoting to other topics, Perry affirmed his strong faith in God. “All human life is made in the image of our creator,” he said. He also touted his pro-life record by noting that he signed a law earlier this summer to de-fund Planned Parenthood. That line was met with a standing ovation from the overwhelmingly pro-life audience.
On foreign policy, Perry accused Obama of abandoning America’s allies in the Middle East. “Israel,” Perry said, “is our friend, and when I’m president…America will again stand with our friends.”