Gov. Rick Perry says he's finished preparations for a 2016 presidential campaign and will announce his intentions "at the appropriate time."
The Texas Republican, whose 2012 presidential campaign was plagued by gaffes and organizational issues, said he's ready for a new type of campaign now that he's free to focus all his effort on a race.
"I don't shy away from the fact that I have been preparing," Perry, who is leaving office after a 14-year tenure, told the Associated Press Friday. "Preparation's done. I'm ready."
“This is my last public speech [as governor], so I have a few things to say," Perry said at the Republican National Committee's winter meeting in San Diego on Friday, according to the Texas Tribune. "First among them: Thank you for helping us elect a Republican majority in both houses of Congress."
Perry also took the opportunity to jab President Obama for failing to attend an anti-terror march in Paris earlier this week.
"Leaders of the Western world gathered in the streets of Paris and our president was nowhere to be found," Perry said. "When leaders of the world gather to stand against terrorism, the president of the United States needs to be there. He needs to be standing on the front row."
Perry also took aim at the immigration debate, blaming Congress for failing to take action and Obama for acting on his own.
"The fact is Congress should’ve acted many years ago. But the answer isn’t an executive order to bypass Congress. The answer is to work with Congress to secure the border."
Perry is currently 10th in the RealClearPolitics polling average for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, although one candidate ahead of Perry — Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan — has said he won't be running.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush leads the field at 17 percentage points.
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Originally Posted by dannno
)) ... Rick Perry may be ready, but I'm sure not ready for him.
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