Des Moines, Iowa (CNN) - Texas governor Rick Perry blew a kiss to Mitt Romney on Monday, kissing off criticism from the former Massachusetts governor and saying, "Give him my love."
The newly-minted Republican presidential candidate was responding to criticism from Romney during a visit to the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines. In New Hampshire earlier Monday, Romney said he is the only contender in the GOP presidential race with extensive experience in both business and government.
CNN asked Perry about the criticism.
Pressing his hands to his lips - then blowing a kiss – Perry's message to Romney: "Give him my love."
CNN pressed Perry on the substance of Romney's dig.
"I think it's oranges and apples," Perry said. "Running a state is different from running a business. What I would say is go take a look at his [Romney's] record when he was governor and my record when I'm governor. Then you got some apples to apples."
Romney isn't the only GOP competitor Perry addressed from the booth of the Iowa Republican Party. CNN also asked the Texas governor about criticism from fellow GOP candidate Michele Bachmann's campaign, which has criticized Perry for not participating in last week's GOP presidential debate or the Ames straw poll on Saturday.
Perry's response to that was essentially a verbal kiss off.
"We're here," Perry said.
Perry visited the Iowa GOP booth after speaking at the "soapbox" at the state fair – a few bales of hay where presidential contenders have addressed supporters, the press and critics since last week. The governor laced his speech with a mix of policy prowess, job-creation bombast and southern folksiness.
"I know what this country needs. And we need to get Americans back working," Perry thundered. "We need to be able to create an environment in this country where anybody that wants to work can find that job. And I'm really proud of what we've done in the state of Texas in the last decade."
Perry continued: "40 percent of all the jobs created in America – from June of 2009 until the present – were created in Texas. I know how to create jobs. You let the private sector - free them up from over taxation, free them up from over regulation, free them up from over litigation. And government, get out of the way. Let the private sector do what the private sector do what it knows how to do."
The Texas governor also spoke about President Obama's Midwest bus tour.
"He's coming into Iowa here in a little bit. And I'm asking him to do something," Perry said. "He says he's on a listening tour. So I'm gonna talk to him. And here's what I wanna say to him. 'Mister President, you need to free up the employers of this country to create jobs.'"
While Perry is making job creation in Texas the centerpiece of his presidential campaign, there is more to the story.
CNN Money reports that "Texas leads the nation in minimum-wage jobs, and many positions don't offer health benefits. Also, steep budget cuts are expected to result in the loss of more than 100,000 jobs."
The site also reports that "Texas enjoys advantages that have nothing to do with having Perry at the helm."
Meanwhile, Perry showed off some of his southern charm that's attracted supporters and could woo others.
The governor talked about his love for the Second Amendment's right to bear arms.
"You know what. That's kind of one of my favorite amendments," Perry said.
"The Second Amendment allows me to go jogging with my daughter's dog over here. And if a coyote jumps out, I can take care of it."
Follow Shannon Travis on Twitter: @ShanTravisCNN
From CNN Politics
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W is re incarnated.........................and PERRY is his name ...oh....
This is a bitter/sweet moment. Texas will be so much better off without Perry so I hope he gets the nomination and resigns. However God help the US if he should become president.. he's an arrogant, tax spending bully.
Read my lips: NO NEW TEXANS!
Only the tea party can get Obama reelected by nominating an extremist like Perry or Bachmann.
If you vote for Rick Perry, you will be so sorry. 4 billion cut from Texas Education this year. Corporations before kids is his motto.
To GO PERRY! you`s a dummie of coures the american people are outrage over a min-wage job, prices going up min-wage still the same. a min-wage job is good for if you dont have kids in living with relatives but when you have to feed your kid provide a roof over your head food in utilities hell right im scremming.fools like you what makes me want to hold my nose in vote dems.
Obama dissaproval rating is 54%. You better deside which Republican you want as President.
It will be a sad day if America is deceived by Perry....remember what George Bush did to America..Iraq, Economy!!!
Look at the people the Republicans are fielding! The only moron missing is Sarah. Look don't you all see? This isn't a Republican/Democrat thing. This is the purchase of our country by Big Money. Obama is important only because he beat them in 2008. Big Money is pssst!. And they're spending whatever it takes to convince you that you want Corporations to have a zero tax rate, that you want minimum wage, and that you want the CEO of your company to make 450 times your salary so he can sail his yacht and take a tax right off for it. This isn't ABOUT ideology folks!! This is POWER and MONEY. Period.
I'm from Austin, Texas. Rick Perry is a whack job. And as for Palin, are you serious.? Did we not learn from this in 2008?
I live in Austin, Rick Perry is a nut-job. When all these republican presidential candidates speak, I ask myself; do they really think we're stupid?
This man scares the wits out of me. I think we need to review the definition of a narcissist. He reminds me so much of George W. Bush it is simply frightening. He needs to read Proverbs about pride coming before the fall.....WOW.
The question is what kind of jobs are these that were created. If they are minimum wage jobs that don't do anything more than give people part time work. How many of these jobs were based on the stimulus that Perry called a waste (or something to that effect)? There are too many qualifers for this to be take at face value. I'd like a better explanation of the jobs that he is talking about.
Apparently, Perry is attempting to balance the Texas state budget on the backs of poor people. That's right, Perry has taken money from public utilities – money paid as a tax by Texas consumers that was supposed to be used to help poor people pay their electric bills – and used it to pay down the state debt. Meanwhile, there is a heat wave going on in Texas, poor people can't afford to keep their air conditioners running, and Perry is running around bragging that he has balanced the state budget. This country does NOT need another knucklehead from Texas as POTUS!
I'm a Texan living in Austinl! I truly hope Guv'nah Goodhair plans to talk about the record marches on the capitol we've had this year, due to the Lege setting up a "chop-shop" & cutting everything from education to salaries & retirement funds for emergency services personel! Yes, Perry is right, we should compare "apples & apples," because then we can see for our selves that TX. has been in a serious deficit for several years! I'm all for less government, but I do expect elected officials to pay attention to our state finances! Y'all already know about the part-time, minimum wage jobs he's crowing about, but did nothing to promote! My fave Democrat of my state says Perry's "all hat & no cattle"! Lol, funny but true! I should point out that I'm more bi-partisan or independent than anything & have seen a few(very few) interesting moments from the Republican contenders, but I can't with good conscience sic Goodhair on the rest of the country, just cause we'd like to get him out of Texas!!
Yes Perry is and Obama is certainly not, as everyone with a half of a brain can tell. Get rid of Obama first then start on the Democrats Senate replacing them with Tea Partiers. This country will be brought back to a Constitutional Nation with a responding boom. We need no muslims or islamic people. No Illegals unless they wish to migrate legally. With one stipiulation THEY MUST BE ABLE TO SPEAK ENGLISH AND LIKE MIGRATING TO MEXICO MUST HAVE THE EQUIVALENT IN CASH TO AN MIDDLE INCOME FAMILY TO GO IN THE BANK. NO MORE HAND OUTS. THE FREE PROGRAMS OF OBAMA WILL BE NO MORE. AND THE RICH WILL NOT PAY ALL OUR BILLS. GET READY FOLKS TO PAY YOUR SHARE. Obamacare is down the drawn also as soon as the new President comes in he needs to revoke the amnesty law Obama just passed.
Another far right, evangelical phoney Rethuglican. There is no more moderate Republican party. It's the Republican/tea party. The my way or the highway party of no compromise. People will see through this phoney as soon as he's in the debates. Fight back President Obama!! 4 more years!!!
Ugh. As a native Texan, Perry is just an embarrassment. I don't want him in the governor's office, but I sure as heck don't want him in the White House, either. We need to keep him in Austin. At least the pit bull will be contained.
So, Perry wants to create another crisis like the one in 2008 which we are still in the middle of. Lack of regulations and lack of watching the financial sector resulted in 2008 great recession. It was during George Bush's presidency. And now, his successor in Texas wants to repeat the same by being the President. NO, Mr. Perry, we had enough of those policies and their effects.
As far as Mr. Perry's ability in creating jobs in Texas is concerned, it is because of federal money and military bases in that State and also the oil money which included undue subsidies to the already rich oil companies. While he touts about these jobs, he does not talk about poverty in his State and the fate of the poor and middle class. Also, how about the performance of students in school and fabrication of results to show that the schools in his State are doing better.
No, Mr. Perry, we cannot afford your Presidency. Hence, I suggest that you stay in Texas only.
I think that before anyone from Texas can run for President they must prove they can pronounce the word nuclear properly. Then and only then will they be allowed to run.
Perry may be tough talking, but he's a George W. Bush pussycat in office. Trust me, I'm a Texan who has to live with this all the time....
If you have Perry's gay (bisexual) multi-year accusations hanging over your head, how smart is it to be blowing kisses and sending your "love" to your male rivals? How smart can this guy be? Or, is Perry planning to "come out of the closet" and be our first gay Presidential candidate?
Burn on you, Romney! Between the two of these – Perry is going to kick Romney to the curb again & again. And Romney has been asking for it for years. You go Perry! I would never vote for you, but you go get Romney and teach him who's boss.
perry= low grade pimp, warren buffet is the only billionaire willing to step up to the plate all else misuse the American flag and the bible claiming patriotism and ultimate christian values
We see hear how the presidential wannabe responds to his opposition: reminds me of Richard Nixon.