Perry open to sending troops to Mexico against drug cartels
Manchester, New Hampshire (CNN) - Rick Perry signaled Saturday he would be open to sending U.S. troops into Mexico to combat drug cartels should the situation arise.
After speaking at a house party in Manchester, the Texas governor was asked a series of questions about the border and his stance on illegal immigration.
He said the leaders of Mexico and the U.S. should meet after next year's elections to address the deadly drug trade in that country.
"It may require our military in Mexico working in concert with them to kill these drug cartels and to keep them off of our border," Perry said.
Campaign press secretary Robert Black said Perry wanted to cooperate with the Mexican government and wasn't ruling anything out.
"He's going to work with the Mexican government to do what's necessary," Black said.
Perry also fielded questions on his stance on illegal immigrants already in the country, and offered a glimpse of the stance he may deploy on the debate circuit. The issue has offered his opponents the chance to wound Perry in previous debates.
An audience member at the house party asked Perry about his support for a Texas law that grants in-state college tuition to the children of some illegal immigrants.
Perry defended his stance as being widely popular among state legislators and asserted it was a states' rights issue. And he told the audience that - as a border-state governor - he was the only candidate with the experience and "courage" to tackle illegal immigration.
"I'm the only one that's been dealing with it for the last 10 years, and I know how to secure that border," he said.
He also took a subtle dig at his opponents, who have attacked the Texas governor's conservative bona fides on illegal immigration at a series of debates this fall.
"I don't have the privilege to stand on a stage and say, oh here's what I would do," Perry said. "I've been governor of Texas for 10 years. I have to deal with these issues, real-time."
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What he means is that he is open to anything that will get him elected. I wonder if he'd sleep with Glenn Rice, too?
Simply marvelous Rick. You can't aford to educate Texas children, but you've got money to start another war in Mexico.
Maybe more education would reduce drug consumption, and I"m not talking abstinence only education, or even "don't do drugs education. More like, "I have a future so I don't need drugs" education.
Why don't you just pray the drugs away?
Send your children, Perry.....................
So Bush took us half way around the world to put us in 2 wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and to demostrate tthat he is better than that, Perry would only send our troops down to Mexico to fight. That's all this Third World Country, USA, needs is a third world war. Well at least the troops would be able to clock out and return across the border after work in the evening but oh what a traffic jam it will cause at the border screening all those troops for drugs and conceled weapons LOL. You go Perry (smile). Go right on back to Texas.
LOL, he would do better sending US troops to kill all the pot smoking, coke snorting, pill popping, heroin addicts in America. Once demand ends, the cartels disappear. It's all about the $$$!!! Or better yet, make it legal, tax the heck out of it and the violence also goes away.
ok, he will officially not be elected now...
Yeah. This guy needs to be president. We need to go to war closer to home.
How much would that cost??
Now "I created jobs with government stimulus $" Perry wants to send U.S. military in to Mexico? How is this an appropriate use of our armed forces?
Yeah, because killing more people and having even more of our soldiers die all so that people have a harder time smoking pot is really a great idea.. and is far more sensible than just legalizing pot already to cut off the funding of these cartels. Small government conservative? Nope. Perry is not one.
Man, 2 days in a row i have agreed with this guy..Still i dont think hes presidential material. But Mexico needs some help.
I guess we will have to wait until Mrs Perry straightens out what her husband says.she and Mrs Romney will have to straighten out these two if they don't toe the line without their wives consultation.
Of course he is, the Repubs love nothing more than putting our troops in other countries.
This guy has totally lost his mind to get the tea party vote.
Another war, Rick? Really, what authority can you cite that allows us to send troops into Mexico?
I do hope he will be first in line to go. Bless his pointed little head
I do hope he will be first in line to go. Bless his pointed little head
Never thought I would find myself in agreement with Rick Perry... our military could clean up that deadly snake pit once and for all.
Then what?... send American troops into Canada to secure our oil and fresh water supplies?... this Perry guy is one scary mother..
Educating Illegal-Immigrants: What should american do with all the uneducated youth then. IF you REALLY REALLY beleive in the power of an education and what it does for them and the rest of society and advancements how can you not be for educating all chidren as best you can. what a liberal concept. I beleive all men were created equal and that sharing mankinds basic knowledge via an education is one of mankinds duties , it is, thats why peole our ancestors created libraries, books and universities.. We need to taclke illegal immigration other ways.
The GOP must live solely to start wars, it must be genetic in heartless cons.
this confirms it – Perry's an IDIOT – what a moron – stay in Texas & play with Bush's balls, lordy!
WHy not just invade and annex Mexico to Texas while you are at it? Will there be a draft for this military excursion into Mexico or will it just be another bit of dirty work that Republicans rely on the poor to do for them?
"It may require our military in Mexico working in concert with them to kill these drug cartels and to keep them off of our border," Perry said."
1) Drug smuggling isn't a capital offense.
2) Aren't these the same wingnuts who want us to *stop* getting mired in expensive foreign wars and nation building?
So this guy wants to send U.S. troops into yet another country that generally thinks we're a bunch of bullies? So our troops can get sucked into yet more urban warfare? Sorry to use a stereotyped argument, but can you say war-mongering Republican?
And the funniest part is the fact that he would consider such a move completely invalidates the rest of his argument. If Mr. "border state governor" really could secure the border, there wouldn't be drugs leaking over the border like water through a sieve.