Quotes from Rick Perry

America needs jobs, smaller government, less spending and a president with the courage to offer more than yet another speech.

What I learned growing up on the farm was a way of life that was centered on hard work, and on faith and on thrift. Those values have stuck with me my whole life.

When the good lord calls you home, the government ought not come get your home.

President Obama's call for nearly a half-trillion dollars in more government stimulus when America has more than $14 trillion in debt is guided by his mistaken belief that we can spend our way to prosperity.

The God we serve does not seek out the perfect, but instead uses our imperfections and our shortcomings for his greater good. I am humbled by my own limitations. But where I am weak, He is strong.

As Americans, we don't see the role of government as guaranteeing outcomes, but allowing free men and women to flourish based on their own vision, their hard work and their personal responsibility.

When a criminal breaks into your home I'll let the liberals call the lawyer. I'm going to call Smith &amp Wesson.

I mean, Dodd-Frank is strangling small community banks. It doesn't make any difference what the interest rate is. They're not - they're not going to loan the money because they can't make any money for one thing plus the cost of compliance.

Somebody has to tell the E.P.A. that we don't need you monkeying around and fiddling around and getting in our business with every kind of regulation you can dream up. You're doing nothing more than killing jobs. It's a cemetery for jobs at the E.P.A.

This administration in Washington that's in power now clearly believes that government is not only the answer to every need, but it's the most qualified to make the most central decisions for every American in every area.

Democracy functions best when we have an active citizenry.

We believe in government involvement that leads to independence: good schools, quality roads and the best health care.

We know there is no such thing as freedom without the risk of failure.

Conservatives are winning offices, and champions of big government are cleaning out their desks right now.

Here is what we know after more than a decade of Republican rule: Texas works. Even 'The New York Times' let it slip into its pages that, 'Texas is the future.'

My hope is that that person will come forward that can win the presidency that we can all get behind.

Reforming public education, cutting property taxes, fixing adult and child protective services and funding our budget can all occur when Democrats and Republicans engage in consensus and cooperation - not cynicism and combat.

America's greatness is not found in the size of its government. America's greatness resides in the hearts and the minds of the people.

I stand before you as the governor of Texas but also stand before you the son of two tenant farmers. Ray Perry who came home after 35 bombing missions over Europe to work his little corner of land out there and Amelia who made sure that my sister Milla and I had everything that we needed, included hand sewing my clothes until I went off to college.

It is through states that the American people get the job done every day, often in spite of a deeply flawed bureaucratic federal government.

Tell the trial lawyers to get out of your state and to quit costing businessmen and women.

I hope I am the Tim Tebow of the Iowa caucuses.

It is time to change our policy of appeasement toward the Palestinians, to strengthen our ties with the nation of Israel.

Our goal is to displace the entrenched powers in Washington, restore the rightful balance between the state and federal government.