Rick Perry

“In Michigan, a liberal democrat raised taxes and kept their government programs at the same level. And guess what? Their economy continued into the toilet, it continued down.”

“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.”

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

“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.”

“Americans want government that is leaner, more efficient, and less intrusive into their personal lives.”

“Who can be against progress, after all? But it's a fraudulent use of the word - because for the Progressive, progress is marked not be how free you are, but how much government can 'do' for you.”

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

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

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

“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.”

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

“My deal is have a flat, simple tax. And - Americans want - Americans I hope - aspire to be - be wealthy. I hope they aspire to have a better quality of life. And we have this class warfare that's going on now. And I don't agree with that. I'm interested in people getting to work.”

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

“We've got the wind at our back right now. Americans are waking up to the realities of their previous choices. We must keep America moving back to preeminence because our values and conservative ideas are the world's greatest hope.”

“Our shared conservative values, our belief in the individual is the great hope of our nation.”

“You got to have a courageous president to stand up and says, listen, if - if you send a bill to me that spends more money than what we've coming in, I'll veto it. I mean, I'm going to try to work with you the best I can, but I'm going to veto it.”

“As Americans, we realize that there is no taxpayer money that wasn't first earned through the sweat and toil of one of our citizens.”

“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.”

“But if you say that we should not educate children who have come into our state for no other reason than they've been brought there by no fault of their own, I don't think you have a heart. We need to be educating these children, because they will become a drag on our society.”

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