Gov. Rick Perry (R., Texas) drew a sharp contrast against President Obama this afternoon. As Obama scurried away from Washington to resume his Martha's Vineyard vacation, Perry voiced his rousing defense before strutting inside a Texas courthouse for his booking for a grand jury indictment.
Perry was defiant, echoing comments Sunday that the charges are nothing more than a political attack and that he would again defund the anti-corruption unit that earned him his mugshot.
RICK PERRY: I’m here today because I did the right thing. I'm going to enter this courthouse with my head held high, and not only were the actions that I took not only lawful and legal, but right. And if I had to do so, I would veto funding for the integrity unit again. You think any governor, Democrat or Republican, would expect this important unit with jurisdiction over state officials, be led by someone who lives up to the high standard of conduct and personal integrity. And this issue is far bigger than me. It is about the rule of law, about the constitution that allows not just a governor but every citizen to speak their mind free of political interference or legal intimidation. [ cheers and applause ] This indictment is nothing but an attack on the constitutional powers of the governor. There are important fundamental issues at stake, and I will not allow this attack on our system of government to stand. I'm going to fight this injustice with every fiber of my being. and we will prevail. and we'll prevail because we're standing for the rule of law. [ cheers and applause ]
This is the look of a man who just won his news cycle.
BREAKING: Perry booking photo pic.twitter.com/W0OTpOR726
— tplohetski (@tplohetski) August 19, 2014