Report: AZ Sheriff Joe Arpaio Set to Endorse Texas Gov. Rick Perry Next Week – 11/27/11
It looks like Texas Gov. Rick Perry is about to get a major endorsement next week from Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio – one of the most recognizable figures in the nation fighting against illegal immigration:
ABC NEWS – The Note: Sheriff Joe Arpaio, the sheriff of Maricopa County, Ariz., who calls himself “America’s Toughest Sheriff,” will endorse Texas Gov. Rick Perry next week, a source with knowledge of the endorsement told ABC News.
Arpaio espouses a hard-line stance on illegal immigration, leading raids to round up and jail illegal immigrants, and was a major proponent of the controversial Arizona immigration law. Perry has spoken with Arpaio several times over the phone since entering the presidential race.
Arpaio, a much sought after endorsement in the GOP field, plans to campaign with Perry in New Hampshire next week, the source said. The Texas governor will be in the Granite State Tuesday and Wednesday, holding three town halls and a breakfast at the Nashua Chamber of Commerce along with speaking at the New Hampshire State House.
Perry, who touts himself as the only candidate with firsthand experience in dealing with border security, encountered backlash from Republican voters after a statement he made in a September debate suggesting that those who oppose the education of illegal immigrants “don’t have a heart.”
Perry has since walked back that statement, saying on several occasions that it was “inappropriate” and “insulting.”
As Texas governor, Perry signed a voter ID law, vetoed a bill that would allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses and sent $400 million to the border in the form of Texas Ranger reconnaissance teams. . . . Read More
Perry has been attacked on immigration by Michele Bachmann and others. Bachmann reportedly tried hard to get Arpaio’s endorsement. It’s interesting that Arpaio is choosing Perry – which would seem to indicate that Arpaio knows the attacks on Perry don’t reflect his true record. Could it be that Arpaio knows the actual record of Perry as a border state Governor and what he has done to try and seal the border with Mexico despite getting virtually no help from the Federal Government?
