"We need to get out of the way," said Texas Governor and Republican Presidential candidate Rick Perry in front of a standing room only crowd.
Monday morning, Perry sat down with South Carolina U.S. House Representative Tim Scott in a town hall forum at the Horry Georgetown Technical College Conway campus.
The forum started off with Scott touting Perry's abilities to create jobs for the state of Texas. "We have with us a true job creator here today," said Scott. "Since the Governor took the office as the Governor of Texas, he's created 1.2 million jobs, and since 2009 he's created half of all the (new) jobs in America in one state."
"We've got to get America back working again," said Perry. "I didn't create those jobs. Americans created those jobs. Texans created those jobs because we allowed them to have an environment where they weren't overtaxed, over regulated and over litigated. We got out of the way and let the private sector do what the private sector does best."
More than 250 people came to the forum at HGTC's Burroughs and Chapin Auditorium. Questions for Perry were taken from online inquiries and from the audience.
Perry said he's confident the four principles he's used to help create jobs in Texas will work for the United States. "Don't spend all the money... Have as light of impact tax-wise on job creators as you can... Have a regulatory climate that is fair and predictable... and a legal system that doesn't allow over suing."
The Texas Governor leads the likely Republican nominees in several polls. He said, if elected, government agency appointees would allow private businesses to operate more freely. "Things like the NLRB coming to South Carolina and telling you that you can't have Boeing. I can promise you one thing, the appointees to that board will be pro-business."
Perry also talked about his plans for foreign policy. He said under a Perry presidency no one will ever have to ask where the United States stands and called President Obama's stand on Israel unconscionable. "President Obama threw Israel under the bus by saying to go back to the 1967 borders. Israel will never have to wonder if we are standing with them."
The Texas Governor also said immigration reform means nothing without a secure border. "I don't believe in building a wall because it won't be built in our children's lifetime." Perry suggested strategic fencing around metropolitan areas and adding 4,500 border agents to secure the border indefinitely.
"The idea that the President of the US this spring would come to Texas, stand up in El Paso and proclaim that border to be safer than it has ever been is an outright lie." Perry said the Mexican drug cartel is spilling over into the United States.
On his stand of Social Security, Perry called the program acceptable for people retiring in the near future but a "Ponzi scheme" to the next generation. "Those individuals have to understand something. You have no worries at all about your current Social Security as you go forward," said Perry. "What we do need to do is to have a conversation about is kids my children's age. I call it a monsterous lie for our kids."
This was the third town hall meeting Scott has held for Republican Presidential Candidates. Scott did not endorse Perry but said he believes the hopeful Presidential candidate connected with the crowd.
"Listen to the body language," said Scott. "Sometimes what you don't hear speaks louder than what you do hear. This process of picking the next president is a very important process. I'm thankful that these guys and gals recognize South Carolina voters pick them right."
While Scott called endorsing Perry too early, SC State Representative Alan Clemmons gave Perry a full endorsement. "I've done the research," said Clemmons. "From what I can see, Rick Perry is the right guy to lead us in job creation for our country. I reached out to him in March this year to run, and I was delighted when he first announced his candidacy."
