Governor Rick Perry brings his Texas Pride to CPAC 2011

If the CPAC attendees didn't already know that Texas is the best state in the country, they do now! Governor Rick Perry lit up the room with some Texas spirit! Below are some excerpts from his speech:

This annual meeting has truly become an incubator, and a lot of that's hashed out there in that audience.

I stand before you today as a governor, as a life-long conservative who is deeply concerned about our government.

If you asked people to define the responsibilities of the federal government, you'd get a pretty long list, but if you took those and compared it to the job description, you might be surprised.

The Tenth Amendment cast a narrow role for the government, the government closest to the people governs the best.

Nowhere does it say that the government is responsible for solving every single problem of the United States.

Do you agree with big government advocates that the only answers to our challenges is taxation? More borrowing? More spending? More central control? Me either.

Our vision is to untie the knots that restrain us and return to the vision of our founders.

Americans want government that is less intrusive in their lives. America is fed up with the progressive movement! It crosses political lines. Pink slips were passed out to legislatures from both political parties.

My children are bothered with these programs that are going to become bankrupt. They know their social security money will not be there for them in the future.

I'll say I'm encouraged by the efforts of the new majority in House. I was deeply encouraged that they took the time to read the U.S. Constitution on the first day back to Congress.

In Texas we're going to balance our budget without raising taxes. That is a terrifying concept to some people.

People out there say "government revenue." Folks, it's called the people's money.

There is no money printing machine in the basement. Although, I think they have one in Washington, and they use it a lot more often they should. To them, it's a lot easier to leverage our children's future than to tell someone no.

The government is choking innovation and discouraging the risk-taking that made this country so great.

America has been the shining example of what free people that work hard can achieve.

We have allowed Washington to expand at the expense of our liberty.

The federal government has lost sight of its governmental responsibilities by interfering in areas that are unauthorized.

Texas has a lot of unique features. We have a 1,200 mile long border with Mexico. We have a great relationship with Mexico. We trade with Mexico, we marry with Mexico, but that border is not safe. That is the federal government's job.

Recently, David Hartley was killed on the border, he deserves justice, but it doesn't seem like the federal government cares.

We still need 1,000 National Guard troops to help with current enforcement. They need to be flying predator drones. The technology is there providing real-time intel. This would fulfill a real government responsibility. Instead of sending us help, they send us more bureaucrats, like the EPA to come regulate our air.

Texas has its own program that has cleaned our air. We have made all those improvements with cleaner air and at the same time creating more jobs. That is what we should be trying to get every state to work toward.

People ought to be pointing to Texas and saying that is what all other states should be aiming for.

Keep your taxes low, have a regulatory climate that is fair, have a legal system that doesn't allow junk, frivolous lawsuits, and know how to educate people so you have an educated workforce when students graduate school.

My fellow governors in Virginia and New Jersey get it too!

I'm not saying, even though Texas is so great, it's not problem-free. Our problems though are compounded with DC and their on-size-fits-all approach.

Speaking of overreach, have I talked about Obamacare yet? I hope that bill is tossed out. If not, that bill will bankrupt our country.

Instead of oppressive mandates, we need solutions.

We must be united in sending a clear and simple message to the government, "Enough!" On November 2nd, the American people said "Enough!"

I don't see sadness, I see a bright and prosperous horizon. It's going to take a big effort to get that Constitutional government back, it's not just going to happen. I think governors are going to lead the charge for change in this country. Do what you can to elect conservative Republican governers in 2012 to keep the movement going.