Perry indicates support for English as national language

By: Rebecca Kaplan
Topics: Campaign 2012

Republican presidential candidate, Texas Gov. Rick Perry arrives for a campaign stop at the Fainting Goat in Waverly, Iowa, Dec. 30, 2011. Republican presidential candidates are largely shifting from persuading voters to mobilizing them for Tuesday's caucuses.

(Credit: AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

MASON CITY, Iowa - Texas Gov. Rick Perry suggested Friday he would support the implementation of English as the national language while answering questions at a Cerro Gordo County GOP fundraiser.

"I'd like to see English made the official language of the government of this country," said a man who stood up during the question-and-answer portion of the event and expressed frustration with the fact that directions on store products are written in multiple languages.

"That is a statement that's not a question, and I can agree with it," Perry responded.

While Perry has sought to prove himself as a governor who is tough on immigration - a task made difficult by his support for a Texas law giving in-state tuition to the children of illegal immigrants that many conservatives disdain -- it is not a position he has brought up during his presidential bid. Other candidates, including Rep. Michele Bachmann and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, have expressed support for the idea.

Rebecca Kaplan
Rebecca Kaplan covers the 2012 presidential campaign for CBS News and National Journal.
Follow on Twitter »

126 Comments +

Add a Comment

See all 126 Comments


by gep1955 January 2, 2012 9:10 AM EST: The main reason for English as the official language of the government is being missed here. We're broke and about to be $16 trillion in debt. It costs 2-3 times more to print everything related to government policies in multiple languages. All you race bashers need to quit the emotional attacks and start using common sense. Oh, thats right, you don't earn enough to pay federal taxes so you don't care what it costs.; Reply to this comment


by Howdy14 January 1, 2012 6:57 PM EST: Hmmmm, I thought English was our national language!? Even though Federal and State forms may allow for other tongues, English is always the first one listed.; Reply to this comment


by jeffbwillis January 1, 2012 3:35 PM EST: This past July, I shipped a case of books to Governor Perry's Austin headquarters. The title of my book: "E" is for English. I had not heard a response from the Perry camp. But, when considering that much of the book covers issues that he has addressed, I am encouraged! The one thing not discussed with the Perry camp is "how much money the measure would save federal, state and local governments collectively?" Some reports predict as much as "$500,000,000,000" annually! That would be huge! Especially when considering that the American people would be paying no extra taxes or compromising existing entitlements! hopefully the book will make it's way through the "handlers" and actually reach Governor Perry. Who knows! The proposed "American English Unification Amendment" introduced in "E" is for English might be "pivotal piece" that his campaign seems to be looking for.; Reply to this comment


by Jaylah54 December 31, 2011 3:56 PM EST: While I find Rick Perry to basically be a clone of former President George W Bush (to the extent that I have to wonder if he isn't an illegitimate son of former President George H W Bush), and disagree with the vast majority of things that come out of his mouth, I actually have to kind of hand it to him for the way he handled this.

Some doofus in the crowd complains about the fact that directions on store products are written in multiple languages, so says he'd like to see "English made the official language of the government of this country."

Perry, in an astonishing show of intelligence for him, realizes that English already IS "the official language of the government of this country" and that the doofus in the crowd is just that: a doofus.

So Perry responds, "That is a statement that's not a question, and I can agree with it." And then moves on. He doesn't engage the doofus, or make any speeches about how -- when he's elected -- he's going to get Congress to pass some law about it.

He just basically says, "Yeah, yeah, right...whatever," and moves on.; Reply to this comment


by WalterWaitingFor2012 December 31, 2011 3:28 PM EST: Texas Stupid is just doing what his advisers say. Copy Newt on this idea, copy the others just to fit in. Then hit everyone over the head with millions of dollars of hateful TV ads to destroy his opponents. It would be a shame to have another brain dead President like George W. Bush. When Repugs elect Stupid Idiots they have to back him us with stupid assistants to do all the thinking. They always screw things up and they don't care since the stupid GOP President will get the blame.; Reply to this comment

by Happy_Holidays1 December 31, 2011 1:56 PM EST

by JV1970 December 31, 2011 1:13 PM EST
He DOES speak English you idiot! You need to learn to accept the Texan accent and all other Southern accents! If you'll open your closed mind and just accept them you'll find they're actually very beautiful!

===

I don't find them that way - they are just hard to understand.

And weren't you complaining about the same thing - accents - just last night?

Seriously, you are a bit dense...

Reply to this comment


by JV1970 December 31, 2011 3:43 PM EST: I was complaining about companies hiring people to answer their phones who can't speak English well enough that the average English speaking American, like myself, can't understand them and are forced to keep saying "Excuse me! What did you say? I can't understand you!" I hate that! It's embarrassing!

Very few people have any trouble at all understanding Southern accents. If you do that's your problem and something you should work on because the South is part of the United States too!


by JV1970 January 1, 2012 6:25 AM EST: economicterror I can beat your caveman grunts and snide remarks and insults any day and any time!

by ianlou December 31, 2011 1:24 PM EST

by JV1970 December 31, 2011 3:55 AM EST
No, I agree with his ideas. I also happen to be a conservative Republican and a born again, Evangelical Christian! I'm not alone either! There are MANY more of us! You'll find that out on election night in November!
***************************
God help us.

Reply to this comment


by JV1970 December 31, 2011 3:45 PM EST: He will! But not in the way you're hoping for!


by JV1970 January 1, 2012 6:27 AM EST: Apparently they missed you!


by bdlars December 31, 2011 11:41 AM EST: He did say the "official language of the government" which sounds like such a law would only affect government agencies. I think that many support this because they have a false idea of the what would happen. Making English the official language would not affect services provided by businesses. Many of them would still hire bilingual employees to communicate with customers with low English proficiency. Multilingual signage will not come down unless it is federal. Some seem to think that it would magically show us who the illegals are. If they don't know English they must be illegal immigrants. Usually a country takes this kind of stand when its national language is threatened like Ireland. Because of the UK's influence Gaelic is fading away. Even as an official language it is still losing ground. English is not threatened here.; Reply to this comment

by esq777 December 31, 2011 10:52 AM EST

Righteous Rick should first learn to speak English himself.

Reply to this comment


by JV1970 December 31, 2011 1:13 PM EST: He DOES speak English you idiot! You need to learn to accept the Texan accent and all other Southern accents! If you'll open your closed mind and just accept them you'll find they're actually very beautiful!


by JV1970 January 1, 2012 6:33 AM EST: economicterror You can say what you will about him but Perry's never called the Marine Corps the Marines corpses and he knows there are only 50 states in the union and he knows what year it is! That beats the current occupant of the White House!

by msimamaji December 31, 2011 10:39 AM EST

I thought the GOP was supposed to be the party of no government regulation. Now Perry wants to regulate what language we choose to speak. I live in Los Angeles, I see signs in all sorts of languages. If businessmen can attract more customers by going multi-lingual, shouldn't they have the right to do so?

This is an excellent example of a pesky, meaningless government regulation.

Reply to this comment


by Drivelphobe001 December 31, 2011 11:35 AM EST: Businesses who rely on non-English proficient patrons are doomed as we move to English only in this country. It's about time the government print in one language. To hell with these ghettos and sub communities of non-assimilating hordes of illegals and parasites. Learn English or suffer the consequences. The citizens of this country are sick and tired of the political pandering to illegals and foreigners who refuse to assimilate, ride the entitlement train and destroy our culture, language and health care delivery system. The time for "real change" is coming soon.