Gov. Rick Perry may or may not try to become the leader of what was once called the free world. In the meantime, he has cemented his reputation as one of the most powerful governors ever to walk the corridors of the Texas Capitol.
Jay Root
Jay Root is an award-winning journalist who reported for the Tribune from 2011 to 2020. He covered the dramatic collapse of Gov. Rick Perry’s 2012 presidential campaign and went on to write an ebook about it called “Oops! A Diary from the 2012 Campaign Trail.” Root also broke the story that put the Texas attorney general, Ken Paxton, on the path toward criminal indictment, co-wrote an exposé that brought an end to privately funded prosecutions in Travis County, and authored a series of watchdog articles that prompted a wave of firings and resignations at two major state agencies.
In 2017, Root co-directed “Beyond The Wall,” a film exploring border politics in the age of Trump, which won a national Edward R. Murrow award for best news documentary. Root’s latest film, “Border Hustle,” was released in early 2019 and reveals how desperate migrants have become cash cows on both sides of the border.
Previously, for a dozen years, Root was Austin bureau chief of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, where he chronicled the rise of then-Gov. George W. Bush, wrote about cartel violence in Mexico and covered Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. During a three-year stint at the Associated Press, Root was twice named AP Staff Reporter of the Year for his watchdog reporting, including a story that sparked felony charges against a sitting state representative.
Posted inState Government
Updated: Perry Out of Surgery, Expects Two-Day Recovery
Gov. Rick Perry had surgery this morning for a recurring back ailment, and will likely be in recovery for “a couple of days,” his spokesman Mark Miner said. “It went according to plan,” Miner said. “Everything went well.”
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Politics
Perry Wades Into Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Gov. Rick Perry sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder this week calling plans by pro-Palestinian activists to protest and potentially disrupt Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza an “unacceptable provocation.”
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State Government
Lawmakers Move to Limit Scrutiny of Perry Travel
Just as Gov. Rick Perry steps out on the national stage, lawmakers back home are moving to limit public access to detailed records showing how much it’s costing to protect him during his travels.
Posted inState Government
Rick Perry No Stranger to Controversial Views
Gov. Rick Perry is the first to admit that his views on a host of hot-button political issues — from letting states legalize marijuana and gay marriage to describing Social Security as a “Ponzi scheme” — could cause him heartburn in a race for the White House.
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Health care
The Circus is Coming
Brace yourselves. There’s still a possibility it won’t happen, but brace yourselves nevertheless, because in some ways it’s happening already.
Posted inState Government
Audio: Perry’s Speech in New Orleans
Gov. Rick Perry’s Saturday speech during the Republican Leadership Conference at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside Hotel.
Posted inState Government
Perry Fires Up GOP Voters in New Orleans
Gov. Rick Perry, who has acknowledged thinking about running for president in 2012, fired up Republican voters Saturday in New Orleans, where conservative activists were anxious to hear a game plan for beating Barack Obama.
Posted inState Government
Video: “Perry 2012” Buttons Are a Hot Item
The Rick Perry 2012 button is a hot item at the Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans, where several major presidential contenders are fighting to win the who-is-most-conservative contest.
Posted inState Government
Aide: Perry Still “Weeks Away” From Big Decision
Rick Perry’s top strategist said Saturday that the Texas governor is still “at least weeks” away from making a decision about whether to run for president, a daunting financial and logistical undertaking even without the time pressures of a late entry.
