(AP/The Huffington Post) ATLANTA — In his first domestic policy speech as a presidential candidate, Rick Perry is outlining his record as Texas governor and accusing rival Mitt Romney of governing Massachusetts the same way President Barack Obama governs the country.

The address, set for Friday at the Georgia Public Policy Foundation, discusses Perry's record on health care and the environment. But Perry offers few policy proposals, instead focusing on criticizing Obama, hitting Romney's health care law and opening a more aggressive line of attack on Romney's record on climate change.

"As Republican voters decide who is best suited to lead this country in a new direction by stopping the spending spree and scrapping Obamacare, I am confident they will choose a nominee who has governed on conservative principles, not one whose health care policies paved the way for Obamacare," Perry says, according to prepared remarks obtained by The Associated Press.

Perry contrasts Romney's plan with the medical malpractice reform he signed as governor of Texas, and argues that both Romney and Obama have governed more liberally than he has.

"What we are seeing in America today is a conservative awakening, a revival born out of a deep concern that liberals have used the machinery of the federal government to impose a nanny state that limits our freedom and that targets free enterprise," he says.

"I knew when I got into this race I would have my hands full fighting President Obama's big government agenda. I just didn't think it would be in the Republican primary," Perry adds.

The address signals that Perry plans to continue aggressively attacking his chief rival even as he faces some stumbling blocks in his own campaign. After a shaky debate performance, Perry admitted that he used "inappropriate" language when he called Republican rivals "heartless." Perry was defending a Texas law that allows illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition at state universities if they meet certain criteria.

As part of the offensive, Perry is turning to Romney's environmental record.

"In Texas, we've cleaned the air while creating jobs and adding millions in population. Another state – Massachusetts – was among the first states to implement its own cap-and-trade program which included limits on carbon emissions for power plants," Perry says in his speech.

Perry also accuses Romney of relying on environmental advisers who went on to work in the Obama administration. Environmental Protection Agency official Gina McCarthy, who works on clean air regulations, helped Massachusetts develop a climate plan when Romney served as governor.

Romney never signed a cap-and-trade plan for Massachusetts, though he did encourage state efforts to protect the environment. Massachusetts participated in discussions about a Northeastern regional cap-and-trade system while Romney was governor, but Romney decided not to join it.

Perry's speech comes as the presidential candidates face an important fundraising deadline Friday in the latest quarter of the campaign cycle.

The Hill reports that some influential members of the Republican party suggest that support for the Texas governor in Iowa is weakening.

A conference call Perry made earlier this week hints at Perry’s problems with the right.

“The first three issues he addressed were HPV, the Dream Act and the border fence,” [Former Iowa Republican Party Political Director Craig] Robinson sad. “That shows how damaging these debates have been to Perry. He’s explaining, and he hasn’t done a very good job of it.”

Later on Friday, Perry will head to New Hampshire for a town hall style meeting with voters.

WASHINGTON -- They're writing books. They're making speeches. They're fawning over the big dogs.

It's all part of the Campaign That Shall Not Be Known As a Campaign.

More than a year out from Election Day, all sorts of Republicans are making a point of keeping themselves in the national spotlight, stoking speculation that they're positioning themselves as potential running mates for the eventual GOP presidential nominee.

It's too early to know who's really interested and who's just savoring a little extra attention. But it's clear there is no shortage of ambitious Republicans.

Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels has a new book out. Florida's Sen. Marco Rubio and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley also are writing books. Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell raised eyebrows by speaking in politically important New Hampshire, Rubio and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie by popping up at the Reagan Presidential Library in California.

And a number of Republicans are stepping forward to endorse one GOP presidential candidate or another: former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who dropped out of the presidential race in August, has been campaigning for Mitt Romney. Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval came out for Texas Gov. Rick Perry. So did Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal.

Then there are less typical overtures: Haley invited GOP presidential contenders Michele Bachmann and Newt Gingrich over to the governor's mansion for sleepovers.

Joel Goldstein, a professor at St. Louis University School of Law and an expert on vice presidents, says prominent Republicans may have "multiple agendas" as they maneuver for the spotlight, extending well beyond the GOP ticket in 2012.

"If you're on the short list for vice president, it enhances your position in your state and maybe you end up in the Cabinet or in a position to run in 2016," Goldstein said. "It elevates your stature. If you're left out of the discussion, then people wonder what's wrong with you."

For the most part, Republicans have demurred when asked if they're interested in the vice presidential slot – it's considered unseemly to actively campaign for the job. But most leave themselves plenty of wiggle room.

"There's no answer to this question," Daniels said when the vice president's job came up while he was promoting his book. He said he'd have to consult his family, which earlier vetoed the idea of him running for president.

Meg Whitman, the businesswoman who lost a bid for California governor in November, last summer said that if Romney wins, "I'd be happy to do almost anything he wanted me to do."

Sen. John Thune of South Dakota this summer didn't rule out any options and said he wanted to put his skill set "to its highest and best use."

Who's not giving much thought yet to the veepstakes? The top-tier Republican presidential candidates; they're too busy trying to secure the nomination. (And hoping Christie sticks to his word and doesn't run for president himself.)

But it can be smart electoral politics to stroke local politicians as potential veep candidates, so the topic keeps coming up.

Romney has talked up McDonnell, Rubio and Christie as potential veep material. Bachmann's spoken highly of Rubio and South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint. A number of the GOP candidates have said their current rivals could be potential running mates.

Perry went so far as to suggest the ideal candidate would be a blend of Gingrich and businessman Herman Cain.

Cain, for his part, dismissed all the vice presidential speculation as a game.

Early veepstakes speculation always is something of a political parlor game. But the unofficial tryout period also can serve a useful purpose, says Democrat Dick Harpootlian, who's been watching Haley's activities from his perch as chairman of the state Democratic Party in South Carolina.

Harpootlian says the early months of the campaign can be a time for potential vice presidential candidates to demonstrate "their ability to walk, talk and chew gum at the same time." John McCain's surprise selection of little-known Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin in 2008, he said, "left the Republican Party, at least the elders in it, astounded at how wrong things can go when you pick somebody out of obscurity."

GOP strategist Rich Galen said politicians like to be in the mix as potential vice presidential candidates, even if it's just to increase their stock for a future political campaign.

"You want to be mentioned," he said.

But not all attention is the right kind. Haley found herself owning up to a "poor choice of words" earlier this month after she called a female reporter a "little girl" when the woman wrote a story that detailed at least $127,000 in state spending on a European economic development trip.

Politico - If the New Jersey governor runs, he'll have to scale a steep and unforgiving political mountain.

Pres. Barack Obama doesn’t lack for detractors, but he has never had one with quite the sting of Chris Christie.

Christie, of course, is the New Jersey governor who is not running for president. How do we know? He’s told us, over and over. In true Jersey style, he has been more Shermanesque than Sherman in his denials. Even the Civil War general didn’t threaten to commit suicide to get people to stop asking him about a presidential campaign.

No matter how many times Christie slammed the door, people kept knocking. According to published reports, he now may be rethinking. This created a frenzy around his recent speech at the Reagan library, which previewed the rationale for a Christie candidacy. His case against the president hinged on the L-word — not “liberal,” but “leadership.”

Keep reading this post . . .

Rick Perry had a tough day on the campaign trail. The GOP presidential candidate faced hecklers as well as protesters on Thursday.

Hecklers confronted Perry during a press conference in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Knoxville News Sentinel reports that "two unidentified men with video cameras made disruptive statements about the constitution and told Texas Gov. Rick Perry to stay out of Tennessee." Perry pushed back on the suggestion that he stay out of the state, saying, "Tennessee is very important." He continued, "If you look back, Tennessee has been one of them (the states) that has made the difference -- it's a swing state."

Perry's stop in Knoxville included a fundraiser attended by Tennessee politicians. The News Sentinel reports that one attendee was Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, "who endorsed Perry as his presidential candidate of choice last summer."

Later in the day, the Texas governor faced protesters during a stop in Charlotte, North Carolina. While entering a fundraiser at a local restaurant, protesters carrying signs gathered nearby to protest Perry's stance on immigration. The Charlotte Observer reports:

Messages on the signs read "Say No to Rick Perry's In-State Tuition for Illegal Aliens!" and "Rick Perry -- Endorsed by Mexico."

William Gheen, president of the Raleigh-based Americans for Legal Immigration PAC (ALIPAC), said, "It's time for him to exit the race. Do the Republican Party and the country a favor, and exit the race."

Vernon Robinson, a Concord Republican who is running for Congress in the 8th District, also showed up to protest Perry's stand on immigration.

"Rick Perry's amnesty, if enacted into law, would be the first time Texas has surrendered to Mexico in 175 years," Robinson said.

Per the Observer, "Members of the group later heckled Perry during a question-and-answer session with members of the media."

During a GOP presidential debate last Thursday, Perry went on the defense over his immigration record as Governor of Texas. He specifically defended his support for a bill providing some undocumented students with in-state tuition. He explained, "If you say that we should not educate children who have come into our state for no other reason than they've been brought there, by no fault of their own, I don't think you have a heart."

Herman Cain, who is competing with Perry for the GOP presidential nomination, criticized Perry's immigration record on Wednesday night. The former Godfather's Pizza CEO told CNN's Wolf Blitzer, "Today, I could not support Rick Perry as the nominee for a host of reasons. Him being soft on securing the border is one of the reasons."

Perry was not the only prominent politican to face heckling this week. President Obama was heckled at a Los Angeles fundraiser on Monday night. The Associated Press reports:

The man positioned himself up in front of the stage and started shouting loudly right after Obama started talking. The heckler proclaimed that "Jesus Christ is God" and a Christian God. According to Real Clear Politics, the outburst was met with boos from the crowd at the event.

Obama stopped talking. Then after a moment the crowd started chanting "Four more years! Four more years!" and drowned out the heckler.

VIDEO BELOW OF PERRY DEFENDING HIS IMMIGRATION RECORD DURING LAST THURSDAY'S GOP PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE:

The Texas governor rocketed to the top of the field after he entered the race for the GOP presidential nomination last month. But his wobbly debate performances have reversed his momentum and led many Republicans to say he needs to make some big changes — and fast.

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So just when everyone had concluded the Chris Christie matter — saying “Great speech at the Reagan Library, but he’s not gonna run for president” — the New York Post comes along with a story that says the New Jersey governor is seriously considering a 2012 run. Apparently the Reagan Library experience had a big impact on Christie, and others. He’s now being urged to go for it by Nancy Reagan, Henry Kissinger, former president George W. Bush, and former first lady Barbara Bush.

According to the Post story, even Christie’s wife Mary Pat is warming to the idea.

Keep reading this post . . .

ContributorNetwork - ANALYSIS | It appeared that former Alaska governor and current tell-all target Sarah Palin was telling her supporters and well-wishers that she was not running for president without actually saying that she wasn't going to run for president. In a appearance on Fox News' "On the Record with Greta van Susteren" on Tuesday evening, Palin posited that she might do the political arena more good by sitting out the 2012 presidential race. Although she said nothing definitive and has stated she would announce her intentions before the end of September, the former governor did seem preoccupied with giving the impression that she is leaning toward not running.

The Week - In our image-obsessed times, many think that the New Jersey governor's heft could work against him should he decide to run. Others say it could be an asset

The Massachusetts governor may be back on track to the Republican presidential nomination. His rival from Texas has lost much of his initial luster because of dubious debate performances and controversial stances on at least three issues.

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The Truth-o-Meter says: Half-True | Gary Johnson says executions cost more than life imprisonment

Opposition to the death penalty is one of those issues where the libertarian wing of the Republican party sometimes loops around to meet left leaning Democrats. Gary Johnson, former governor of New Mexico and contender for the GOP nomination, enjoys stirring the pot within his party, and on a visit in New Hampshire he said, "It costs more money to put a person on death row than it does to lock them up for the rest of their lives because of attorney fees." Set aside for a moment that capital punishment is mainly up to the ...

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) -- Police in Alabama are getting ready to enforce what is considered by many as the toughest immigration law in the nation.

Beginning Thursday, authorities can question people suspected of being in the country illegally and hold them without bond, and officials can check the immigration status of students in public schools, Gov. Robert Bentley said.

Those two key aspects of Alabama's new law were upheld by a federal judge on Wednesday.

The governor said parts of the law take effect immediately.

"We intend to enforce it," Bentley said.

U.S. District Judge Sharon Blackburn, a Republican appointee, wrote in a 115-page opinion that some parts of the GOP-backed law conflict with federal statutes, but others don't. Left standing were several key elements that help make the Alabama law stricter than similar laws passed in Arizona, Utah, Indiana and Georgia. Other federal judges have blocked all or parts of those.

There are three separate lawsuits against the Alabama law, including a challenge from President Barack Obama's administration. Blackburn's ruling is expected to be appealed.

John Carroll, a former U.S. magistrate judge who is now dean of Samford University's law school in suburban Birmingham, said Blackburn's ruling was mostly consistent with decisions from other states with the exception of her allowing Alabama's "stop and ask" provision, which lets police request people's immigration papers.

"I think down the line there are other arguments that can be made as the case goes forward," said Carroll.

Agricultural leaders fear the law could cost farmers money this autumn by scaring away Hispanic workers who are vital to harvesting crops statewide.

"There are some sweet potato farmers in this state it's really going to hurt. I don't know how they're going to get their crops out," said Jeremy Calvert, a farmer in rural Bremen.

Zan Green, a tea party activist in metro Birmingham, said she was happy with the decision, saying citizens of foreign countries have benefited for years through welfare, entitlements, education, medical care and child tax credits.

"Judge Blackburn's ruling is the beginning of removing the enormous financial burden of illegal immigration from the backs of Alabama citizens," she said in a statement.

The judge refused to block a section of the law that requires public schools to verify students' citizenship and report overall statistics to the state, but the immediate effect isn't clear since schools have already started. Alabama was the first state to include such a provision, so Blackburn's decision could set a blueprint should others adopt similar laws.

Immigration became a hot issue in Alabama over the last decade as the state's Hispanic population grew by 145 percent to about 185,600. While the group still represents only about 4 percent of the population, some counties in north Alabama have large Spanish-speaking communities and schools where most of the students are Hispanic.

Alabama Republicans have long sought to clamp down on undocumented immigration and passed the law earlier this year after gaining control of the Legislature for the first time since Reconstruction. Bentley signed it, saying it was vital to protect jobs of legal residents.

Republican Sen. Scott Beason, one of the sponsors of the bill, was happy with Blackburn's decision and hopes, like the governor, that the entire law takes effect after appeals.

"There are still legal questions and there's still work to be done," he said.

Blackburn's orders temporarily blocked several parts of the law until she can issue a final ruling. Those measures would:

_ Make it a crime for an undocumented immigrant to solicit work.

_ Make it a crime to transport or harbor an undocumented immigrant.

_ Allow discrimination lawsuits against companies that dismiss legal workers while hiring undocumented immigrants.

_ Forbid businesses from taking tax deductions for wages paid to workers who are in the country illegally.

_ Bar undocumented immigrants from attending public colleges.

_ Bar drivers from stopping along a road to hire temporary workers.

_ Make federal verification the only way in court to determine if someone is here legally.

___

Associated Press writer Phillip Rawls contributed to this report from Montgomery.

The Week - Dissatisfied with Rick Perry, many conservatives are hopelessly trying to draft New Jersey's governor. But let's face it — he's no messiah

Indiana governor Mitch Daniels did not attract as large a crowd when he spoke at the American Enterprise Institute (where I am a resident fellow) earlier this week as he did several months ago, before he disappointed admirers by announcing that he wouldn’t run for president.

I saw no political reporters there — though a few may have been lurking in the back — and he got only one question (from me) about presidential politics. No, he said, he isn’t reconsidering his decision not to run, and he doesn’t think that Chris Christie is reconsidering, either.        

Keep reading this post . . .

GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain said on CNN Wednesday afternoon that he could not support fellow candidate Rick Perry as the Republican party's nominee.

Citing border security as a key divide, Cain told CNN's Wolf Blitzer, "Today, I could not support Rick Perry as the nominee for a host of reasons. Him being soft on securing the border is one of the reasons.”

Days after defeating Perry in the GOP's Florida straw poll by a significant margin, Cain aimed to distance himself from the Texas governor not just in the polls but also on policy. As noted by The Daily Caller, Cain explained that his immigration stance represents "a basic difference of opinion" with Perry.

“I feel very strongly about the need to secure the border for real, the need to enforce the laws that are already there, the need to promote the path to citizenship that’s already there,” Cain said.

The former CEO of Godfather's Pizza spent the earlier part of Wednesday responding to former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's comments that his straw poll win has made him "the flavor of the week." Appearing on CBS' "Early Show," Cain brushed off Palin's comment as "not true".

"Primarily, I have a message that's resonating with the American people, the voters," he said.

WATCH CAIN'S CNN INTERVIEW ABOVE (via The Daily Caller)

RELATED VIDEO:

AP - Director Nick Broomfield's latest documentary, "Sarah Palin: You Betcha!" doesn't tell you anything you didn't already know about the former governor of Alaska and 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate, and it won't change any minds.

WASHINGTON -- Supporters of Texas Gov. Rick Perry's presidential bid have organized a non-profit under the 501(c)(4) section of the tax code to aid his candidacy, according to a report from the Center for Public Integrity's iWatch News.

The group, Citizens for a Greater America, will be able to accept unlimited contributions from corporations, unions and individuals without having to publicly disclose those donations. A fact sheet obtained by iWatch News highlights this feature to donors. The new non-profit was revealed to iWatch News by a person who raises funds for both Perry and the pro-Perry super PAC, Make Us Great Again.

The fundraiser said he obtained information about Citizens for a Greater America from Mike Toomey, the head of the Make Us Great Again super PAC. The address listed for the non-profit is the same as that of Make Us Great Again's treasurer, Paul Kilgore.

Toomey is one of the top lobbyists in Austin, Texas, and previously served as Perry's chief of staff during the governor's first term. Toomey was not alone in moving from the governor's mansion to the lobbying profession -- at least 39 other Perry staffers spun through the revolving door, a previous HuffPost report found. One of those revolving-door lobbyists, Dan Shelley, runs two pro-Perry super PACs, Jobs for Vets and Veterans for Rick Perry.

Make Us Great Again is one of five super PACs supporting Perry in the Republican primary and has plans to raise $55 million to help him get the nomination.

The use of the 501(c)(4) section of the tax code is meant for non-profit entities operating as social welfare organizations, and the use of 501(c)(4) designation for organizations that engage in political activities has raised serious questions. Two campaign finance watchdogs, Democracy 21 and the Campaign Legal Center, recently called on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to investigate four non-profits that are alleged to primarily act as political organizations. These groups include Crossroads GPS, Priorities USA, American Action Network and Americans Elect.

According to a letter Democracy 21 and the Campaign Legal Center filed with the IRS, "Court decisions have established that in order to meet this requirement, section 501(c)(4) organizations cannot engage in more than an insubstantial amount of any non-social welfare activity, such as directly or indirectly participating or intervening in elections."

The social welfare service offered by 501(c)(4) organizations can include educating the public about an issue. Citizens for a Greater America states it was founded to "promote conservative leadership and values and to educate the public and policy makers about conservative issues and principles," according to the fact sheet obtained by iWatch News.

RELATED: "Super PACs And Secret Money: The Unregulated Shadow Campaign"

The Truth-o-Meter says: Half-True | Barack Obama slams Rick Perry on climate change, citing Texas wildfires

During a Sept. 26, 2011, speech at a Democratic National Committee fundraising event in San Jose, Calif., President Barack Obama aimed some attack lines at the Republican Party. "Some of you here may be folks who actually used to be Republican but are puzzled by what’s happened to that party...." Obama said in comments that, according to the White House’s transcript, were punctuated by laughter. "I mean, has anybody been watching the debates lately? You’ve got a governor whose state is on fire denying climate change. No, no, it’s true. You’ve got audiences cheering at ...

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The Ticket - Sarah Palin certainly didn't sound interested in running for president last night. "Is a title worth it-- does a title shackle a person?" the former Alaska governor asked during a discussion of her 2012 plans with Fox News' Greta Van Susteren. "Someone like me, who's maverick--you know I do 'go rogue' and I call it [...]

AP - Mitt Romney is casting himself as a one-term governor who simply sampled politics in Massachusetts before escaping back to the business world.

Daily Caller - Texas governor and presidential candidate Rick Perry backed away Wednesday from his comment in the Fox News debate in Orlando, Fla., last week that sent conservatives reeling. When defending his in-state tuition breaks for children of illegal immigrants, Perry said those who opposed it “did not have a heart.”

AP - Director Nick Broomfield's latest documentary, "Sarah Palin: You Betcha!" doesn't tell you anything you didn't already know about the former governor of Alaska and 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate, and it won't change any minds.

AP - Rick Perry is calling his Republican rivals heartless and using ethnically charged language to defend moderate parts of his immigration record. That strategy may endear the Texas governor to Hispanics and their allies even as it angers others the presidential candidate must woo to win the nomination for president.

Daily Caller - If it was a joke, North Carolina Democratic Governor Bev Perdue needs to polish her delivery.