Listen to this articleIn a meet and greet with the press and potential Republican voters Texas Gov. Rick Perry stumbled when asked to defend his criticism of limited government in the Supreme Court case of Lawrence v. Texas, a 2003 case which struck down anti-sodomy laws.
“I wish I could tell you I knew every Supreme Court case. I don’t, I’m not even going to try to go through every Supreme Court case, that would be — I’m not a lawyer… We can sit here and you know play ‘I gotcha’ questions on what about this Supreme Court case or whatever, but let me tell you, you know and I know that the problem in this country is spending in Washington, D.C., it’s not some Supreme Court case,” Perry said.
The case was first tried while he was serving as lieutenant governor, and the Supreme Court issued its ruling while he was governor. He also cited the case in his book, Fed Up! Our Fight to Save America From Washington.
After the interview Perry called the inquiry a “gotcha” question and tried to change the subject to federal government spending. Perry said he was “pro-traditional marriage,” and cited the need for only “strict constructionist” judges.
