Perry Campaign ‘Respectfully’ Declines Trump Debate

Governor Rick Perry (R-TX)
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Rick Perry has turned down the invitation to the NewsMax debate on December 27 — which will be hosted by Donald Trump, the businessman, media personality and, most controversially, prominent birther activist.

Only Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum have accepted the invitation, while Michele Bachmann has not yet given an answer.

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus is also criticizing the event, and giving some encouragement to candidates who might choose to skip it.

Politico reports that the Perry campaign released a statement, saying in part:

Traditional retail campaigning in the days and weeks leading up to the Iowa caucus is the Perry campaign’s top priority. In the coming weeks, Gov. Perry will be in Iowa almost continually, meeting with real voters, doing town hall meetings and events and talking American jobs, faith and overhauling Washington, DC to Iowa voters.

So we have respectfully declined the invitation for the December 27th debate.

Mitt Romney has also gently declined the event. By contrast, Ron Paul and Jon Huntsman have turned down the invitation, and both have gone out of their way to reject Trump himself as a debate moderator who would demean the process.

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