Rick Perry: Mitt Romney Says Whatever He Needs To Say For Whatever Office He's Running For (VIDEO)

Texas governor Rick Perry went after fellow GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney on Fox News' "The O'Reilly Factor" Tuesday night, accusing the Republican front-runner of saying whatever was politically expedient to get elected.

In response to a question about whether there was strain between the two men, Perry said he felt Romney changed his stance on a number of major issues.

"You can't be for banning guns and then all of a sudden you're, you know, for the Second Amendment," Perry said. "You can't be for the issue of abortion, then you're pro-life... I mean you can't be on both sides of these issues."

Perry quoted what he said were Romney's own words about why he'd changed sides on certain topics. "In his own words, he says, listen, you know, I need to say whatever I need to say for whatever office I'm running for."

Romney has recently pushed back against charges of flip-flopping, telling a New Hampshire crowd last month, "In the private sector, if you don't change your view when the facts change, well you'll get fired for being stubborn and stupid."

O'Reilly pressed Perry on whether he thought it was valid for people's opinions to change over time.

"Some people are okay with people evolving and some people aren't," O'Reilly said. "Do you respect the evolution that the governor might have gone through?"

Perry dismissed the idea.

"How do you change at the age of 50 or 60 positions on life, positions on guns, positions on traditional marriage," he said. "I mean those aren't minor issues, Bill. So to change those at the age of 50 or 60 tells you all you need to know about that."

Comments

[LilacGypsy]

07:16 PM on 11/27/2011

Rick Perry is out of the game...period! All the blustering, giggling and the now infamous "opps...."
he eliminated himself...

[changemaid]

06:20 AM on 10/27/2011

In the Boston Globe this morning, an article states Mitt Romney is embracing his work with MA Democrats.There were clips of his disrespectful jokes about MA on TV during his last try at the Oval office and a few weeks ago, saw the clip of when he was in either VT or NH telling an audience member...basically to watch out for your Massachusetts neighbors and to watch your border... hahahaaha.. Really Mitt.. We have not forgotten and We do Not like you either.. We are so sorry you were ashamed of our Great State.. please build your vacation homes somewhere else. We, in MA, do not want you anywhere near our state and for that matter in charge of our country.

[l78lancer]

01:11 AM on 10/27/2011

When your position changes because the facts change that could be called sound reasoning based on verifiable information. When your position changes to support a view but the facts do not change then that is probably a flip flop. The problem is that the cantidates have done a lousy job differentiating between the two and explaining to the voters.

[l78lancer]

12:46 AM on 10/27/2011

Rick - you're politicians. That's what you do.

[jlglaze]

06:58 PM on 10/26/2011

Why are people sounding like they are surprised when candidates change their minds on certain issues? They all do it. They tell the crowd they are with what they want to hear at the time. This goes back to the last election, the worst one in history. We were going to have a country full of milk and honey, but look where we have landed. In the middle of a muddy pasture trying to paddle a boat without a captain and a crew. Can't do it people. We have to decided for ourselves who is right and go with our gut feeling. If it is right, tremendous for the country, if it is wrong, then you see where it can lead.

[anon004]

06:42 PM on 10/26/2011

Okay, so Rick Perry is accusing Mitt Romneyy of being a flip-flopper on issues like gun control, abortion and marriage equality. True enough. But, isn't this the same Rick Perry who was for secession from the US government until he decided he wanted to run the government he wanted to secceed from earlier? Pot, let me introduce you to kettle . . .

[jimme]

04:25 PM on 10/26/2011

Replace mittens name with any Repub and it's the same outcome. Any pol will say stuff just to get elected and then forget all about it. Case in point, the last election was run on a jobs platform on the right and they haven't done one thing about jobs since getting elected.

[LilacGypsy]

07:12 PM on 11/27/2011

yes they have! They have Blocked any plans regarding jobs, hell anything,President comes up with! Bloch him on debt ceiling (Bush was granted seven raises on debt ceiling(in eight years) This way, Obama, Repubs say, did nothing to alleviate debt. They blocked him on the jobs proposals, this way they can say he did not come up with the jobs. During 2012, mainstream US needs to realize that , the country will not and cannot heal, while GOP has any power to obstruct the means to do so.....We all have something to gain if the childish games conserves are playing are eleminated ..Get them out!!

[Kiana1]

04:19 PM on 10/26/2011

Seriously, there are no serious and credible GOP candidates in this field of candidates. The nonsense that they spew about each other and make up stuff is scary to think they aspire to lead a nation. The debates are akin to the side shows at the carnivals.

[stealur]

03:41 PM on 10/26/2011

Wasn't Rick Perry formerly a Democrat? Did he not change his mind in a huge way?

[jlglaze]

06:54 PM on 10/26/2011

So do a lot of people. Bet you've changed your mind at least a million times. We all do.

[stealur]

05:43 PM on 10/27/2011

I agree. I think Ricky should quit commenting on Romney's mind-changing then, no?

[LilacGypsy]

07:13 PM on 11/27/2011

we all dont want to be President....

[TBJ]

03:40 PM on 10/26/2011

Rick is calling the kettle black here. Or does he forget supporting a state's right to determine marriage laws, and then, a few days of religious-right backlash later, supporting a constitutional marriage amendment?

[Jim8]

03:39 PM on 10/26/2011

>> accusing the Republican front-runner of saying whatever was politically expedient to get elected.

Unlike Perry, who says whatever it takes to not get elected.

[EspritDeVoltaire]

03:19 PM on 10/26/2011

How do you change at 50 or 60? Some people become wiser as they age.

[jlglaze]

06:58 PM on 10/26/2011

And some lose it altogether.

[Beck65]

03:07 PM on 10/26/2011

Rick - people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones!

[Tikiman]

03:05 PM on 10/26/2011

This coming from Rick Perry, a man who just brought up the birther issue again, then the next day changes his stance saying he was just joking around.

[jbtex]

02:53 PM on 10/26/2011

Just keep talkin, Rick