Gov. Perry to consider White House bid

AUSTIN, Texas, May 28 (UPI) -- Texas Gov. Rick Perry said he would consider a presidential run, a departure from earlier statements when he said the White House was not on his radar.

After a ceremonial signing of a voter ID bill Friday Perry said, "I'm going to think about it." A week ago, he said he was "tempted," by talks that he should toss his hat into the ring, WFAA-TV, Dallas, reported.

Perry's latest statement is a turnaround from January 2010, when he said, "I think I have clearly stated, if your intent here is to question where I would want to go any better than being the governor of the state of Texas, that place hasn't been made yet."

But times change. Former campaign strategist for George W. Bush Mathew Dowd said, "He's seen what everybody else has seen. There's a field that's not coalesced around anyone, that's very unpredictable at the moment and that doesn't have a candidate who seems to speak to a majority of the party," The Dallas Morning News reported.

In a statement, the Texas Texas Democratic Party said the governor would "fit right into a GOP field that's already well-treaded by aspiring celebrities hawking books and reality TV shows."

Former chair of the Texas Republican Party Cathie Adams said Perry would make a respectable candidate. "We have a balanced budget amendment, we live by that. We are cutting the size of government right now," she said.