Considered a social moderate, Pataki had kept alive speculation that he would run for president. In New Hampshire last month, he said he was still “seriously considering’’ a presidential run. He has said repeatedly that he is looking for a candidate with the “ideas and solutions’’ to address the debt, and he said in July he had not seen such a candidate in the Republican field.
Pataki was scheduled to speak at a Polk County Republican Party fund-raiser in Iowa today, which had renewed speculation that he would announce a presidential run. According to the New York Times, he has canceled the visit.
— Shira Schoenberg
Perry changes his position on gay-marriage rights AUSTIN, Texas - Governor Rick Perry signed a pledge yesterday to back a federal constitutional amendment against gay marriage, a reversal of his earlier position that marriage rights should be left up to individual states.
The Republican presidential hopeful signed the National Organization for Marriage’s pledge, which states that, if elected, Perry will work to send a constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman to the states for ratification and appoint Supreme Court and federal judges who will “reject the idea our Founding Fathers inserted a right to gay marriage into our Constitution.’’
Perry had said that though he does not support gay marriage, it is a states-rights issue.
He suggested New York’s decision to legalize it was fine with him.
— Associated Press
Gang of Six member urges deficit panel to slash debt WASHINGTON - Senator Mark Warner, a member of the Gang of Six that sought a bipartisan deal on debt reduction, is urging members of both parties on a deficit supercommittee to “go big, go bold’’ with their savings.
“Even if the supercommittee knocks another $1.5 trillion off our debt, that’s still not going to be enough,’’ the Virginia Democrat said on Bloomberg Television’s “Political Capital with Al Hunt.’’
“Unless we can also take on the issue of entitlement reform and tax reform to generate revenue, I don’t think we’re going to get there,’’ he said.
— Bloomberg News
