Rick Perry turned down an invitation to meet Obama
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Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) turned down an invitation to greet President Obama when the president lands in Austin on Wednesday. His reason: A quick tarmac meeting wouldn't give them ample time to discuss immigration.
"I appreciate the offer to greet you at Austin-Bergstrom Airport," Perry wrote to the White House, "but a quick handshake on the tarmac will not allow for a thoughtful discussion regarding the humanitarian and national security crises enveloping the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas."
Perry — who recently suggested Obama had an "ulterior motive" and was perhaps coordinating the sudden surge of immigrants — said he would be willing to hold a "substantive" meeting with the president instead.
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Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.
