Rick Perry: I’ll be better prepared ‘when I stand on the stage and debate this next time’

OPINION:

Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry says if he jumps into the 2016 presidential race, he’s going to be a different candidate than he was in 2012.

He pointed out on Fox News’ “Hannity” program that he was late getting into the race and also had major back surgery six weeks before he announced.

“And frankly, I’m very open to people about it, I didn’t do the preparation work prior to 2011 that I should have done, and I started in late 2012 with a very intensive program of both domestic policy, of foreign policy, of our monetary policy, so when I stand on the stage and debate this next time, you’re going to see a person who is very, very well-prepared and able to talk across the board about the issues that the president of the United States is going to have to deal with as we go into 2017,” he said.

Mr. Perry famously drew a blank during a GOP primary debate in November 2011 on the third federal department he had pledged to shutter and dropped out of the race shortly before the South Carolina primary.

He also said he’s on the “right side” of an abuse-of-power case a judge allowed to proceed this week over actions he took as governor and reiterated that he has a May/June time frame for an announcement on 2016.

Mr. Perry was indicted last August after he followed through on a threat to veto funding for a public integrity unit in the office of District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg if she did not step down from her position after a drunken driving conviction.