California, Rick Perry | featured news

According to the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, since the passage of Prop 30 in the November election, California-based company relocation inquiries have doubled, possibly tripled, in Central Texas. West Coast entrepreneurs feeling the personal financial stress of an out-of-control state budget and tax policy have heard Texas’ message, and they’re responding.

Look out, California. Rick Perry is going hunting in your backyard for jobs to bring back to Texas. The Republican governor heads to San Francisco, the Silicon Valley, Los Angeles and Orange County next week on a "business recruitment trip," his office says. The trip is being paid for by Texas One, a public-private partnership that does marketing for the state.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney leads GOP voters overall with 27%, but he is still having a hard time wooing conservatives, who are more enthusiastic about businessman Herman Cain. A collapse in support for Texas Gov. Rick Perry has left Mitt Romney as the clear front-runner in California's Republican presidential primary, but the former Massachusetts governor is still struggling to rally the party's most conservative voters, a new USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll has found.

The president's standing slips but is still high. Among Republicans, Rick Perry and Mitt Romney share a clear lead over other rivals for the nomination.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry will swing through California this week for private meetings with Republican leaders, potential fundraisers and legislators that will stoke speculation that he plans to enter the 2012 Republican presidential contest....