Rick Perry, not always reliable in immigration, is the Governor of Texas, and wants help from the Federal Government on Border Security. I would be happier about this idea if I thought that that the troops would be tasked with preventing the invasion at the source. Of course what would actually happen is that they'd be "escorting" refugees to a place of safety—the United States.

Perry says consider military in Mexico By Peggy Fikac - San Antonio Express-News Web Posted: 11/19/2010 AUSTIN – GOP Gov. Rick Perry, who continues to insist he's not interested in the presidency, is nevertheless always ready to tell the federal government how to do a better job on such matters as border security – including indicating the U.S. should be open to sending military into Mexico to help fight the drug war.

Appearing on MSNBC on Thursday, Perry was asked, ”Would you advocate military involvement in Mexico on the Mexico side of the border to help Mexico in this drug war?”

Perry answered: ”I think we have to use every aspect of law enforcement that we have, including the military. I think you have the same situation as you had in Colombia. Obviously, Mexico has to approve any type of assistance that we can give them.

”But the fact of the matter is, these are people who are highly motivated with money. They are vicious. They are armed to the teeth. I want to see them defeated. And any means that we can to run these people off our border and to save Americans' lives we need to be engaged in.”

Perry has long called for more federally paid National Guard troops on the border and has cited the state's efforts to try to fill the void caused by what he describes as the failed federal effort on border security.

Thursday's answer reflected a difference in tone, though not in substance, from one he gave in an interview this summer with the San Antonio Express-News and Houston Chronicle, when he was asked whether the U.S. should consider sending the military into Mexico as it did in 1916 after border violence.

Perry said then, ”I would suggest to you in that almost 100-year period of time, that idea of loading up and riding across the border to clash with the cartel members might be ill-conceived. In the late '80s and early '90s, the United States, in a coordinated effort with the Colombian government, we were able to defeat the drug cartels in that country to a great degree. Hopefully, Mexico understands that 28,000 of their citizens murdered since 2006 by the drug cartels is unacceptable. If they are responsive to our assistance, then I would think our federal government should give them that assistance.”[More]