06/09/2011 14:37
Texas Governor skips campaign forum to focus on fires
Texas Governor Rick Perry canceled a scheduled appearance at a Republican presidential campaign forum in South Carolina on Monday to return home and supervise a fight against rampaging wildfires, Reuters reported.
Perry, who leads in opinion polls in the race for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, urged Texans to exercise extreme caution as the fires burned across the state and killed two people.
Perry was one of six Republican candidates scheduled to appear later on Monday at a forum sponsored by Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina, a leader of Tea Party fiscal conservatives.
He returned to Texas after a morning appearance at a Conway, South Carolina, town hall meeting with U.S. Representative Tim Scott.