Perry uses Eastwood ad to hit Obama

Texas Gov. Rick Perry joked about his failed presidential run but delivered a speech that could've been given on the stump to the party faithful at the Conservative Political Action Conference — and the audience of GOP activists seemed to love it.

"I had certain ideas about putting an end to this president's failed administration. The people of Iowa and New Hampshire had a different idea," he said to laughs.

It was only his second public appearance since he dropped his bid for the GOP presidential nomination, and his first before a national audience.

Perry, who spent heavily in his presidential run but won few votes, then made a harsh attack on President Obama and called for bold steps within the Republican Party to fight spending, echoing many of his speeches from the campaign trail. He made no mention of Newt Gingrich, whom he has endorsed for president.

"What 2012 offers us is a chance to offer a starkly different vision for America," he said. "We can't tinker our way to victory. We've got to be bold. We've got to be clear. We must embrace constitutional conservatism."

The audience ate up Perry's remarks, which were delivered with a few minor stutters, giving him multiple standing ovations.

Aides close to the Texas governor suggested after he dropped his presidential bid that he was interested in running for president again in 2016. His broad-strokes speech indicated that idea might still be on his mind.

He said that Republicans lost control of Congress in 2006 not "because of an unpopular war" but because they were spending too much and accepting earmarks.

He went after Obama, and used the controversial Clint Eastwood Super Bowl ad for Chrysler to do it.

"If it's halftime in America I'm fearful of what the final score's going to be if we let this president start the second half as quarterback," he said.

Perry ran through a laundry list of perceived government overreaches. "You ought to be outraged!" he yelled. Members of the audience responded with calls of "We are!"

"You ought to be incensed!" he continued. "You don't have to settle this election … you have the power, and more important you have the Constitution on your side."

Perry finished by calling on the audience to "take our country back."

—Updated at 3:32 p.m. and 3:42 p.m.

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