Perry Says He's Going To South Carolina No Matter What

Updated: January 3, 2012 | 9:16 p.m.
January 3, 2012 | 7:02 p.m.

Republican presidential candidate Texas Gov. Rick Perry reacts after speaking to local residents during a campaign stop at the Hotel Pattee, Monday, Jan. 2, 2012, in Perry, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Rick Perry is going on to South Carolina no matter how he performs in Tuesday night’s Iowa caucuses, the former Texas governor told CNN.

“I'm headed to South Carolina. The plane will be warmed up in the morning and we'll be heading to Aiken, South Carolina, to continue on,” Perry said of the state that holds a primary on Jan. 21, following New Hampshire on Jan. 10.

"I mean, the idea that one or two states is going to decide who the next nominee for the Republican Party is, that's just not reality. This is a 50 state campaign, and it's about the future of America."

Perry also criticized challengers Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney, calling Santorum the “king of earmarks and pork barrel spending,” and arguing that Romney is not a consistent conservative.

“Those folks in South Carolina, I can promise you, they're not going to buy a pig in a poke, so to speak,” Perry said of Romney.

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