N.H. GOP leaders say Perry was sober at dinner in state last Friday

By Shira Schoenberg, Globe Correspondent

Several leading New Hampshire Republicans today defended Texas Governor Rick Perry against rumors that he was drunk at a Friday night dinner in New Hampshire.

“All the innuendo and suggestions about Governor Perry were completely baseless and false,” said Jennifer Horn, founder of the We the People advocacy group and a former congressional candidate.

The rumors sprang from Perry’s demeanor during his speech at a Cornerstone Action dinner in Manchester. A video of selected clips posted online shows Perry making animated hand gestures and odd facial expressions and speaking in a more excited manner than is typical for his campaign. The video has gotten more than 1.1 million hits. (Since the outcry started, a full unedited video of Perry’s speech has been posted online.)

At one point, for example, he compares New Hampshire’s motto of Live Free or Die to the famous pledge of a Texas Alamo fighter, Victory or Death. “We’re kind of into those slogans, man,” Perry says, pumping his fist in the air. “Life free or die! Victory or death! Bring it on.”

Speculation that Perry was drinking has been spread via Twitter – and was even mentioned by comedian Jon Stewart. Some speculated that he was on pain medication for an earlier back surgery.

But Perry – and many attendees – say the candidate was not drunk at the time. They say he was speaking to a friendly audience in an enthusiastic manner, and the crowd responded in kind. Horn, House Speaker William O’Brien, Cornerstone’s former director Kevin Smith, and political strategist Liz Christofferson held a press conference today to denounce the allegations. All are unaffiliated with any presidential campaign.

Horn said she wants to see people talking about Perry’s economic plan - or those offered by the other Republican candidates. “That’s what this debate is about, about who’s the best person to take the place of our current president, who’s got the best plan,” Horn said. Questions about whether Perry was drinking, Horn said, are “a distraction that’s destructive to the process.”

Christofferson, who met with Perry in a small group before the dinner and spoke to him one on one, said no one at the dinner thought Perry was drunk.

“Everyone at my table was very impressed,” Christofferson said. “It’s an egregious lie to say that he was under the influence. It was just ridiculous.”