Romney wins cheers from Texas GOP crowd

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas --Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney received a warm welcome when he appeared briefly Tuesday night at a concert and pep rally hosted by conservative radio talk show host Sean Hannity in this Dallas suburb.

Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, said the troop "surge" in Iraq should be accompanied by a domestic surge of support for soldiers' families. The candidate, who spoke for about four minutes, was interrupted by cheers several times.

"There is evil in the world," he said. "The jihadists want to bring down moderate Islamic states and they want to bring us down as well, and they're not going to do it."

Romney looked overdressed in his dark suit and tie compared with the jeans-wearing audience of more than 6,000 people who came to hear country singers Montgomery Gentry, Lee Greenwood and Collin Raye. Money raised from the event was to go a scholarship fund for the children of dead or disabled soldiers.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry, a Republican, got the crowd on its feet when he took the stage in jeans, a short-sleeved shirt and running shoes. Perry flipped a ballcap to the ground and marched back and forth, exhorting the crowd.

"It's in our DNA to fight for freedom!" Perry yelled. "We did it in 1836 in a place called the Alamo!"