Rick Perry 'interested' in 2016 presidential bid

Texas Gov. Rick Perry says he's already thinking about another attempt at the Republican presidential nomination in 2016.

In a recent interview, Jack Fink, a reporter with the CBS affiliate in Dallas-Fort Worth, asked Perry if he was "interested" in another presidential bid.

"Yeah, I am," Perry replied. "I love this country and as long as my health stays good, which it is, and my family is supportive then I certainly am going to give it a good examination."

"We're a long time from that so we don't have to make any decisions now, but preparation for a major job can't start just a few weeks before the job interview begins."

Perry added that the so-called "oops" moment -- when he failed to remember the three agencies of government that he would eliminate -- would not disqualify him from a future White House run.

"No, not at all," Perry insisted. "I'm really glad I went through this. I learned a lot about running for the presidency of the United States. One is get in early. I didn't want to do this. This was not on my radar screen, and I think it was reflected in how we were prepared and how we performed and what have you. So, 2016 is a way down the road, but I'll assure you one thing: If I decide to run for the presidency in 2016, I'll be in way before the summer of 2016."

As for his job as Texas governor, Perry said he was giving another run "the appropriate consideration" and would make an announcement after the current legislative session.

The governor also rejected the idea that his party was fighting a "war on women" even though Texas Republicans had barred Planned Parenthood from receiving state funds, forcing the Obama administration to cut off federal Medicaid funding for the Texas Medicaid Women’s Health Program.

"Here’s what Planned Parenthood needs to be honest about. They do not have a lock on state money," Perry said. "The Texas Legislature made the decision not to fund Planned Parenthood or their affiliates, because they were in the abortion business. That is the Texas Legislature’s right to decide that. I happen to agree with it."

"If there's a war against women, it's President [Barack] Obama because he could have clearly allowed this federal dollars -- which is our money by the way that we send up there that gets massaged through the federal process and then comes back to us -- he could have allowed that money to come back here. If he cared about women, he would have said, 'Fine, you know what? Texas, I agree you get to decide where these dollars go.' But he didn't."

Watch this video from CBS Dallas-Fort Worth, broadcast April 19, 2012.

(h/t: The Hill)