Perriello: No plans for 2012 campaign

Former 5^th District congressman Tom Perriello is happy to be spending more time focused on what’s going on in the Middle East rather than what’s going on in Washington.

Asked Friday whether he has considered running for his old seat in 2012, the Democrat answered: “I haven’t had my head in that game and I don’t have any plans at this time.”

In an interview, Perriello didn’t sound particularly enthused about the state of American politics, saying he’s been trying to stay as far away from Washington as possible.

“I have been working mainly in the Middle East, trying to both understand and support the democracy movements in Egypt and other areas,” Perriello said.

The 36-year-old Ivy native largely has stayed out of the spotlight since losing his seat to Rep. Robert Hurt, R-Chatham, in one of the most closely watched elections of 2010.

Perriello said he’s been working with a number of different groups, but he singled out the National Democratic Institute, a nonprofit that works to foster democratic institutions around the world.

The Middle East has long been defined by the divide between Shia and Sunni, the two major denominations of Islam, Perriello said, but the so-called Arab Spring has the potential to change that dynamic.

“I think there’s a chance for a new division in terms of countries that are looking forward versus countries that are looking backward,” Perriello said.

Though the wave of revolutions that has swept Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Syria and other countries has great potential, Perriello said, it’s overly simplistic to think that it will result only in positive outcomes.

“Things don’t always go the way you want in a democracy,” he said. “I just lost an election, so I understand that.”

On Libya, Perriello said that while no military engagement is without risks, there were good reasons to act.

“I do think there were some very important justifications for going in, not just in terms of human suffering, but whether the United States is going to be seen as being on the right side of history during this moment of the Arab Spring,” he said.

The most important thing the U.S. can do in regard to the revolutions in the Middle East, Perriello said, is to understand them.

“It’s to make sure we understand who the new actors are,” he said. “Things have changed so quickly that we need to understand that.”

Though Perriello is quick to weigh in on foreign affairs, he’s less eager to jump into the political fray on the domestic side.

“I’ve been trying to keep a low profile and give Congressman Hurt a chance to do a great job of representing the 5^th,” he said.

Both parties have been more focused on scoring political points against one another rather than making serious attempts at balancing the budget and reducing the deficit, Perriello said.

“I think very little is likely to get done between now and the presidential election, unfortunately,” he said.

As to what the future holds for Perriello, he admits that even he’s “curious,” but he’s open to options both in and outside of government.

“I’m just trying to figure out places to make a difference,” Perriello said. “I think there’s a big chance in the Middle East right now.”