"Oops, he did it again." During a radio interview Friday morning, lagging GOP presidential hopeful Rick Perry was asked (again) which federal departments he would shut down as president. The Texas governor responded: "Three right off the bat. You know, Commerce, Interior, and Energy." The problem? Those are not the same three agencies he attempted to list during his infamous debate gaffe in November, when Perry suffered a devastating brain freeze. "Let's see," a struggling Perry said at the time. "I can't. The third one. I can't. Sorry. Oops." (This time around, Perry forgot to mention Education, and added Interior instead.) Pundits, of course, are cracking wise. Here, some of the best jokes:
Americans love sequels, right?
The Texas governor is primed for a starring role in "Oops 2: The Oopsening," says Paul Constant at The Stranger. But really, it's pathetic that Perry is not being ridiculed for wanting to completely shut down government agencies. Instead, it's "because he can't remember which three or four he wants to cut. Welcome to American politics in 2012."
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Small victories
Sure, Perry goofed again, says RealClearPolitics. But at least "he did name three this time."
Call Merriam-Webster
The "Rick Perry Gaffe-O-Meter" is off the charts, says Jay Root at The Texas Tribune. With his latest misstep, he has cemented the word that will be "permanently attached to his 2012 presidential campaign: 'Oops.'"
Send out an Amber alert
"Somewhere in Texas, a village is missing an idiot," says Janet Shan at Hinterland Gazette.
Pity the Lone Star
Texas "really is a cool state," says The Political Carnival. "But when you think that it's been governed by this guy and W for the past 20 years, it's a miracle it isn't more of a shambles than it is."
Plan B
"This is apparently a MENSA-level test question for a Texas governor," says Kirsten Boyd Johnson at Wonkette. So "perhaps sensing that even this type of questioning was too rigorous, Perry went to a campaign stop in South Carolina today, looked out at the audience, and then decided to call on a mannequin with its hand raised." Yes... that actually happened.
