Gathering Of Swine...

By DUARDO PAZ-MARTINEZ
The Paz Files

AUSTIN, Texas - What to do about our governor? He's out in the country like some lost missile, humiliating the state at every stop. Is everybody in Texas as dumb as this guy? You'd not be able to convince those living elsewhere that we're not, especially since Rick Perry's been governor for - what? -a dozen years.

Pitiful.

Perry arrived at the latest Republican Party 2012 nomination debate in Rochester, Michigan looking to re-frame his ragged campaign. He failed, miserably. The son of Paint Creek, Texas somewhere north of Abilene was asked to offer-up his grand plan to solve the nation's budget crisis and Perry boldly charged out by saying he would eliminate three cabinet departments. He named two, and then he went into his usual Brain-freeze moment, looking completely stupid in saying he couldn't remember the third. Couldn't remember the third department he'd axe in his plan! Wild, dumbass stuff.

Students of national politics could not recall another such moment. Perry's stumble now ranks as the strangest meltdown in debate history. Poor guy. Already, some are saying that his wife Anita is ready to acknowledge that her man is Gay. In Austin, even the newspaper that has sorta backed his bid couldn't escape having to write about his monumental gaffe. So long, cowboy. Step in it? You barfed it, dude!

"It was a political death knell," said Sara Taylor Fagen, a Republican strategist who advised George W. Bush. "There’s just no recovering from a moment like that when you’ve had such a bad record of debates."

Perry's demise has come steadily. Where once, he was welcomed as the shining star in the GOP's camp, he is now an afterthought, right there with Michele Bachman and Rick Santorum - all losers, all said to be packing for that last flight home.

As for the debate, well, let's just say these things would be more meaningful if they were held before people of all political parties, not just Republicans. These guys want to be president of everybody, don't they? Let's hear the country cheer and boo.

The soft gloves used on serial fondler Herman Cain were not helpful. He has four women saying he sexually harassed them. All we got last night was one question aimed his way about that, and, worse yet, it was the question that drew the loudest boos from what had to be a gang of Republicans not exactly sympathetic to attacks on women. Cain is a player. His voice says it, as does his posture. Hopefully, the woman who accused him of fondling her "genitals" will produce that hotel receipt, the one that had Cain upgrading her room to a "palatial suite." If it has Cain's name or credit card number on it, that should do it. Sexual assault charges ought to follow. Herman is ignoring all questions about these allegations, and that is not part of the deal. Yes, facts are a defense, but he has yet to offer them.

So, nothing was gained by the insipid Republicans last night. Candidate Mitt Romney is being given the win this morning. Perry is being written off. Adulterer Newt Gingrich is only there to bad-mouth the press. Ron Paul is a lost soul. Santorum keeps reminding everybody he was a U.S. Senator and Bachman is beginning to look like the used chick coming out of the motel room at dawn.

Democrat Barack Obama is looking even better these days...

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