I’ll be blunt with all you Perry supporters, it’s time to butter your guy because he’s toast…Not only is Rick Perry utterly incapable of running for president, he can’t run his state, and in fact can’t meet the basic requirement for any politician — he can’t even run his mouth.

– James Carville, Democratic strategist and husband to rightwing pundit Mary Matalin

What’s important now is that I now get my day in court, after all these years I finally get my day in court. What I know with complete and absolute certainty is I did not violate any campaign laws.

— Former Sen. John Edwards, responding to a federal court judge’s rejection of his efforts to have his case thrown out before trial, the Raleigh News & Observer reports.

$200

The cost for a bleacher seat at the “modified Lincoln-Douglas debate” between Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich — not televised — hosted by the Texas Tea Party Patriots at the Woodlands Resort in Houston. The next step up, the $500 ticket, gets you “prime seating” and a ticket to the “Nite Cap party after the Debate,” … And for really high rollers, $1,000 will get you “the best seating in the house for the debate” and “a professional picture taken with the candidates.” There’s no word if the candidates are getting paid for their appearance, but Dave Weigel, who first broke the story, reports proceeds will go to the Tea Party Patriots group.

49%

Of Americans live in a household where someone receives at least one type of government benefit, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. And 63% of all federal spending this year will consist of checks written to individuals for which the government receives currently no services, the White House budget office estimates. That’s up from 46% in 1975 and 18% in 1940.

Turn on CNN in 15 minutes. The president will have an announcement — and, by the way, tell Ted to get ready to open that bottle.

— CIA Director Leon Panetta, quoted by the Los Angeles Times, talking to the wife of restauranteur Ted Balestreri, who bet a $10,000 bottle of wine that Panetta couldn’t find Osama bin Laden.

That’s right! You could go as Herman Cain campaign volunteers.
[This punchline was ripped off from Ray Seaman, online director of Progress Florida.]

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