Oops: Perry Gets It

Governor Rick Perry had a bad moment in one of the two debates last week.  He promised that if he becomes president, three federal agencies will be entirely eliminated: the Department of Commerce, the Department of Education, and the Department of Energy.

Except he couldn’t name the Department of Energy.

Here’s the moment (with some context):  

Santorum: Fiscal Conservative

Appearing in three Fourth of July parades in Iowa last week, Rick Santorum said, “What we need is an Independence Day candidate that believes in the independence of the American people, not its dependence on government and government programs.”

I think Rick Santorum may be that candidate.  Any number of the current contenders might make an excellent president, but as Santorum points out, he already has a record of doing the work that needed to be done, even when it was unpopular—even when it cost him his senate seat.  We could do with more principled politicians like him. 

A Tale of Two Steves

Update (May 4th, 2010): The Board of Elections site says it will provide frequently updated totals from today’s election as they become available.  (As of this writing, zero precincts are reporting, but you can see what the totals were in the early voting.)

For anyone registered to vote in the primary tomorrow in Hamilton County, polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.  (See the Board of Elections site to check your registration and polling location.)  The county also provides a list of candidates and issues for your convenience (I believe the letters after candidates’ names other than the familiar “D” and “R” stand for the four “minor” parties recognized by Ohio: Libertarian, Constitution, Green and Socialist).  Here’s the skinny: