Rick Perry Jokes About 'Oops' Moment At GOP Foreign Policy Debate In South Carolina

During Saturday night's GOP debate, Rick Perry joked about his embarrassing Wednesday night debate moment, when he tried to list the three government agencies he wants to eliminate and was unable to do so.

"You advocate the elimination of the Department of Energy. If you eliminate the Department of Energy --" CBS News host and debate moderator Scott Pelley asked.

"Glad you remembered it," Perry interjected with a smile.

"I've had some time to think about it, sir," Pelley responded.

"Me too," Perry said.

On Wednesday, Perry struggled to name three federal agencies he would like to eliminate:

"Commerce, Education and the -- what's the third one there? Let's see," the Texas governor said.

Perry's rivals tried to bail him out, suggesting the Environmental Protection Agency.

"EPA, there you go," Perry said, seemingly taking their word for it.

But that wasn't it. And when pressed, the candidate drew another blank.

"Seriously?" moderator John Harwood, one of CNBC's debate hosts, asked. "You can't name the third one?"

"The third agency of government I would do away with -- the Education, the Commerce. And let's see. I can't. The third one, I can't," Perry said. "Oops."

WATCH Perry's "oops" moment from Wednesday's debate:

 

 

Comments

[AGrave]

06:37 PM on 11/14/2011

This guy is George Bush number two! Our country would be a joke to the world AGAIN if he were ever elected. I guess we can just be thankful that there is no chance he could ever beat Obama in a debate. It would be sad to even watch him try but I'm grateful we won't get that chance.

[mroxie2001]

11:46 AM on 11/14/2011

I'm Republican, and we as Americans should not tolerate this foolishness that's taking place in this primary race. The office of President of the United States is NOT joke. It's an unmistakable fact that he is not qualified to be president. Turning the gaffe into comedy is despicable. If he were applying for middle management position somewhere, the gaffe would be permissible. We should all call for him to drop out of the race. The voting public better pay attention to this election. It doesn't take a genius to see that Ron Paul is clearly the only candidate that can be trusted, has integrity and has not been corrupted by Washington politics. The indifference and idiocy of the bulk of the population will be it's demise. Are we really that gullible and imbecilic not to see what's staring us right in the face?

[pega5]

03:16 AM on 11/14/2011

there was a song called. "" oops there he is "" maybe ???????

[Jack Hawksmoor]

12:53 AM on 11/14/2011

Howard Dean breaths a huge sigh of absolute relief every single time he hears the word "Oops".

[clivechristy]

11:40 PM on 11/13/2011

Rick Perry is a never ending OOps moment....however his fine fact-free leadership style might suit Texas, but the rest of us don't want him.

[soldiergirl]

10:34 PM on 11/13/2011

I'm glad that Perry thinks that being stupid is funny.

[clivechristy]

11:42 PM on 11/13/2011

What other choice does he have? Poor Rick can't help but put the goober in gubernatorial.

[soldiergirl]

12:52 AM on 11/14/2011

lol....too funny, and so true!

[bcmom]

09:23 PM on 11/13/2011

Nothing to joke about.

[glennkromminga]

04:04 PM on 11/13/2011

Rick Perry is a Opps moment.

[rgilley]

02:50 PM on 11/13/2011

Maybey this joker is trying to get a job at Saturday Night Live eh?
As long as he's not in the WH taking orders from the Koch brothers and karl Rove America is safe. And it's a pretty sure bet that even dumb Baggerstanis wouldn't vote this piece of work into the Presidency of the United States. would they? Really?

[jeanwny]

07:03 PM on 11/13/2011

Don't count anything the Bagge.......s might do, they don't understand even the most basic premises, much like RP. They validate him with applause, they think HC is funny, I'd agree but not funny ha ha, just FUNNY.

[glennkromminga]

02:40 PM on 11/13/2011

Rick Perry really laid an egg!!

[Aghiles N]

12:37 PM on 11/13/2011

This is a testiment to the fact that all the politiciens are bought and their policies were created by a party that is trying to profit, Rick parry, you bring the truth to light.

[Pollytiques]

12:02 PM on 11/13/2011

I love a little humor.. And could probably like ole Perry on some level if he wasn't such a hollow man..

[rgilley]

02:50 PM on 11/13/2011

I don't even mind hollow ....it's the stupid thats scary.

[rgilley]

02:52 PM on 11/13/2011

The Last thing america needs is another stupid Texas govenor in the WH.
We are still trying to fix America from the last one. But this guy makes Dubya Bush look like a Harvard scholar.

[Zack B]

11:36 AM on 11/13/2011

Stupid is as stupid does.

[rgilley]

02:52 PM on 11/13/2011

u think Perry may have been the model for that line?

[KeyInfo]

11:19 AM on 11/13/2011

The Office of the President of the United States is no joking manner. Go home Perry.

[ChaCubed]

11:16 AM on 11/13/2011

Of course he's joking and laughing about it: what else can he do? Say the MSM misrepresented it?

Forgetting is something that happens to all of us; even people who do live theater and have prepared and prepared and prepared for months can have a brain blip; and it's something we may all have been able to laugh about, if we hadn't been subjected to 8 years of this from Dubya.