Tricky Ricky moving closer to Prez run?

That's what Matt Lewis at Daily Caller reports.

I've noted in the recent past that Texas' huge budget deficit, the hard-hearted way in which it was closed, etc., AND Perry's rebukes from his own party from time to time, like questions over his economic development board, will quickly get plenty of play if he's running.

Lewis adds a couple more things:

If Perry does indeed jump in the race, GOP primary voters will likely be reminded of how conservatives were outraged when he signed an executive order in 2007, making Texas the first state in the nation to mandate Human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccinations for sixth-grade girls. They will be reminded that he endorsed Rudy Giuliani for president in 2008. And, of course, his controversial plans to create a Trans-Texas Corridor (which were finally dropped after a large public outcry) would come up.

These will come up in the primaries, long before the general election. Other candidates seeking an in with tea partiers will HAVE to raise them to show Perry is a tea party panderer. (I'd love Bachmann and/or Palin to get into a knockdown/drag-out with Gov. Helmethair.) They, Cain and one or two others will have to raise them.

Second, if Perry jumps in, even though he'll be getting old aides back from Newt, he may be behind the curve on fundraising.

That all said, Lewis is right that he's near the top of the GOP charisma list, and he has a record as a winner.

But, if he wins the GOP nomination, things get more fun then.

There's the steel cage death match against Preznit Kumbaya. Perry's secession talk immediately becomes fodder, with an Obama quote something like this:

Now, Rick, if you wanted to secede from this country a few years ago, why do you want to run it now?

That's not enough? Here's more:

Education? We’re 50th in the nation in kids with a high school diploma by age 25, and 43rd in high school graduation rates. We’re 42nd in the nation in high school graduates going to college, and of those, only half earn a degree within six years.

Health care? We’re first in the nation in folks without health insurance and 49th in our low-income population covered by Medicaid.

Relative wealth? We’re fourth in the nation on the percentage of our residents living below the poverty line.

The environment? We’re first in the nation in cancer-causing carcinogens released into the air, first on toxic chemicals released into the water and first in the amount of hazardous waste generated.

Now, no other tea party types care about the environment or poverty, so these will probably be more general election issues, should the Trickster run and get the GOP nod.