Mitt Romney's camp has yanked a particularly nasty video of Rick Perry that splices together some of his bumbling, stumbling moments during the debates, reports the Hill. The campaign pulled the "Ready to Lead?" video after CNN raised objections, given that most of the clips come from the network. (The group American Bridge 21st Century saved a copy, which is in the gallery at left, at least for now.) "While the use of the CNN clips was fully within our rights under the law, we respect and appreciate the role CNN has played as host in debates over the last several months," says a Romney spokesman. "For this reason, we are honoring their request to remove the video."
But the video shows that the nasty exchanges that occurred between the two men Tuesday night were no fluke. As stories from Politico, the Washington Post, and the New York Times make clear: These guys genuinely don't like each other, and the animosity goes back years to when they were rival governors. (Romney's team even has a dedicated anti-Perry website called careerpolitician.com.) "They have never been close," a Texas GOP operative tells the Times. (More Mitt Romney stories.)