Perry: I Was 'Taken Aback' by $10K Bet

Rick Perry today weighed in on last night's big debate moment—the $10,000 bet. "I was taken a little aback" by Mitt Romney's wager, Perry said on Fox News Sunday, Politico reports. "Driving out to the station this morning I'm pretty sure I didn’t drive by a house that anyone in Iowa would think a $10,000 bet was possible. It was a little out of touch with the normal Iowa citizen." (Perry also addressed a recent gaffe of his own, explaining, "I don’t have memorized all of the Supreme Court judges," but added that Americans "aren’t looking for a robot that can spit out the name of every Supreme Court justice … They're looking for somebody who's got values.")

Elsewhere on the Sunday dial:

• Former New Hampshire Gov. John H. Sununu, at least, was on Romney's side when it came to the aforementioned bet. "He used a figure of speech," Sununu said on State of the Union. "I think the only thing that will come out of that is to remind people about a $500,000 outstanding bill at Tiffany’s."
• Speaking of Newt Gingrich, Michele Bachmann slammed him on Face the Nation. "His offices are on the Rodeo Drive of Washington called K Street. He’s the king of K Street. So for a person who’s been influence peddling for over 30 years in Washington DC, to think that Newt Gingrich is somehow an outsider when he is the consummate establishment insider, he’s the big government candidate just like Mitt Romney is the big government candidate, that’s not what we want in our nominee."
• Ron Paul piled on Gingrich too, saying the former House Speaker may not be legally obligated to pay back his Freddie Mac consulting fees, but he is "morally" obligated to do so.
• Also while on Meet the Press, Paul said he's not ruling out a third-party run. Click to see what the consequences of such a run might be.
• Sen. Lindsey Graham was one who didn't slam Gingrich on Meet the Press. "He's been out of government for a long time; he's matured as a person. He's reattached himself to his faith," said Graham, who didn't endorse Gingrich but said he would support him if he wins the nomination.
• Iowa's governor said Mitt Romney will never win the state's primary with his cautious approach. "I think he's starting to understand that he's going to have to get much more aggressive; he's going to have to spend more time here," Gov. Terry Branstad said on Meet the Press.

(More Sunday morning talk shows stories.)