Will Perry Quit? 'Oh, Shoot, No'

Rick Perry freely admitted that he “stepped in it” last night when he forgot the name of the third federal agency he would eliminate. But will his debate gaffe lead to the end of his campaign? "Oh, shoot, no," the Texan told the AP this morning. "This ain't a day for quitting nothing." He added that “everybody makes mistakes,” and that his will just make him appear more human. “The president of the United States said there were 57 states one time,” he pointed out.

The AP rounds up more responses from Perry, who went on a morning show media blitz:

• Good Morning America: "There were so many federal agencies that come to mind, that I want to get rid of, that the Energy Department would not come out."
• Fox News Channel: "If anybody's looking for the slickest politician or the smoothest debater, I readily admit I'm not that person. But what Americans do know is that my committed conservative values has helped lead one of the most influential states in this nation for the last 10 years."
• Today: The ‘oops’ moment actually reinforces the "core point" of his campaign: too many government agencies.
• And, for good measure, Michele Bachmann’s response: "We all felt very bad for him."

Click to see who else lost at last night’s debate. (More Rick Perry stories.)