The Midday Brief: Aug. 18, 2011

Your afternoon reading:

• "The Texas senator and NRSC chairman had polite things to say about his home-state governor on Laura Ingraham's radio show. But John Cornyn didn't come close to saying he'd support Rick Perry for president, calling him but one of a number of people who have had a positive influence on Texas." — John Cornyn reserved on Rick Perry, Politico

• "U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Texas’s school system 'has really struggled' under Governor Rick Perry, a Republican candidate for president, and the state’s substandard schools do a disservice to children." — Obama’s Education Secretary Says Perry’s Schools Left Behind, Bloomberg

• "While Obama's techniques have a lot of copy-cats, few people seem to have noticed Perry's playbook. It's especially odd because Perry's strategy may have some particular advantages in presidential primaries." — Why the GOP Field Should Steal A Page From Rick Perry's 2010 Playbook, The Texas Observer

• "While Texas Gov. Rick Perry has grabbed headlines (and the spotlight) from his Republican rivals all week, members of the Texas press corps say they aren't shocked by the fiery campaign trail rhetoric getting big play in the national media." — Rick Perry Takes Texas Media Strategy To National Stage, The Huffington Post

• "Suggesting that the head of the Federal Reserve’s policies border on treason one day. Questioning global warming the next. Rick Perry is not on his game. The campaign appears to be shoot-from-the-hip. (I’m told that he recanted his stance on HPV without telling anyone what he planned to do.) Why in the world is Perry talking about things that aren’t the major concerns of most Americans?" — The Perry campaign: Where is the message discipline?, BurkaBlog

New in The Texas Tribune:

• "Rick Perry came to press the flesh with voters in Portsmouth, N.H., Thursday — but he ran instead into a vociferous protest of his views on Social Security and Medicare outside a local cafe, Popovers On The Square. It wasn't much better inside." — In "Liberal Bastion," Perry Receives an Unfriendly Welcome

• "As expected, state Sen. Mike Jackson, R-La Porte, will run for Congress next year instead of for re-election to the Texas Senate. State Rep. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, may run for his Senate seat." — Jackson Chooses Congress Over State Senate

• "He shares our values — values rooted in deep family traditions — and principles like hard work and fair play, and he's a strong and decisive leader who wants to restore respect to each and every American." — Guest Column: Why Rick Perry is Good for Hispanics

• "As the last legislative session demonstrated, the governor has a failing record on issues important to Latinos, including public education, expanded pre-K, college access, redistricting and immigration." — Guest Column: Why Rick Perry is Bad for Hispanics