The Midday Brief: Sept. 20, 2011

Your afternoon reading:

• "Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry and embattled media mogul Rupert Murdoch had dinner together in New York City Monday night, CBS News confirmed on Tuesday." — Rick Perry and Rupert Murdoch have dinner together, CBS News

• "Rick Perry has an under water approval rating in Texas, and he's leading Barack Obama by a smaller margin than John McCain won the state by in 2008. But at least he is leading Obama, which is more than he could say the last time we polled the state." — Poll: Perry in Texas, Public Policy Polling

• "Rick Santorum lambasted Rick Perry as a lightweight on Israel policy Tuesday, dismissing Perry’s speech in New York as boilerplate rhetoric crafted by political handlers." — Santorum: Perry 'ignores reality,' Politico

• "Sen. John Cornyn now has the inside track to move up to the No. 2 spot in the GOP Senate leadership. His rival for the post of party whip is resigning from the leadership. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., announced this morning that he will step down in January as chairman of the Senate Republican Conference. That's the No. 3 spot. Cornyn and Alexander have been vying to succeed GOP Whip Jon Kyl of Arizona, who will retire at the end of 2012." — Cornyn rival quits, clearing path to No. 2 Senate GOP slot, Trail Blazers

New in The Texas Tribune:

• "Surrounded by some of the most hawkish Jewish leaders from Israel and the U.S., Gov. Rick Perry on Tuesday accused the Obama administration of pursuing a policy of 'appeasement' in the Middle East that has directly led to the Palestinians' pursuit of United Nations recognition." — Perry Denounces Obama's "Appeasement" of Palestinians

• "The Texas Senate's chief budget writer — Sen. Steve Ogden, R-Bryan — won't seek re-election, he announced this morning. The prospect has been in the wind for several weeks. Ogden said during the summer that he wouldn't announce his plans until this month, but has been talking like a guy at the end of his tenure for a while." — Ogden Won't Seek Another Term

• "Responding to cases of abuse and even death in Texas' residential treatment centers, a mental health organization is funding a program to better train direct-care workers." — Grant Seeks to Reduce Restraints in Treatment Centers