The Midday Brief: Sept. 28, 2011

Your afternoon reading:

• "Presidential candidate Rick Perry on Wednesday apologized for saying that anyone who opposed giving tuition breaks to the children of illegal immigrants 'did not have a heart.' …  'I was probably a bit over-passionate by using that word and it was inappropriate,' Perry admitted. 'In Texas in 2001 we had 181 members of the legislature — only four voted against this piece of legislation — because it wasn’t about immigration, it was about education.'" — Rick Perry to Newsmax: I Regret 'Heartless' Comment on Immigration Important

• "Mitt Romney senior adviser Eric Fehrnstrom started setting the expectations for how Rick Perry should do in his first fundraising period, on MSNBC's 'Daily Rundown': 'In the governor’s first reporting period in the race, he raised $18 million,' Fehrnstrom said. 'We're not going to do that for this quarter. We expect to be outraised by Rick Perry.'" — Mitt Romney's team sets fundraising expectations, Politico

• "In the first look at Rick Perry’s latest attack on Mitt Romney, the Perry team continues to paint Romney as a 'flip-flopper' for a third time this week with the release later today of another web video, this one focusing on Romney’s edit on where he stood on the 2009 stimulus." — Video Wars: Perry Hits Romney on 'Stimu-Flop,' ABC News

• "When the lights shut off on the debate stages, and all the town hall folding chairs are packed away, there's another campaign that continues, largely hidden from public view, over dinners and long-distance phone calls: the fight for top-tier endorsements. … And a recent pattern has emerged, though with some exceptions: Perry's endorsements are coming from some sitting governors who are considered rising stars in the party, while Romney's are coming from sitting members of Congress." — The Perry vs. Romney endorsement battle, MSNBC

• "While Florida lawmakers appear likely to move up the date of their primary, Texas Republicans may also approve changes to next year's primary this weekend. The Texas Republican Party's Executive Committee will vote this Saturday on a plan to change the way Texas will allocate its primary delegates next year." — Along with Florida, Texas GOP also may change plans for 2012 primary, PoliTex

New in The Texas Tribune:

• "As the U.S. State Department convenes hearings in Texas this week on the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, which would bring tar sands crude from Canada to Texas, environmentalists are revving up their opposition." — Hearings Begin on Controversial Canada-Texas Oil Pipeline