The Midday Brief: Sept. 30, 2011

Your afternoon reading:

• "Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, still reeling from a debate performance that upset many of the bedrock conservatives he considers his base, came out swinging Friday against his rival Mitt Romney, accusing the former Massachusetts governor of backing policies indistinguishable from those of President Obama and having 'paved the way for Obamacare.'" — Perry Suggests Romney Inspired ‘Obamacare,' The New York Times

• "Some Republicans in Iowa say they have new eyes for Mitt Romney. The presidential campaigns of Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann have tarnished, and Chris Christie and Sarah Palin remain camped on the sidelines. The result: Romney has fresh appeal." — Some Republicans in Iowa give Romney a new look, Des Moines Register

• "Gov. Rick Perry immediately stepped up and praise the killing Friday of al Qaida leader Anwar al-Awlaki, whose convoy was successfully targeted by a U.S. drone. But the praise barely touched on the president, who has overseen the elimination of al Qaida's biggest leaders." — Perry begrudgingly mentions Obama in applauding death of a terrorist, Trail Blazers

• "With the 3rd fundraising quarter ending today, all eyes are on Rick Perry's first finance numbers. It's been a rough couple of weeks for the Texas governor, but a strong fundraising showing — say in the neighborhood of $15 million since announcing his bid in mid-August — would give him a much-needed boost and would solidify his chances of competing financially with Mitt Romney (who raised $18 million last quarter)." — Needing a boost, NBC News

• "Rep. Ron Paul's Republican presidential campaign brought in over $5 million the past three months.  The third quarter number is up from the $4.5 million the congressman from Texas raised in the quarter lasting from April through June." — Texas Rep. Ron Paul brings in over $5 million in 3rd quarter, CNN
  

• "Presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul, R-Lake Jackson, harshly criticized President Obama today for ordering the U.S. drone strikes that took down a high-profile Al Qaeda leader in Yemen today." — Ron Paul condemns Obama for Al Qaeda leader assassination; McCaul, Hutchison praise it, Texas on the Potomac

New in The Texas Tribune:

• "The Tribune loves infographics, including the recent one posted by the Perry campaign called 'State of Texas Economy.' But like all claims made by a political campaign, it deserves the scrutiny of a fact-checking exercise. Many — but not all — of the assertions checked out, particularly when considering contextual data." — On the Records: Fact Checking Perry on Texas Economy Claims

• "Texas prison inmates can’t vote, so most counties ignore them. But they can change the value of your votes for Congress and the state Legislature." — Prisoners Don't Vote, but They Sometimes Count

• "An Austin smart-grid project known as Pecan Street is continuing its roll-out with an announcement on Friday that a handful of major companies, including Whirlpool, Best Buy and Chevrolet, will test new-age products on the grid." — How is a Grid Smart? New Project Aims to Find Out