The Midday Brief: Dec. 8, 2011

Your afternoon reading:

• "Texas Gov. Rick Perry's newest television ad criticizing the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell was created over the objections of at least one top staff member, sources in the Perry campaign tell The Huffington Post." — Rick Perry's Anti-Gay Iowa Ad Divides His Top Staff, The Huffington Post

• "Texas Gov. Rick Perry is the latest GOP presidential candidate to decline an invitation to the controversial debate that will be hosted by Donald Trump, saying that 'retail campaigning' in the days leading up to the Iowa caucuses is his 'top priority.'" — Rick Perry the latest to decline Trump-moderated debate, The Hill

• "In a final push to resuscitate his floundering campaign, Rick Perry will be headed to Iowa on Saturday — and staying there nearly non-stop through the Jan. 3 caucuses, POLITICO has learned. What Perry’s campaign calls a 'wall to wall' bus tour of Iowa is an attempt to put the Texas governor back into contention by capitalizing on the retail politicking skills that were once thought would be an overpowering strength in the state." — Rick Perry to launch last-push Iowa bus tour, Politico

• "A fourth presidential candidate has now committed to be at an abortion forum in Des Moines hosted by Mike Huckabee on Dec. 14. Rick Perry will join Newt Gingrich, Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum for the event – as well as the more than 1,000 Iowans who have RSVP’ed, organizers said." — Rick Perry will attend abortion forum in Des Moines with Mike Huckabee, Des Moines Register

• "Anita Perry told about two dozen students at Simpson College that her husband offers a clear break from Washington politics as usual. She touted his plan to make Congress a part-time profession and docking lawmakers pay if they fail to balance the budget. 'If you are frustrated by politicians mortgaging your future, by the faltering economy, by corruption that stretches from Washington to Wall Street you have a choice,' she said." — Anita Perry tells Iowa students to turn back Washington insiders, Trail Blazers

New in The Texas Tribune:

• "Gov. Rick Perry is promising to reinstate the ban on gays serving openly in the military if he’s elected president, but he’s not sure yet what to do with the ones who have already come out of the closet." — Perry Hedges on Gay Soldiers Already Serving Openly

• "Rick Perry's new ad railing against the repeal of the military's 'don't ask, don't tell' policy and proclaiming he'd end 'Obama's war on religion' has created some viral backlash. Quickly." — Opposition to Perry's "Strong" Ad Goes Viral