Rick Perry fails to remember what agency he'd get rid of in GOP debate

Updated Nov. 10, 12:30 a.m. ET

In a cringe-worthy moment during Wednesday's Republican presidential debate, Texas Gov. Rick Perry couldn't remember the third federal agency he has pledged to eliminate.

Perry was discussing his jobs plan and his flat tax plan when he said: "And I will tell you, it is three agencies of government when I get there that are gone. Commerce, Education, and the... what's the third one there? Let's see."

Perry then paused and there was audible laughter in the room. Texas Rep. Ron Paul then chimed in "You need five," to which Perry responded, "Oh, five, OK. So Commerce, Education, and the..."

Romney then suggested, "EPA?" to which Perry responded, "EPA, there you go, no..." with laughter from the candidate and the audience.

Moderator John Harwood from CNBC then asked, "Seriously, is the EPA the one you were talking about?"

"No, sir, no, sir. We were talking about the agencies of government -- the EPA needs to be rebuilt. There's no doubt about that," Perry responded.

"But you can't name the third one?" Harwood asked.

"The third agency of government I would, I would do away with, the Education, the... Commerce and, let's see," Perry said, as his brain freeze continued.

Finally, Perry gave up, saying:  "I can't. The third one, I can't. Sorry. Oops."  (Watch the whole exchange above at left)

However, a few minutes later in the debate, Perry remembered that the third department was the Energy Department. "By the way that was the Department of Energy I was reaching for a while ago," he said with a chuckle when he was asked another question.

Following the debate, Perry acknowledged that the moment was "embarrassing," saying that he "stepped in it."

"I'm glad I had my boots on tonight because I sure stepped in out there," Perry said in the spin room.

"I tell you what - I named two more agencies of government than what the current administration has talked about getting rid of, and Energy just wouldn't come out," he added. "Anyway, those three agencies of government - Education, and Energy and Commerce - are part of it, the bottom line is I may have forgotten Energy, but I haven't forgotten my conservative principles, and that's what this campaign is really going to be about."

When asked if he was embarrassed, Perry replied: "I stepped in it, man. Yeah it was embarrassing, of course it was."

In an interview with CNBC after the debate, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann sympathized with Perry, saying "we all felt very bad for him."

Perry said he would not rethink participating in future debates, as his campaign has in the past suggested he might.

"Absolutely not," Perry said when asked. "I'll be in South Carolina on Saturday, and hopefully I'll remember the Energy Department." (Saturday's debate from South Carolina, focusing on national security and foreign policy, is sponsored by CBS News and National Journal, and will air on the CBS Television Network and here at CBSNews.com starting at 8 p.m. ET.)

The gaffe is likely to reinforce an image of Perry as someone who is often at a loss for words in debates and may not be able to go toe-to-toe with President Obama next fall if he were to win the Republican nomination.

Although he was at the top of the polls when he entered the race in August, Perry's standing dropped after a series of poor debate performances in September. More recently, Perry's speaking style was questioned after an an edited video of a speech he made in New Hampshire went viral.

Whether this latest blooper will become a seminal moment for Perry's campaign is yet to be known, but it's sure to be played over and over on TV and the Web in the coming days. And that's not what Perry campaign wants as the Texas governor seeks to regain momentum with less than two months to go before the voting begins.

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[lizc63]

It's difficult to see how he can regain credibility after this.
However there are many who would have written off George W bush in the same way. Lets wait and see
Liz
http://givingfeedback.org

[atomant59]

This might explain why the last two politicians from the great state of texas have problems constructing a sentence or explaining their positions.

Texas is #49 in verbal SAT scores in the nation (493) and #46 in average math SAT scores (502).

Texas is #36 in the nation in high school graduation rates (68%).

Texas is #33 in the nation in teacher salaries. Teacher salaries in Texas are not keeping pace with the national average. The gains realized from the last state-funded across-the-board pay raise authorized in 1999, which moved the ranking from 33 to as high as 26th in the nation, have disappeared over the last five years.

Texas was the only state in the nation to cut average per pupil expenditures in fiscal year 2005, resulting in a ranking of #40 nationally; down from #25 in fiscal year 1999.

[rexreddy]

Saying you are going to abolish government institutions in the manner he did is just as unwise as not doing your homework before the debate. Perry needs to go home and focus on Texas.

[lanawonders]

At this rate . . . Palin 2012

[American_overseas]

LOL ... I loved it !!! The best part was when Perry turned to look straight at Cain when saying ... oops. I wouldn't be surprised this was Perry's way of responding to Cain blaming others for his inappropriate behaviors.

[independent_voter_1]

He didn't forget the agency he wanted to eliminate. He forgot the agency HIS HANDLERS TOLD HIM to eliminate.

[montani42]

It was a Department, not an agency. The Department of Energy was formed by President Carter, another liberal, with the sole mission of reducing our imports of oil from the Middle East. All the years since it was formed, imports of oil from the Middle East have gone up. It should be eliminated. By the way, Gov. Perry doesn't need "handlers" as Obama does. Perry is a man.

[atomant59]

I see a Bromance in the making :)

[Songbirdia]

Perry had a lapse of memory, it happens. But to draw the analogy that it was as devastating as the Challenger event was very wrong of the network. Over reaction of the news only creates emotional not intellectual response to the situation. Personally I have not settled on a candidate but this will not automatically omit Perry. He without sin cast the first stone, comes to mind. I would have been much more interested in the network covering what was said, not what was not said.

[AbdulTheOne]

A memory lapse? That's very telling, like someone who memorizes something because they have to, and then forgetting. Here's a good analogy: A smoker who has lung cancer and smokes 4 packs a day knows he needs to give up some bad habits, but which ones? I can't remember.

[gep1955]

There's so many to abolish I wouldn't be able to remember them all either.

[vkmurphy]

My comment as an independent voter has to do with Chris Wragge's interview with Rick Perry. Yes Rick Perry could not bring to mind the third agency he would dissolve or diminish, but for Chris Wragge to compare this moment in Perry's campaign as a "human challenger" was ENTIRELY inappropriate, heartless, and just another sign of incompetence with this morning team. Harry Smith would NEVER have been so callous.

[facelessdrone2005]

The debate is supposed to be about an exchange of ideas, not how good you look while you're debating or your debating style. So he screwed up his speech. Well, so did Dubya and so did Obama. I tend to vote Democrat but maybe Perry is right on the idea that these departments should be abolished. I hate to see discussion of that idea overshadowed by the fact he had a temporary brain cramp while saying it. Let's try listening to each other for once.

[OldProfessor]

If you noticed Perry's gaffe prevented him from having to make sense of doing away with the Departments of Commerce, Education and Energy. It strikes me as those are very important agencies that are at the heart of our current problems that have been emphasized by the recession.