On Wednesday afternoon, the Mitt Romney campaign posted a brutal web video attacking Rick Perry for the way he’s performed in the past few debates.
Many viewers saw it as an attack on Perry’s intelligence. And a few hours after it went up, the video disappeared.
Here’s TPM’s original writeup of the video, posted Wednesday around 5 PM by Benjy Sarlin. The video was sent out by the Romney campaign in a release (see below for the full text), and embedded on an anti-Perry mini-site run by Team Romney called CareerPolitician.com.
When we checked on it again at 10 PM, it had disappeared, replaced on YouTube by the message “This video has been removed by the user.”
The Romney campaign did not respond to a request for comment on the status of the video.
Here’s a bit of what it looked like, as clipped off CNN by ThinkProgress:
The full text of Romney’s release on the video, which hit TPM’s inbox at 6:01 PM Eastern:
ROMNEY FOR PRESIDENT RELEASES NEW WEB VIDEO, “READY TO LEAD?”
Boston, MA – Today, Romney for President released a new web video, “Ready To Lead?” The video highlights Rick Perry’s inability to discuss the issues.
To View “Ready To Lead?” Please See: http://mi.tt/rozkcR
AD FACTS: Script For “Ready To Lead?”
CNN’s ANDERSON COOPER: “And welcome to the Sands Convention Center at the Venetian in Las Vegas.”
· CNN’s Anderson Cooper: “And welcome to the Sands Convention Center at the Venetian in Las Vegas.” (Republican Presidential Candidates Debate, Las Vegas, NV, 10/19/11)
CNN’s JOHN KING: “It is Rick Perry’s moment of truth.”
· CNN’s John King: “In presidential politics, it is Rick Perry’s moment of truth.” (CNN’s “John King, USA,” 10/11/11)
CNN’s GLORIA BORGER: “Republicans need to believe that if they are going to nominate somebody, this person can stand next to Barack Obama on the stage.”
· CNN’s Gloria Borger: “Republicans need to believe that if they are going to nominate somebody, this person can stand next to Barack Obama on the stage and go at him and do well at it.” (CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360,” 10/12/11)
RICK PERRY: “Was it — was before he was before the social programs, from the standpoint of he was for.”
· Rick Perry: “Was it — was before he was before the social programs, from the standpoint of he was for standing up for Roe v. Wade before he was against Roe v. Wade?” (Republican Presidential Candidates Debate, Orlando, FL, 9/22/11)
CNN’s RANDI KAYE: “Do or die for him.”
· CNN’s Randi Kaye: “Some, tonight, say it’s do or die for him.” (CNN’s “Newsroom,” 10/11/11)
RICK PERRY: “Not whether or not we are going to have this policy or that policy. …We don’t need any plan.”
· Rick Perry: “What we need to be focused on in this country today is not whether or not we are going to have this policy or that policy. … We don’t need any plan to pass Congress.” (Republican Presidential Candidates Debate, Hanover, NH, 10/11/11)
FOX NEWS’ BRIT HUME: “Perry did really throw up all over himself in the debate.”
· Fox News’ Brit Hume: “They’re all — I mean, Perry really did throw up all over himself in the debate at a time when he needed to raise his game.” (Fox’s “Fox News Sunday,” 9/25/11)
RICK PERRY: “But the fact is, Americans understand faith.”
· Rick Perry: “But the fact is, Americans understand faith.” (Republican Presidential Candidates Debate, 10/18/11)
CNN’s CAROL COSTELLO: “Rick Perry plunging in the polls, rolling the dice.”
· CNN’s Carol Costello: “Rick Perry plunging in the polls, rolling the dice with a sharp attack against Mitt Romney and it got ugly and uncomfortable.” (CNN’s “American Morning,” 10/19/11)
NEVADA GOP CHAIRWOMAN AMY TARKANIAN: “He would just calm down. He seemed very agitated.”
· Nevada GOP Chairwoman Amy Tarkanian: “A lot of people that were sitting by me were hoping that he would just calm down. He seemed very agitated.” (CNN’s “American Morning,” 10/19/11)
REDSTATE’s ERICK ERICKSON: “Set the benchmark so low at the last debate.”
· RedState.com’s Erick Erickson: “He set such a benchmark so low at the last debate.” (CNN’s “John King, USA,” 10/12/11)
RICK PERRY: “I mean we’ll wait until tomorrow, and see…”
· Rick Perry: “I mean, we’ll wait until tomorrow and — and — and see which Mitt Romney we’re really talking to tonight.” (Republican Presidential Candidates Debate, Orlando, FL, 9/22/11)
FOX NEWS’ GRETCHEN CARLSON: “He doesn’t have his economic plan yet.”
· Fox News’ Gretchen Carlson: “He doesn’t have his economic plan yet.” (Fox News’ “Fox & Friends,” 9/22/11)
REDSTATE’s ERICK ERICKSON: “All he had to do is show up and smile.”
· RedState.com’s Erick Erickson: “I mean, really, all he had to do is show up and smile at this debate, and the Perry folks would be a little bit feeling at ease this morning.” (CNN’s “John King, USA,” 10/12/11)
THE WASHINGTON POST’s DANA MILBANK: “He’s just a shadow of his former self.”
· The Washington Post’s Dana Milbank: “He’s just a shadow of his former self.” (MSNBC, 9/23/11)
CNN’s GLORIA BORGER: “You cannot do that debate with other Republicans he’s going to have a hard time against Barack Obama.”
· CNN’s Gloria Borger: “And if he cannot do that in a debate with his Republican contenders, with the other Republicans, he’s going to have a hard time against Barack Obama. That’s what people are looking for. And he hasn’t shown it yet.” (CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360,” 10/11/11)
VIDEO TEXT: “Rick Perry, Ready To Lead?”
VIDEO TEXT: “Coming Soon, www.careerpolitician.com”
