Perry, Dewhurst and Barack Obama on the links

Speaking at the Republican Party of Texas convention in Fort Worth, Gov. Rick Perry mentioned the Democrat he once hoped to succeed.

Saying the country needs a president “who believes in us again,” Perry continued, according to his prepared remarks: “Three and a half years, and nearly 100 rounds of golf into his presidency, Barack Obama has exploded the federal debt, passed a failed, budget-busting stimulus package, socialized health care, and provided guns to Mexican drug cartels.”

That’s a handful of provocative claims. We immediately took up only the familiar one about Obama and “fore!”

That’s because Perry was echoing Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, who seeks the 2012 Republican U.S. Senate nomination. In April, we confirmed Dewhurst’s statement that Obama by then had played more than 90 rounds of golf. That check is posted along with the one of Perry, to the right.

And remember: ‘fore you go to the polls, there’s no need to yell, “Fore!”