Since @barackobama has forgotten how much he's added to national debt #ForAll our kids to pay off... twitter.com/GovernorPerry/...
— Rick Perry (@GovernorPerry) September 20, 2012
Rick Perry is so good at Twitter. A few days ago, he posted the gem above, complete with that extremely OG photo. Seems pretty clear, right? Barack Obama has added $16 trillion to the national debt. And Rick Perry is so tough, as one of my colleagues pointed out, that he can wear a long-sleeved white shirt and no undershirt outside on a 90-degree day in Texas without sprouting any un-gubernatorial pit stains.
The governor's anti-sweating powers are impressive, to be sure. But the knuckle-message is rather misleading, according to PolitiFact Texas.
Nobody is debating that the national debt hovers around $16 trillion, a number that makes our stomachs feel as though we're in an elevator plummeting downward. But to imply -- or say outright, actually -- that Obama's added that amount to the debt is false, they ruled.
"[N]early two thirds of that unprecedented total accumulated before Obama became president," the website wrote. "To be fair, too, changes in the debt cannot be laid on any president alone. Actions by members of both parties, over years, helped build the debt."
Perry spokeswoman Catherine Frazier told the website that their argument is "split[ing hairs," adding "I've explained to you the intent behind the governor's tweet... It is widely known that" that the national debt is $16 trillion, she said, "And climbing and that is what the governor was referring to. At least he recognizes the real figure, while President Obama is either oblivious or chooses to ignore it."
Fine. Now, let's talk about those cufflinks.