Top Democratic strategists say Perry is about to face a level of scrutiny far deeper than anything he has faced in Texas.
“Can Rick Perry survive a careful analysis of his record?” asked Paul Begala, a Houstonian who advised Bill Clinton when the Arkansas governor first sought the presidency. “I don't know, but he's going to need more than just a powerful blow dryer to pretty up that record.”
Begala says he thinks Perry is “very likely to run” and must be prepared to see old political skeletons unearthed.
“As someone who knew him a little 25 years ago — when he was a Democrat preparing to be Al Gore's state chairman — I do think he had better be ready to defend and explain his record,” Begala said.
