Rick Perry tries cashing in on mug shot
RickPAC, the Super PAC devoted to supporting Rick Perry, has come up with a creative way to make a few extra bucks: Offer t-shirts showcasing the Texas governor's grinning mug shot.
Perry turned himself into the Travis County Justice Center last week to be booked and have his mug shot taken after being indicted on two felony countsof abuse of power earlier this month.
The shirt, which costs $25, features Perry's face on the front with a red "Wanted" stamped across the top. Underneath, it says, "(For securing the border and defeating Democrats)".
The back of the shirt has the decidedly less poised mug shot of Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg, who was arrested in April 2013 and later pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated. She was sentenced to 45 days in jail.
Prosecutors allege that Perry abused his powers by calling for Lehmberg to resign after her conviction. When she did not step down, Perry vetoed the $7.5 million in funding for her office.
Lehmberg's mug shot on the t-shirt features a read "Guilty" sign and text underneath it that reads, "(Driving while intoxicated and perversion of justice)".
Perry has been undeterred by his legal troubles, which actually had the effect of boosting attention during a weekend visit to New Hampshire. His adviser there, Mike Dennehy, told CBS News last week that the number of people who signed up to attend a rally with him went "through the roof" after the indictment.
He is also slated to appear in another early primary state, South Carolina, for a football game and fundraiser benefitting the state GOP this week.
He told attendees at a Portsmouth, N.H. rally that he was not sufficiently prepared for his 2012 presidential bid, when he entered the race to great fanfare but quickly fizzled out after several high-profile mistakes.
He'll be more ready if he decides to take another shot at the White House, he said Friday.
"I've spent a lot of time in preparation," Perry said. "That's not to say I've made a decision I'm going to run. I haven't. But the reason I don't choose to run will not be because I'm ill-prepared."