Rick Perry's New Problem

* Texas Gov Rick Perry spent Sunday on the defensive - a report in WaPo about a West Texas hunting camp he once leased with his father with a racial epithet in its name

*** It’s the latest controversy to dog him - he also said on Saturday in New Hampshire he’d send US troops into Mexico to combat drug violence there - his campaign’s tried to walk that back, but not been clear whether he’d do it with or without cooperation

* The word “Niggerhead” was painted in block letters across a large rock flanking the property’s entrance - Perry’s called the name “offensive”, says his father painted over it shortly after leasing the land

** Problem is seven people cited in the story say differently and it remains unclear when or whether Perry dealt with the name while using the camp

* Herman Cain says “There isn’t a more vile, negative word than the n word and for him to leave it there as long as he did it’s just plain insensitive to a lot of black people in this country”

* Perry’s camp’s put out several statements trying to do damage control

* David Axelrod, chief strategist for Obama’s re-election, said “campaigns are like an MRI for the soul - whoever you are, people eventually find out, time will tell whether this comes to reflect him or not”

** Perry in New Hampshire tried hard to counter the perception that he’s soft on immigration over the weekend, taking tough questions from voters