Perry fundraising dries up

Rick Perry's fundraising has taken a major hit since he began sliding in the polls and flubbed some debates, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Perry's biggest asset at this point is money: He had $15 million in the bank after the last fundraising quarter, more than any other candidate besides Mitt Romney. But money follows momentum, and a series of weak debates, flubs and gaffes have stopped his mojo short.

Major fundraisers for Perry say that they had possible donors pull out of fundraising events after last Wednesday's debate, when Perry struggled to name the third government agency he wanted to close, and that initial donor excitement around the candidate has subsided as he has slid in the polls.

One predicted that Perry would bring in between $3 million and $5 million for this quarter, a major drop-off from the previous quarter and a sum that could make it difficult for Perry, who has been spending heavily on television and a national field operation, to keep up the fast pace of spending he has so far followed.