Perry piles on Romney over comment about liking to 'fire people'

Rick Perry wants voters to remember Monday as GOP rival Mitt Romney's turn to misspeak.

Perry's campaign is offering a downloadable 12-second audio clip of Romney's voice saying: "I like being able to fire people."

Romney made the comment earlier on Monday while speaking to business members at a campaign stop in New Hampshire, while speaking about President Obama's healthcare plan.

"I was speaking about insurance companies and the need to be able to make a choice," Romney clarified later.

Perry has been better known for his verbal "oops" moments, such as an extended memory lapse during a debate when the candidate forgot the third Cabinet-level department he proposed to eliminate as president. But Monday was a bad day for Romney, who faced criticism from both Democrats and fellow GOP presidential candidates — including Perry and Jon Huntsman — over the remark.

Perry's campaign released a statement saying, "Voters are just now meeting the Real Romney — the buyout tycoon who executed takeovers, bankrupted businesses, and sent jobs overseas while killing American jobs."

Perry's campaign suggests using the clip as a ringtone.

---