The team behind Texas Gov. Rick Perrys bid for the Republican presidential nomination scrambled on Thursday to recover from his performance in a debate in Michigan on Wednesday that was near-universally panned.

Saying he would eliminate three federal departments if he is elected president, Perry listed two of them -- Commerce and Education -- before admitting that he had forgotten one of them. Oops, Perry said after trying to remember the third one and failing.

WASHINGTON -- The 2011 off-year elections are a warning to Republicans. The 2010 party is over. 2012 will be a struggle.

My family, like most families in America, has its share of veterans. My Uncle George served in the Army under General George Patton during World War II. Other uncles served in the Navy and Air Force during Vietnam. My father-in-law was a radio man in the Marines serving in the Pacific Theater during World War II.

A poll from Quinnipiac University released on Thursday found that President Barack Obama is upside down in Florida, which remains one of the crucial contests of the 2012 general election.

The poll of Florida voters was part of Quinnipiacs look at swing states, which also included Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Whether the candidates acknowledge it, the GOP presidential field is shrinking.