Paul, Perry Barely Know Each Other Despite Texas Clout

Despite the fact that Republican presidential candidates Ron Paul and Rick Perry are powerful politicians in Texas, they barely seem to know each other. Apparently there’s no ill will between Gov. Perry and Rep. Paul, Politico reports. They’ve just traveled different paths during their 30-some years in Texas politics.

“To Ron’s memory, they’ve never spoken a word or shaken hands,” top Paul adviser Jesse Benton told Politico, though he said the two have occasionally been in the same room over the years.

But Perry spokesman Mark Miner remembers it differently. He said the two met most recently when Paul showed up for a get-together Perry conducted with the state’s congressional delegation this year.

This week, Paul made light of Perry’s incendiary comments about Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. “I’ll tell you what, he makes me sound like a moderate,” Paul said.