.

Needless to say, times are hard.  But, if you’re a friend and major campaign donor of Rick Perry’s, times ain’t so tough.  Rick Perry is gift wrapping millions in taxpayer money and scampering on down the road to his friends’ toga parties.

Gov. Rick Perry approved a $4.5 million award from the state’s technology fund to a company founded by a major campaign donor despite the company’s failure to win the endorsement of a regional screening board, The Dallas Morning News has learned.

The money was awarded in August to Convergen Lifesciences Inc., founded by Perry contributor David G. Nance. Convergen was allowed to bypass a key part of the Texas Emerging Technology Fund’s extensive process for vetting applications, and to proceed for approval to a statewide advisory board appointed by Perry.

“David Nance has donated $80,000 to Rick Perry’s campaigns, which is a pretty damn good investment  when you get a four and half million dollar return on your money,” Juanita admiringly says.  “I gotta send Ole Rick some money because my bank isn’t paying that well on my savings account.”

“And it appears, of damn course, that Mr. Nance has taken Ole Rick hunting and other testosterone related events.  I dunno,” she admits, “maybe four and half million dollars is the standard payment for having to hunt with Rick Perry.”

“Listen up.  Rick Perry is so crooked that he has to screw on his socks.  This ain’t the first time he’s played cahoots with taxpayer money, but it could be the last.”

Thelma jumps in.  “He’s crooked as a barrel of snakes.  He’s so crooked that when he dies, it’ll take a phillips screwdriver to get him in his coffin.  He’s crooked as a dog’s hind leg.  He’s crooked as a pail of fishhooks.  He so crooked …”

“We get it, Thelma,” everybody hollers before she works herself into a tizzy.

“Yeah, but if he swallows a nail, he’d spit up a corkscrew,” she grins.

That’s probably true.