Deep breath.

Rick Perry hearts Rick Perry.  He’s at the Iowa State Fair.

The Texas governor addressed the Iowa State Fair on Tuesday, and when the moderator thanked him after his speech, Perry reportedly said: “You’re welcome. I’m awesome!”

No, no you’re not.

And we’re pretty sure he’s drinking again.

At one point, the Republican governor met a 10-year-old girl and continued to shake her hand as he spoke with her parents.

“I can’t feel my fingers,” Mackenzie Goodyk said, according to the report.

“Oh, my gosh, I had a hold of you, didn’t I?” Perry responded.

Oh Lord, Rick.  That’s not what you’re supposed to be grabbing.

In slightly related story, Texans investing their tax money in Rick Perry’s presidential run might want a refund but we don’t know how much they should get because we’re not allowed to know how much we’re paying.

It should be noted that Texas taxpayers also pay for Perry’s trips to Iowa (and Israel, and the Bahamas), but even at the height of his last run for president, in 2011 and early 2012, the bill for his security detail was only $400,000 a month. (A ruling this week by state Attorney General Greg Abbott — the GOP nominee to replace Perry as governor — means Texans will no longer get a detailed accounting of Perry’s security expenses, despite a 2011 state law mandating their release.)

Whatever we’re paying is too much.  Especially when he’s going to hurt little girls and do stuff like this:

 Thanks to everybody for the heads up.