Front page in Sunday’s Dallas Morning News:  Click the little one to get the big one.  —

The Dallas Morning News is so self-important that they make you pay to see their entire stories, but I can help you with the jest of it.

After almost six months away from the state to campaign for president, Rick Perry has barely returned to his Capitol office since arriving back in Austin, state records show.

In the first 16 days since he dropped from the race, covering Jan. 19 through Feb. 3, Perry went to his office only three times and stayed no more than three hours each time, according to his state calendar obtained by The Dallas Morning News under the state’s public information law.

The bad news:  Rick Perry is not showing up for work.

The good news:  Rick Perry is not showing up for work.

And when he does show up, it ain’t for, you know, actual work.

The schedules may also indicate that Perry remains vulnerable to criticism that has dogged both his gubernatorial tenure and his presidential campaign: that he doesn’t dive deeply into policy and is more focused on politics. Perry’s political schedules are kept separately, but interviews show that he spent time upon his return to Texas calling financial and political backers to thank them for their support.

Honey, if the devil is ever dieing, we’re gonna use Rick Perry to go fetch the doctor.  We have to lay out markers to see if he’s moving at all.

If you do decide to purchase this article, I do need to warn you that they quote Harold Cook.

“It doesn’t matter what time period you look at, this governor always has something better to do than run the state,” said Harold Cook, a consultant who works closely with Democratic state senators.

And he says that like it’s a bad thing.

Thanks to David for the heads up.