TribBlog: Perry Takes a Knee [Updated]

Gov. Rick Perry's having knee surgery on Friday. 

In an e-mail sent out this afternoon, Dana Parish, deputy finance director for Texans for Rick Perry, notified supporters that a campaign event had been rescheduled because of the impending surgery.

"Yesterday, we were not at liberty to give the reason for the date change," she wrote in the e-mail. "But, before it is released to the press tomorrow, I wanted to let all of you know Governor Perry will be having knee surgery on June 4th and that is the reason his schedule was cleared that day."

Shortly after, the governor's office sent out its own statement, saying Perry would undergo an "arthroscopic debridement" to "repair a torn meniscus in his left knee." The surgery is an hour-long outpatient procedure; the governor had the same one on his right knee in 2001.

"As required by the Texas Constitution, the Office of the Governor has notified Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst of the procedure so that he may be prepared to assume the duties of governor while Gov. Perry is temporarily unable to serve," the statement says. 

Meanwhile, Parish's e-mail put a positive spin on the situation. "I know this is not ideal and unfortunately may conflict with some of your own summer plans. Cancellations and date changes are very rare, and I am sorry one fell on June 4th. However, it does give us more time to raise money and spread the word!"