After forgetting the third government agency he wants to get rid of at this week's debate, Rick Perry has been doing the TV talk show damage control tour. Last night it was the turn of the 'Late Show' (Weeknights, 11:35PM ET on CBS), where Perry tried his hand at comedy.

The 'Top 10 Rick Perry Excuses' had some funny moments, and a nervous-looking Perry started off okay, but mostly he seemed stiff and uncomfortable.

We liked his riffs on Mitt Romney -- "You try concentrating with Mitt Romney smiling at you. That is one handsome dude!" -- and Herman Cain -- "I wanted to help take the heat off my buddy" -- but our advice to Governor Perry is: Don't quit the day job for stand-up.

Hey, we've all been there, done that. You're in the middle of a conversation, trying to make a salient and oh-so-important point and then blammo! -- out of nowhere you suddenly just can't ... find ... the ... right ... word. Your brain feels like it's a vast, empty expanse with nothing but a few tumbleweeds drifting by now and then, and you're left feeling rather bewildered, struggling to remember exactly what it was that seemed just so darned important just a few seconds ago.

Fortunately, very few of us will experience that rabbit-in-the-headlights moment on live television. Unlike would-be presidential candidate Rick Perry, who last night had a very public cerebral sno-cone moment lasting over 50 seconds during a televised presidential debate. Listing the three federal agencies he'll abolish if elected president, he lost his train of thought and floundered.

Even with Ron Paul, Mitt Romney and moderator John Harwood trying to make helpful suggestions. "It's three agencies of government when I get there that are gone: Commerce, Education and the, uh, what's the third one there, let's see... " wondered Perry.

Come cringe with us after the jump ...