Rumsfeld had role in Perry meeting

Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld helped organize Rick Perry's foreign policy and national security briefing in Austin last Wednesday, Rumsfeld's staff confirmed today.

Perry's aides have been tight-lipped about the gathering, which National Review reported included former Rumsfeld aides Doug Feith, Daniel Fata, and William Luti, as well as the magazine's Andrew McCarthy and others . But I'm told Rumsfeld helped steer Perry's staff to the low-key advisory group, and his detainee adviser Cully Stimson was also invited, but couldn't attend.

The connection was fortuitous: The two men know each other but don't have a particularly close relationship; however Rumsfeld's research director, Victoria Coates, has friends on Perry's staff and made the connection.

Rumsfeld spokesman Keith Urbahn said in an emailed statement:

Gov. Perry's staff recently reached out to our office for names of national security and foreign policy experts that Mr. Rumsfeld respects and trusts. To Mr. Rumsfeld's knowledge, Gov. Perry's staff selected the individuals who attended last week's briefing in Austin, Texas. Mr. Rumsfeld and Gov. Perry have not spoken or met recently, though Mr. Rumsfeld has met with a number of Republican presidential candidates over the past months. He is watching the current field with interest and is particularly interested in the candidates' positions on foreign and national security policy and their prospects in winning in November 2012.