Texas Gov. Rick Perry is facing scrutiny over a hunting camp frequented by his family over decades, bearing the racially-charged name "N****head."

The Washington Post broke the news of the name — which predated Perry's family renting the land — and it is raising more doubts about Perry's electability.

While Perry has said that at the first opportunity his family painted over the offensive name, the Post reports that as recently as 2008 the name may have been visible. Perry used the camp to host retreats throughout his career in state government — with many attendees recalling seeing the name to this day.

While the Perry campaign is denying anything improper occurred, the report is sure to distract the campaign from its message — at a time when establishment Republicans are looking toward New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie as their savior.

Perry has yet to convince many in his party that he can appeal to independents and defeat President Barack Obama and news like this is moving his campaign in the wrong direction.

Businessman and 2012 contender Herman Cain said Perry was "very insensitive."

"That isn’t a more vile, negative word than the N word and for him to leave it there as long as he did before, I hear, that they finally painted over it, is just plain insensitive to a lot of black people in this country," he said on Fox News Sunday.

In a statement, Perry Communications Director Ray Sullivan said the following:

"A number of claims made in the story are incorrect, inconsistent, and anonymous, including the implication that Rick Perry brought groups to the lease when the word on the rock was still visible. The one consistent fact in the story is that the word on a rock was painted over and obscured many years ago.

"Gov. Perry and his family never owned, controlled or managed the property referenced in the Washington Post story. The 42,000-acre ranch is owned by the Hendricks Home for Children, a West Texas charity. http://www.hendrickhome.com/

"Perry’s father painted over offensive language on a rock soon after leasing the 1,000-acre parcel in the early 1980s. When Gov. Perry was party to the hunting lease from 1997 to 2007, the property was described as northern pasture. He has not been to the property since 2006.

“In 1991, the Texas Legislature passed a bill to rename old, offensive place names."

Read the full report here >