Following the debate, Bachmann issued this fundraising pitch:
Dear Fellow Conservative,
I’m offended.
If you watched tonight’s Republican debate, you saw Rick Perry defend his decision to mandate a vaccine for young girls through an executive order while he was governor of Texas. As a mother, I have raised three biological daughters and 23 foster daughters, and I believe taking away a parents right to direct the health care of their children is flat out wrong . It’s a violation of liberty and everything you and I stand for.
Tonight, I also questioned why Governor Perry made this executive order. When you look at the facts, the question becomes, is this about life or is this about millions and potentially billions for the drug company?
We cannot forget that in the midst of the executive order, a big drug company made millions of dollars because of this mandate. This drug company’s PAC made thousands of dollars in political donations to Governor Perry, and his own former Chief of Staff was working as the lobbyist for this drug company when he issued the mandate. This is flat out wrong.
h/t Maggie Haberman.
Is it 15 minutes yet?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseNo, it's not 15 minutes. Bachmann is here to stay.
However trivial some may view the Gardasil dispute, it goes to the heart of the relationship between citizens and the state. Perry made a really bad call. It seems unlike him, and that is what gives me pause. I like Perry, but I want a President whose basic philosophy I can depend on. I wish Perry hadn't raised doubts on that score.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWhy not make all vaccines optional?
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"Bachmann is here to stay."
You mean stay in minnesota, right?
Because I'd agree with you there. I don't she has a political future outside of there.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIm glad to see the lonely Bachman campaign staffer chiming in on the sea of Stupid. Last week it looked like she had literally been hooked up to jumper cables before the debate. This week her feigned moral outrage would make Morton Blackwell blush. Good grief, run for senate...get off the stage. You are embarrassing us ALL.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIf you think that girls should be as protected from cervical cancer as they are from stepping on a rusty nail in the playground, then the terrorists have already won.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWhat kind of non-sequitur is that?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMichelle, are you as hot and bothered about government mandated polio, measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines as you are about the HPV vaccines? If no, why? Is it because it is sexually transmitted? Do girls who have premarital sex deserve to get cervical cancer?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe difference of course is that measles, polio, mumps, and rubella are spread by casual contact and HPV is not.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseDepends on what your definition of casual is. This objection to protecting the female population from a virus is absurd. The sooner the GOP rids itself of fools like her the better.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI got it too... I won't be getting any more as I've removed my email from her constant contact listserv. Not however before replying. This line of attack on Perry makes me crazy as it is so dishonest.
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Rep Bachmann,
I am also offended.
I am familiar with the Guardasil issue in the state of Texas. I assume you too are familiar with the prevailing facts of the matter though you may not be too familiar with the intricacies of Texas politics. Some basic points in the matter come to mind that for me as a constitutional conservative make this a non-issue. I believe that anyone who seeks the truth in the matter would likely come to the same conclusion and that your (Paul’s and Santorum’s) attacks on the subject reek of political desperation and disregard for the truth.
1. To assume that a politician would be purchased with a 5,000 campaign contribution is laughable and to make such a claim in a debate on the hopes it will cause damage to the reputation of an honorable man is shameful.
2. HPV while an STD is the precursor to a deadly cancer. There are a number of vaccinations required by the state of Texas that can be transmitted any number of ways including some sundry behavior. Hepatitis comes to mind. Should TX not vaccinate children against this disease and rely on parents to teach their children of the dangers of dirty needles?
3. A rather routine executive order by a governor in a state in which the legislator meets every other year, is hardly on par with the constitutional over-reach of the Obama administration. In fact this very scenario proves that in TX our constitution worked and in the end all were satisfied.
4. All the other “optional” vaccinations in the state of TX are “opt out”. I’ve two daughters who are at vaccination ages and the pediatrician practically floods me with warning, drug interaction and side-effect information with each shot my girls receive. Parents are informed and can in TX make this call even if they have to opt out versus opting in.
Also your attack on Perry for the TX DREAM act is either based on political expediency or ignorance. Gov. Perry is exactly right. It is a states’ rights issue. TX is forced to support from diaper to diploma tons of immigrant children who cross with parents over an insecure border. The Feds refuse to secure the border, and then leave TX tax payers with the bills for WIC, public school, public health, etc. The TX tax payers in the form of their representatives and their duly elected (three times by the way) governor chose to extend the residential benefits of “in state tuition” rates to these “undocumented” students. Why? For two reasons, 1. TX citizens are good. We view these kids who grow up in our neighborhoods and go to school with our children as our own. And 2. TX tax payers are practical. We see no need to end the funding of these kids just BEFORE they get the education required to turn them into net tax contributors and REPAY the TX taxpayers for some of their prior generosity.
I’m ashamed of your attacks on my governor and by extension my fellow Texans. I have not and will not contribute to your campaign. I will however, in your honor, send a contribution to Perry.
This country needs leaders of honor. Whoever is advising you to step on the truth for these political talking points should be fired. If this is your approach and your decision, you have no place in the White House in 2012.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIf Bachmann would like to rephrase her objections without her all but accusing Perry of molesting little girls, I'd be a little more open to it, but she is really grasping here. Of course, if she thinks Perry got bought, she should have the guts to say it. As it is, Perry admitted making a mistake and reversing it. Bachmann needs to dial back the "outrage."
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseNon-issue.
Yes, it's philosophically distasteful, but it's not the offense to classical liberalism that, say, Social Security or Medicare are. And he's apologized for it. What more do people want?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMichelle Bachmann doubles down on stupid. She's spewing nonsense and, worse yet, she doesn' seem to realize it.
There is no important principle implicated here. Public health policy has involved mandating vaccinations as a condition of school attendance almost as long as there have been public schools. The idea that there is something shocking about this particular instance is idiotic.
Buh bye Michelle, you've embarrassed us and yourself long enough. You aren't ready for prime time and you never will be.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIf you don't see the difference between vaccinations against diseases from casual contact and one that is sexually transmitted only, then I'm afraid the embarrassment is all yours.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbusePerry has said he made a mistake, the executive order never went into effect, and like annoriabilis said, he apologized.
Someone who has been an executive of a state for 11 years is going to have some mistakes on his record. someone who has ANY executive, decision making experience is going to have some mistakes on their record. That is part of being an executive and why having executive experience PRIOR to becoming President is so important. As you gain more experience making decisions, you get better at making decisions.
Michelle has zero executive experience. That is why I don't support her candidacy. (well, that and she is a phony). Part of Obama's problem is he has no experience. He has never run anything. He has never lead anything. And he has never had to make decisions that he is accountable for. This is all new to him and he is clearly over his head.
What makes you think Michelle will be any different? Like I said, all executives make mistakes and get better at decision making over time. I don't want another President who will use the Oval Office as training ground on executive experience.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseDoes Bachmann oppose ALL mandated Vaccines?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIf you watched tonight’s Republican debate, you saw Rick Perry defend his decision to mandate a vaccine for young girls through an executive order while he was governor of Texas.
As a non-mother, I watched the debate and what I saw was Rick Perry say his decision in 2007 was a mistake. Wasn't the first time he's said this. Seems to me, someone who was standing 10 @#$%! feet away from the guy when he said it should have also picked up on this.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI bet Mitt will pay her campaign debts as well. And make her surgeon general.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseSince when does "mandatory" and having the ability to "opt out" mean the same thing? I'm getting confused here. If I can opt out of something is it really mandatory? Or does calling something a "mandate" not mean you are saying it's mandatory?
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