Michele Bachmann On HPV Vaccine: Rick Perry Engaged In 'Crony Capitalism'

WASHINGTON (AP/The Huffington Post) -- Rep. Michele Bachmann is accusing Republican presidential rival Rick Perry of engaging in "crony capitalism" in ordering an STD vaccine for schoolgirls.

Bachmann says in a broadcast interview she will keep hammering away at the Texas governor over an executive order he signed making vaccinations against potentially cancer-causing infections mandatory for young girls. The state legislature overturned Perry's decision.

Bachmann tells NBC's "Today" show "it's very clear that crony capitalism could likely have been the cause" of Perry's executive order mandating the shots, saying his former chief of staff was a lobbyist for Merck, the pharmaceutical company that produced the vaccine.

Perry says he made a mistake in doing it by executive order. But he also tells his rivals he will continue to "err on the side of life."

Bachmann slammed Perry for his 2007 executive order mandating that young girls in Texas be vaccinated against HPV during the GOP debate Monday night.

"To have innocent little 12-year-old girls be forced to have a government injection through an executive order is just flat out wrong. That should never be done. That's a violation of a liberty interest," she said.

"We cannot forget that in the midst of this executive order, there was a big drug company that made millions of dollars because of this mandate. We can't deny that," Bachmann continued, referring to Merck.

Bachmann's "crony capitalism" line was the same one Sarah Palin used in her speech at a Tea Party rally in Iowa earlier this month in which she criticized the "permanent political class" and "the collusion of big government and big business."

Following the debate Monday night, Palin defended Bachmann on Fox News.

"That someone as Michele Bachmann pointed out, was Governor Perry’s former chief of staff who went to work for a drug company who made the drug that would be required of the Texas government to mandate that our young daughters would have to be inoculated against potential disease from this company that his former chief of staff was lobbying for that is crony capitalism," Palin said.

"That's part of the problem we have in this country. People are afraid, even within our own party to call one another out on that. True reform and fighting the crony capitalism is a tough thing to do within your own party. You have to go up against the big guns. They will try to destroy you, when you call them out on the stakes they've made. Believe me I know. I have the bumps and bruises to prove it."

WATCH:

Comments

[Moira Toner]

03:29 PM on 09/18/2011

Vaccine debates all seem to share the common thread of personal liberty vs. public protection. How can Bachman call herself a representative of anyone without acknowledging public protection as a given, accepted norm or taking on ALL vaccines as unconstitutional? What is her alternative? What color is the sky in her world?

Parents and guardians of public school children are required to prove that child has received a list of vaccines before that child can enter a shared classroom. This provides some level of health protection to all students. Parents who do not want to do this have the option of not enrolling their child in a public school. While this policy (followed in every state and school district in the country) is not without some controversy, judging by the number of children enrolled in public schools, compliance is pretty well accepted and has been for a long time.

[somae]

08:10 AM on 09/16/2011

(From: http://www.garynull.com/home/hpv-and-natural-alternatives-to-the-hpv-vaccine.html)

"By February 2011, more than 20,500 adverse reaction reports pertaining to Gardasil were filed with the U.S. government -- an average of 12 reports per day [VAERS]. Nearly half of all reports required a doctor or emergency room visit, with hundreds of teenage girls and young women needing extended hospitalization.

In the case reports submitted to the FDA, 89 deaths were described due to blood clots, heart disease and other causes. In addition, many of the vaccine recipients -- young women -- were stricken with serious and life-threatening disabilities, including Guillain-Barre syndrome (paralysis), seizures, convulsions, swollen limbs, chest pain, heart irregularities, kidney failure, visual disturbances, arthritis, difficulty breathing, severe rashes, persistent vomiting, miscarriages, menstrual irregularities, reproductive complications, genital warts, vaginal lesions and HPV infection" the main reason to vaccinate.

According to Dr. Diane Harper, director of the Gynecologic Cancer Prevention Research Group at the University of Missouri, "The rate of serious adverse events [from Gardasil] is greater than the incidence rate of cervical cancer." [ABC News (August 19, 2009).]

Gardasil is being promoted as 100 percent effective. However, this is a deceptive assessment of its true ability to protect against cervical cancer. Gardasil is effective against just two strains of cancer-causing HPV -- the ones included in the vaccine -- but researchers have identified at least 15 cancer-causing HPV strains!

Gardasil will not prevent infection with HPV types not contained in the vaccine.

[mrmeeno]

10:46 AM on 11/06/2011

How to spot bad science: When somebody quotes contradictory figures for something they could have found out with google in something they're being paid to publish. From the same article:

"In the United States, an HPV vaccine -- Gardasil -- was licensed in 2006. It is designed to protect against just four of the more than 100 different HPV strains. "

[alkamm]

01:52 PM on 09/14/2011

Merck's donations to a pro-Parry PAC run by his former hack legislative director in charge of payoffs and patronage, one Toomey, were very much higher. Hundreds of thousands higher.

[alkamm]

01:47 PM on 09/14/2011

This is similar to the Florida governor's mandating drug testing his firm profited from. Shameless.

[JaneB3]

12:10 PM on 09/14/2011

Bachmann accusing Perry of "violating liberty rights," yet she persists in wanting to violate "a woman's right to choose," and "extending the same rights heterosexuals enjoy to same sex marraige." Seems to be Bachmanns likes to blather on selective rights as they suit her needs.

[rues]

10:37 PM on 09/14/2011

They are all selective...all of them...With so many issues that need addressing, people and their personal lives should not be on the agenda...They should not be what we are worried about..They have no right in our bodies, and certainly no right in our sex lives or how we chose to live with and with whom. I go blank, who should be voted for...who should we put our faith in. Someone who cannot be bought? Priorities...jeeze, get our military home, bring jobs back to America, just the jobs will help with homeless and jobless and hunger. Help our Country before helping everyone else...It seems these debates over abortion, injections, gay marriages are just a way to avoid discussing the problems that truly impact every single American.

[JaneB3]

02:45 AM on 09/15/2011

You and I are on the same page, and in total agreement.

[Ustand4what]

01:04 AM on 09/15/2011

"a woman's right to choose"?? Most (I would give a % but if it wasn't spot on,I'd hear about it)women do choose.Like when they choose to engage in certain behavior. If you plant an apple tree,you might want to expect the possibilities of having apples around.

[JaneB3]

03:15 AM on 09/15/2011

There's nothing unusual about women and men choosing to engage in "certain behavior," often resulting in the woman becoming pregnant. The sex was a pleasant experience. The idea of pregnancy not. Thanks to Roe vs. Wade women have the legal right to terminate a pregnancy. Terminating a pregnancy is an inviolable personal choice, and none of the government's business..

[daveclementsusa]

10:07 AM on 09/14/2011

Michele Bachmann, Clepto with Identity crisis?

Lines stealing...
Wardrobe copying...
Nancy Pelosi voice sounding...
70s Lindsay (Bionic Woman) Wagner hair cut wearing...
Janet Reno shake'n...

Copying the "Admiral" at next debate and question...
WHO AM I, WHY AM I HERE???

[Eagleman]

09:59 AM on 09/14/2011

Crony Capitalism - Merck for the right, GE for left

Good bless America

[dfranz]

09:32 AM on 09/14/2011

If Perry was so concerned about childrens health he would have made sure that Texas didn't have the largest number of uninsured kids in the nation. The entire premise of his forcing 12 year old girls to have immunization from a big donor and the employer of his PAC is so sleazy it makes my skin crawl. Texas is a mess and he wants to bring that right to your home state too.

[NewDem08]

08:40 AM on 09/14/2011

If you want a clear picture of the Palin (and any Tea Party member's agenda), just look at the tags of a recent post at T E A M S A R A H:

Tags: house, president, real, white

Sums it up rather succinctly.

[exhale09]

08:28 AM on 09/14/2011

The women who supposedly came up to Bachmann should come forward IMMEDIATELY with her "story" of her daughter's
mental retardation DUE to the vaccine. Michelle should tell us her name.

It should be brought to the Public knowledge and before CONGRESS, to stop the vaccinations so other children are saved from the vaccine.....

"IF" it is true that is.... Right Michelle? As a member of Congress don't you feel a responsibility to the PUBLIC to do something about this important accusation?
I mean you did offer it as EVIDENCE as to why the injection is bad, scaring millions of parents everywhere who believe they are preventing cervical cancer by allowing their daughters to have this vaccine.

Why hasn't Ms. Bachmann brought this woman forward so something can be done?

Inquiring minds want to know.

[exhale09]

08:07 AM on 09/14/2011

On "Crony Capitalism" I agree with Ms. Bachmann.

On Government mandated "vaccine"...she needs to answer the question, "To be consistent in your ideological beliefs, does your position apply to ALL Government mandated vaccines?
Polio, Small pox, Measles, Diphtheria, etc.?"

The Public needs to know her exact position on this very important issue of Public Health.

[Emerson Biggins]

07:31 AM on 09/14/2011

Merk is not the only company to find its way onto Rick's radar screen. He claims it was a $5,000 contribution but the reports circulating around say it was closer to $500,000.

Perry Homes (no relation) also made $500,000 contributions and suddenly Gov. P was very anxious to pass laws restricting the right of homeowners to sue builders over the shoddy workmanship endemic in the Perry Homes McMansions.

We can't sue hospitals or doctors for more than $250,000 thanks to P-Rick.
If you own a large and profitable corporation, Rick is your man. If you are a regular citizen, please consider your decision very carefully before you vote for this "man".

[Shrank]

12:21 AM on 09/14/2011

Crony capitalism? Then Bachmann is guilty of "Phony capitalism". She and her hubby built their fortune on the backs of taxpayers, not investment and hard work. She's a total fraud.

[exhale09]

08:09 AM on 09/14/2011

You are exactly right. Bachmann is a fraud, but then so is Rick Perry.

[MyDawg1967]

11:26 PM on 09/13/2011

"If we took away the minimum wage -- if conceivably it was gone -- we could potentially virtually wipe out unemployment completely because we would be able to offer jobs at whatever level." Michele Bachmann, Jan. 2005

Anyone interested in a buck-fifty an hour, or whatever???

[blueinannarbor]

01:22 AM on 09/14/2011

The south had a way of eliminating wages altogether until that pesky 13th amendment came along. Oh, snap! I'd better not give Bachmann the idea to start a repeal effort.

[exhale09]

08:12 AM on 09/14/2011

This is Ms. Bachmann's JOBS Plan.

Impossible to wrap your mind around how these TP people think isn't it?

[Joey Legg]

10:52 PM on 09/13/2011

Hmmm, wonder how she feels about a girl/ woman being forced to watch the ultrasound of a gestating fetus in her womb?

[exhale09]

08:14 AM on 09/14/2011

Not just to "watch" it, but be forced by Government to HAVE an ultrasound in the first place!

[Ustand4what]

01:10 AM on 09/15/2011

Who is forcing them to?If you were building a house,choosing a bank or anything else less important,wouldn't you agree that someone should be able to have all facts available before making a decision?