I never thought I would say this, but I agree with Michele Bachmann.
I still don’t believe God sends hurricanes to tell us to cut social programs, but I do think Texas Governor Rick Perry‘s human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine executive order went over the line — just not for all the reasons Republicans believe.
At last Monday’s GOP debate, Congresswoman Bachmann called Perry out on a 2007 executive order that required incoming middle-school girls in Texas to receive a vaccination against HPV, a common sexually transmitted infection and the leading cause of cervical cancer.
Bachmann and Congressman Ron Paul focused mainly on Perry’s potential overreach of executive power, which he acknowledged was a mistake.
Bachmann went on to point out Perry’s personal and financial ties to pharmaceutical giant Merck, the sole supplier of the HPV vaccine at the time of the order.
In response to Bachmann’s claims, Perry pointed out Merck only contributed $5,000 to his campaign, or roughly a hundredth of a percent of the $30 million the presidential hopeful had already raised at the time.
Perry went on to say Bachmann’s insinuation that he could be bought for $5,000 “offended” him. The governor’s unfortunate word choice begs the question of how great a contribution must be to avoid offending Perry’s delicate sensibilities, and the answer is pretty large.
Merck has donated $28,500 to Perry over the past several years and contributed another $377,500 to the Republican Governors Association, which has consistently been one of Perry’s largest campaign contributors.
Perry’s former chief of staff, Mike Toomey, was a lobbyist for Merck during the HPV debacle. Toomey continues to support his former boss and recently co-founded the Make Us Great Again super PAC, which plans to spend $55 million to secure Perry’s presidential nomination.
The executive order was out of character for Perry. Who doubts the scientific consensus on evolution and global warming but apparently trusts the consensus on vaccines.
The move was also at odds with the beliefs of many of the conservative base Perry will rely on to secure the GOP nomination.
Many conservatives believe Perry was incorrect to mandate the HPV vaccine at such a young age because it encourages girls to become sexually active. Their dissatisfaction comes despite the recommendations of the American Society of Pediatrics and the American Cancer Society, which encourage vaccinating girls between the ages of 11 and 12 to protect them from cervical cancer.
During Monday’s debate, former senator Rick Santorum basically suggested Texas students were being taught to have sex in middle schools. He said a vaccine against an STI would only be necessary if “Texas has a very progressive way of communicating diseases in their school by way of their Show.”
When asked about her comments on Perry and the HPV vaccine, Bachmann responded that the executive order forced innocent 12-year-old girls to take a “potentially very dangerous