Rick Perry’s decision to mandate HPV vaccines for sixth-grade girls back in 2007 has become a bone of contention on the campaign trail. Under the terms of Perry’s executive order, 12 year old girls in Texas were supposed to receive the Gardasil vaccine, which inoculates them against the human papillomavirus (HPV).

HPV is quite widespread, with approximately 50% of sexually-active adults acquiring it during their lifetime. However, according to the Center for Disease Control, in 90% of cases, the body’s immune system eliminates the virus without any adverse effects. But in the remaining 10% of cases, the virus can have serious side effects, including genital warts or cervical cancer.

It is because of the risk of sexually-transmitted diseases that many medical authorities recommend administering the HPV vaccine to all girls before they become sexually active. Even though the executive order was ultimately overturned by the Texas legislature, Perry’s attempt to impose the HPV vaccine by executive fiat is hard to reconcile with his promise to reduce the government’s role in people’s lives.

Fellow GOP presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann criticized Perry’s decision, saying that “to have innocent little 12-year-old girls be forced to have a government injection through an executive order is just flat out wrong.” Even Democrats have joined in the criticism. During the 2010 election, they ran attack ads featuring menacing images of a needle poised to strike a young girl’s arm.

Perry’s decision also vexes social conservatives because inoculating girls against sexually-transmitted disease flies in the face of their support for abstinence-only sex education. Conservative Christian leaders were vocal in their opposition to the executive order, and their opposition was instrumental in convincing the legislature to overturn it.

Another issue with Perry’s support for the HPV vaccine is that Merck, the company that makes Gardasil, donated $30,000 to Perry’s campaign. The company also employs Perry’s former chief-of-staff as a lobbyist. Naturally, these close connections have given rise to claims that the Texas governor was acting more for the benefit of a major donor than the general public.

Although Michele Bachmann accused Perry of “crony capitalism,” he claimed that there was nothing untoward about the situation. “”If you’re saying that I can be bought for $5,000, I’m offended,” he replied. However, as noted above, Merck’s contribution was actually much greater than the $5,000 quoted by Perry.

Furthermore, Merck and its subsidiaries also contributed $380,000 to the Republican Governors Association once Perry took the helm of that organization in 2006. Now that Perry is coming under fire for his decision, he seems intent on distancing himself from it. During a recent debate, he admitted that, if he had to do it all over again, he would have approached the matter differently.

Meanwhile, his spokesman Mark Milner, accused Bachmann and others of staging histrionics in order to draw attention to themselves. “You have candidates out there that are trying to get attention and will throw outlandish accusations out there just to get their name in the paper,” Milner said. “What drove the governor on this issue was protecting life.”

Despite the Sturm und Drang that this has generated, Perry is still the candidate most likely to appeal to the right wing of the GOP. His social conservative credentials are still stronger than those of Mitt Romney, who is still struggling to overcome grassroots Republican opposition to Massachusetts’ healthcare law.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/

The article Rick Perry’s HPV Decision Alienates Conservatives appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Michele Bachmann, the newly emerged frontrunner in the Republican presidential field, is trying to broaden her base in order to win the nomination. Often thought of as a tea party candidate, the congresswoman from Minnesota appears to be trying to appeal to all Republicans and not just those on the fringe.

“Fiscal conservatives – I’m one of those. National security conservatives – I’m one of those. Social conservatives – I’m one of those. And the tea party – I’m one of those,” Bachmann said repeatedly in South Carolina this past week.

Although Bachmann has always regarded herself as a social conservative, the economy is the number one concern among voters at this time. Bachmann has to try to appeal to moderates and independents as well as the socially conservative in her party.

She has had a 100 percent rating from the influential American Conservative Union during her nearly five years in Congress, based on her voting record. She frequently appears on television and has been a favorite among the tea party. During a recent debate, she skillfully handled a question about a past remark citing the Bible as instructing wives to be “submissive to your husbands.” In a measured tone, she explained it was about showing mutual respect. Although, that is not at all the definition of submission.

In Florence, South Carolina last week, she began her remarks with her views on cultural issues. However, she quickly moved to jobs. “You cannot spend more money than what you take in. It’s a simple fact of life, right?” Bachmann told a receptive crowd in South Carolina. She promised to submit only balanced budgets as president even though critics say that’s impossible.

To national security conservatives, she said: “I won’t step one toe out of this country and apologize for the United States of America,” the rap that Obama’s foreign policy approach gets from conservatives. Bachmann has also been emphasizing her role on the House Intelligence Committee, stressing how she’s trusted with the nation’s secrets and apprised of the most pressing threats.

Bachmann has also been reminding voters that her hometown is in Waterloo, Iowa in an attempt to appeal to Iowa voters and paint the picture of a down home woman from Middle America. But, even if Bachmann wins Iowa, she will have a much more difficult time in New Hampshire.

“I see very little oxygen left for Michele Bachmann in New Hampshire. Though she has some appeal, it is not very broad,” said GOP strategist Jamie Burnett, a former Romney backer unaligned with a candidate this time. “To win here, she is going to need to attract support from beyond the tea party in order to compete.”

Image Courtesy of  http://www.facebook.com/teambachmann

The article Michele Bachmann Trying to Broaden her Appeal appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

In Ames, Iowa, Tea Party representative Michele Bachmann won a symbolic straw poll at a political festival held at the campus of Iowa State University. The vote was held on the same day as Rick Perry announced his candidacy and comes five months before the first official Iowa primaries, according to the BBC.

The Ames straw poll was a vote by attendees over the age of 18 and by the end of the day, Bachmann had received 4,823 of the 16,892 votes. Runner-up Ron Paul took a close 4,671 votes in the non-binding contest while former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlentry finished third with 2,283.

The straw poll is expected to give Bachmann’s campaign a boost and in her speech to the crowd after the count, she states “This is the first step towards taking the White house in 2012 and we have just sent a message that Barack Obama will be a one-term president.” The Boston Globe could report that the victor, who is the first female candidate to win the informal contest, had broken down in tears and hugged her husband after learning the result.

Despite the poll holding no official significance, observers agree that the poll has symbolic significance for the candidates. “It’s a big boost for her,” said Mike Huckabee, former winner of the caucuses, to reporters. “Whoever wins or comes in second, they get gas for their fire. Whoever doesn’t, they get water for theirs.”

Fire is definitely burning in the Republican camp where the race for a chance to challenge President Obama on key issues such as the recent downgrade, unemployment, health care and Wall Street will be critical in the bid to convince voters of what camp can best resuscitate the ‘ailing America’ as the Huffington Post puts it.

On the day of the straw poll, thousands of GOP activist gather at the Iowa State University campus to enjoy the festival that also serves as a fundraiser for the state GOP. Despite the attempt of several candidates to sway voters, Michele Bachmann stole the show. Her rhetoric and energy was noted as the important ingredient in her triumphant day.

In her speech, she emphasized her connection to the state and her opposition to abortion and gay marriage. Later, she danced on stage with her husband before 3,000 supporters and hundreds more who had gathered outside in hopes of catching a glimpse.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.facebook.com/teambachmann

The article Michele Bachmann 2012 Campaign, Wooing Iowa in Straw Poll appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Sarah Palin and GOP presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann are outraged over a comment that vice president Joe Biden made during the excruciating long and dragged out debt ceiling negotiations.  According to Polico, Biden suggested that Tea Party-backed lawmakers “acted like terrorists” during the debate over the debt ceiling. This comment caused Bachmann and Palin to begin huffing and puffing.

Of course, you should note the context of the comment. Of course, Palin and Bachmann should too. Rep. Mike Doyle of Pennsylvania, who apparently asserted that “[w]e have negotiated with terrorists” during a closed-door meeting with House Democrats about the deal to raise the debt limit. Biden’s response; “They have acted like terrorists.”

Palin appeared on Fox News’ “Hannity” on Tuesday night to showcase the mock outrage. “If we were real domestic terrorists,” Palin explained to host Sean Hannity, “President Obama would be wanting to pal around with us, wouldn’t he? He didn’t have a problem palling around with Bill Ayers back in the day when he kicked off his political career.”

Although Palin has tried to connect Obama to Bill Ayers, a 1960s Weather Underground member, no serious connection exists. Obama did not “pal” around with Ayers, according to the Associated Press.  They worked on community boards and Ayers hosted a political event at the beginning of Obama’s career .

Palin went on to defend the tea party. “I’m not just going to roll over with a sticker plastered on my forehead that says, hit me baby one more time, call me a terrorist again, call me a racist. Those things that Tea Party patriots have been being called over these months. It is unfair, it’s hypocritical of the other side doing that. And enough is enough. And I’m going stand up for those fiscally conservative patriotic independent Americans who wants the best for this country.”

Really, Palin? Being called something is unfair? And while you are complaining about being called something, you are implying that Obama is friends with a terrorist. I am not sure you understand the definition of hypocritical, but look in the mirror and you will get it. Your party brought up the whole calling the other side terrorists. If you want to criticize someone, start with Rep. Doyle.

Bachmann responded to the comments in an e-mail on Monday night, “Only in the bizarro world of Washington is fiscal responsibility sometimes defined as terrorism.” And only in bizarro world is fiscal responsibility linked to a refusal to increase revenue.

Jeffery Stone / Shutterstock.com

The article Palin and Bachmann Outraged Over Vice President’s Comment appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.