Cancer victim's friends come to Perry's defense [Gardasil]

KTRK-TV, Local Houston ABC affiliate ^ | 14 Sep 2011 | Ted Oberg

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

Texas Governor Rick Perry is still taking heat for a controversial executive order he issued four years ago. It mandated that all 11- and 12-year-old girls be vaccinated for human papillomavirus, or HPV, a sexually transmitted virus that can cause cervical cancer. The now-overturned order is becoming a big issue in Perry's presidential campaign.

Governor Perry is taking a lot of criticism for the vaccine decision. The most damage seems to be due to the suggestion he forced a vaccine on 12-year-old girls to help a political donor.

The donor is Mike Toomey, a longtime friend and Perry's two-time chief of staff. Toomey has given $41,000 in campaign contributions to Perry while Perry has been governor. Only $9,000 of that was given before the HPV vaccine decision was made, though.

At the time Perry signed the executive order, Toomey was a lobbyist for the vaccine's manufacturer, Merck. Merck is the only worldwide manufacturer of Gardasil, the HPV vaccine. Merck, through its political action committee, has given $39,500 to Perry -- $22,000 of that before the decision.

It's a lot of money, but Governor Perry had raised tens of millions of dollars during this time. While his critics are saying the decision was motivated by politics and money, we found a Houston family that says another possible motivation was far more personal...

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

Still don't think that mandating vaccines for less communicable diseases is liberty friendly, but the article does go beyond the usual trite discussion that surrounds this issue on FR.

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

Ping for your interest.

[driftdiver]

I thought Perry said he only got $5,000.

[perfect_rovian_storm]

He must have only meant the money that he got when he met with Merck on the same day he signed the executive order.

He probably forgot the rest.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

This is good too!

http://blogs.e-rockford.com/sat/2011/09/14/a-shot-of-reality-about-young-womens-health/

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Just finished watching the video story.

It is so very touching.

I can only imagine the thoughts going though Gov. Perry’s mind and the hurt in his heart for this woman while Michele Bachmann was launching her assault on him (one that she so enjoyed repeating over again for each interview).

[Verginius Rufus]

According to the author, George W. Bush is “not known for his philanthropy.” That may just mean that he doesn’t try to draw attention to it. (See Matthew 6.1-4.)

[Buckeye McFrog]

This is not about whether cancer is bad or whether Gardisil works as advertised. It is about freedom and individual choice. And about people with vested financial interests paying politicians to take away that choice.

[skeeter]

I’d rather see Perry explain his opposition to Arizona’s SB 1070.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Yes.

Both Bush and Perry have done philanthropic work that isn’t plastered all over the front page or accounted for by counting what went into the offering plate at church.