Posted on 09/15/2011 9:52:40 AM PDT by Baladas
Add Michele Bachmann's former campaign manager to those who believe the presidential candidate went too far in linking a cervical cancer vaccine to mental retardation.
Ed Rollins, in an interview Wednesday evening on MSNBC, said Bachmann’s attacks on Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s mandatory vaccination program for young girls in Texas had been effective -- until she brought up the possibility of “dangerous side effects” in television interviews.
“She’d had been better if she stayed on issue,” Rollins told Chris Matthews on “Hardball,” the issue was the governor’s executive orders, and whether he made a mistake. He made a mistake, she made a mistake; the quicker she admits she made a mistake, the better.”
There is no proven scientific evidence to support the claim that Bachmann repeated on Fox News and NBC -- and her remarks earned her the scorn of conservative pundits such as Rush Limbaugh. On Wednesday, former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee weighed on his radio show, saying
“She landed some hard blows on Perry over his aborted cervical cancer vaccine program in Texas. But she went a little too far afterward in saying that a woman told her that her daughter developed mental retardation after getting that vaccine. That raised a howl of protest from doctors who've been piling up stacks of research showing no links between vaccinations and serious brain problems”
In trying to explain her actions, Bachmann told Fox News’ Sean Hannity: “I am not a doctor. I am not a scientist. I am not a physician. All I was doing was reporting what this woman was reporting last night at the debate.”
The American Academy of Pediatrics said there is "absolutely no scientific validity" to the claim that the HPV vaccine is dangerous and can cause mental retardation.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
“’Emotional,’ ‘implusive’ Bachmann erred on vaccine issue, ex-aides say”
She lied. It’s called lying. Liars do it. “Erred” my ass!
The people are loyal to no one except a paycheck. #1 reason why Sarah Palin should never hire any of these so-called “professionals” to handle her potential campaign. And to think that folks have been condemning her because she avoid them like the plague.
The stupid “mental retardation” gaffe killed her candidacy. She may as well just go to work for Mittens now.
Eh, typical. She jumped the shark with that one and got caught. She should have known better but as with most women, her emotions got the better of her. Just one more reason why I would not want a woman in a leadership position. Palin is another good example, two years into her governorship and she ships out, couldn’t handle it (not to mention that there was a whole lot of money to be made running around giving speeches).
I have two daughters - one 27 and one 24. Both have said they would not vote for a woman for president. I was very surpised. I would vote for a woman and hope I see a woman president in my lifetime. You would think the younger generation would be more accepting of women in power. Maybe not.
Being charitable I think she is an imbecilic fool with mouth control problems. She should drop out as a candidate for President.
Brain injuries, although a rare side effect with the vaccine, can and do cause “mental retardation.”
Everybody seems to be missing Mrs. Bachmann’s big-picture point here, which is that the state shouldn’t be putting its coercive power behind the administration of a medication intended to protect against the consequences of behavior that is voluntary (for the most part, victims of rapes excepted) and which has a host of controversial risks.
She could well stand to concede the technical point that the particular side effect she mentioned was rare, even though she had just met the upset parent of a girl who was unfortunately thus afflicted. Other side effects are argued to be much less rare. The major point is there isn’t any compelling reason for the state to be putting its weight behind this needle. Mrs. Bachmann is jealous, like a true American mother, for your freedom, for my freedom. It is a long way to the conventions yet. She should not be ruled out as a formidable force with a place in the coming GOP administration, if not nominated for president or vice president.
I wouldn’t be surprised if it was Rollins who told her to go for the gardasil trap in the first place.
My grandmother who died in 1988 at age one hundred was once removed as a potential juror when she told the court she thought women should not vote and should not sit on juries. She was not kidding, being cute or trying just to get off a jury. I still laugh. She was an interesting glimpse into another time.
ex “FIRED” aides say, is more likely.
In Mrs. Bachmann I see the coming generation’s Phyllis Schlafly.
Ron Paul also gets the big picture right on many issues but all it takes is one little bit of total insanity to sink your campaign.
Perry said he only got $5,000.00 from Merk. He lied, that year he got over $30,000.00 dollars from them.
Said he was offended at an accusation of being bribed for a measly five grand, but for 30 thou, not offended so much.
To be fair to Mrs. Bachmann, there are a host of problems with Gardasil in the same class as the one that she emphasized. There’s little evidence that she was using the possibility of brain damage as more than symbolic of all the possible problems with Gardasil. It might have also been her veiled way of saying that requiring Gardasil was stupid.
Ron Paul is completely untenable when it comes to national security and sovereignty. This is not a matter of figures of speech or overemphasis of a small point in a class of larger points with the same drift. This is completely untenable.
“She should have known better but as with most women, her emotions got the better of her.”
There are plenty of emotional men. Remember Paladino in NY? Anger is also an emotion.
Ron knows that he will never become president and implement his policies. He can say any stupid thing he wants and it won’t make a difference to anyone.
Michele just scared a lot of women from taking something that may save their life based on pure fear and speculation. Now every doctor in the country will have to respond to her claims in order to repair the damage.
In trying to explain her actions, Bachmann told Fox News’ Sean Hannity: “I am not a doctor. I am not a scientist. I am not a physician.
Then try talking to them before blowing your mouth off on national TV, OK?
I sure hope that doctors from coast to coast who got lagniappes from Merck are peppered with new questions about Gardasil. And I hope the doctors do not hide behind the statistic that brain damage is a rare documented side effect, because others are less rare. And I hope they also point out that the virus is almost impossible to get without sexual contact with a carrier. If a woman is bent on being promiscuous, Gardasil may “make sense” for her. But only she should be the one to choose, and if she was in the dark about dangers she should not be.
“She should have known better but as with most women, her emotions got the better of her. Just one more reason why I would not want a woman in a leadership position.”
Don’t think you are going to inspire any freepers to go along with that stupid remark, you liberal troll.
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