Perry made a hell of a mistake and has admitted to same. Have no idea why anyone would try to defend the indefensible. And he’s continuing his mistake in another indefensible position: weakness regarding illegal aliens.
I don't see too many people trying to defend the mandate - as you point out, even Perry doesn't defend that. However, people like Bachmann then tried to expand on that by claiming the vaccine itself was dangerous, and there are a lot of people who will dispute that claim. I think the issue for Michele was that she didn't think just the mandate issue would get her enough traction, since Perry had already agreed that it shouldn't have happened. Therefore, she tried to up the ante with her line about the "innocent little girls" being given a "dangerous drug", and relating the anecdote about the mother and the claim of the vaccine causing retardation. She went over the line, and now is paying the price for it.
“Perry made a hell of a mistake and has admitted to same. Have no idea why anyone would try to defend the indefensible. And he’s continuing his mistake in another indefensible position: weakness regarding illegal aliens.”
From what other posters from Texas have written. The “admission” was insencere....he was mad as “hell” when the legislature overrode him. I fully agree his views on immigration are indefensible as well. Sounds like he is in the pocket of interests in Texas that want an open border.