Posted on 08/17/2011 12:40:57 AM PDT by bronxville
Rick Perry’s bad, Obama-style medicine by Michelle Malkin Creators Syndicate Copyright 2011
Texas, we have a problem. Your GOP governor is running for president against Barack Obama. Yet, one of his most infamous acts as executive of the nation’s second-largest state smacks of every worst habit of the Obama administration. And his newly crafted rationalizations for the atrocious decision are positively Clintonesque.
In February 2007, Texas Gov. Rick Perry signed a shocking executive order forcing every sixth-grade girl to submit to a three-jab regimen of the Gardasil vaccine. He also forced state health officials to make the vaccine available “free” to girls ages 9 to 18. The drug, promoted by manufacturer Merck as an effective shield against the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV) and genital warts, as well as cervical cancer, had only been approved by the Food and Drug Administration eight months prior to Perry’s edict.
Gardasil’s wear-off time and long-term side effects have yet to be determined. “Serious questions” remain about its “overall effectiveness,” according to the Journal of the American Medical Association. Even the chair of the federal panel that recommended Gardasil for children opposes mandating it as a condition of school enrollment. Young girls and boys are simply not at an increased risk of contracting HPV in the classroom the way they are at risk of contracting measles or other school-age communicable diseases.
Perry defenders pointed to a bogus “opt-out” provision in his mandate “to protect the right of parents to be the final authority on their children’s health care.” But requiring parents to seek the government’s permission to keep an untested drug out of their kids’ veins is a plain usurpation of their authority.
Translation: Ask your bureaucratic overlord to determine if a Gardasil waiver is right for you.
Libertarians and social conservatives alike slammed Perry’s reckless disregard for parental rights and individual liberty. The Republican-dominated legislature also balked. In May 2007, both chambers passed bills overturning the governor’s unilaterally imposed health order.
Fast-forward five years. After announcing his 2012 presidential bid this weekend, Perry now admits he “didn’t do my research well enough” on the Gardasil vaccine before stuffing his bad medicine down Texans’ throats. On Monday, he added: “That particular issue is one that I readily stand up and say I made a mistake on. I listened to the legislature … and I agreed with their decision.”
Perry downplayed his underhanded maneuver as an aberrational “error,” and then — gobsmackingly — he spun the debacle as a display of his great character: “One of the things I do pride myself on, I listen. When the electorate says, ‘Hey, that’s not what we want to do,’ we backed up, took a look at what we did.”
Are these non-apology apologies enough to quell the concerns of voters looking for a presidential candidate who will provide a clear, unmistakable contrast to Barack Obama? Not by a long shot.
How Obama-like was this scandal?
Let us count the ways:
READ MORE: michellemalkin.com
And then maybe the greater of two evils wins. I don’t knock people for endorsing Bush over Gore, just like I don’t knock Palin for endorsing Perry over Hutchison.
If he is so bad, they should have looked elsewhere. Why waste valuable resource pushing someone so terrible. Certainly, some one Texas could have run if Perry was so bad.
Perry is good on most issues, but some have a litmus test that involves walking on water.
I have no problem with calling Perry to task for the way the Gardisil EO was pushed through, but it's the ridiculous hyperbole that is being used here on a whole host of Perry issues which demonstrates the bad faith with which Malkin, and ostensibly you, are using.
I'm seeing all over FR, that because Rick Perry once met with a businessman who was an Islamic leader, that that is not simpy putting business above other considerations, but it's proof that he's a Shariah sympathizer. I'm seeing that because he doesn't support a 1200 mile border fence, and instead wants targeted enforcement along the worst areas with boots on the ground, isn't just a weakness on border issues that should be strengthened, but that he actually supports "Open Borders". Because he pushed a Gardisil EO through in a manner not consistent with the normal process, he is actually acting "Obama-like".
It's the reaching hyperbole and false equivalencies that are the issue, and I'll continue to point them out.
I have no problem with him being taken to task over this, but if you're grinding your axe against Perry for the reason I suspect you are, I don't think it serves you or your cause well to use the exact same false tactics that use silly over the top comparisons. It's obvious you haven't looked at the very thorough narratives that have explained the true context of the Gardisil decision, so I'd ask that you step back from the false hyperbole and look at the issue in an honest manner.
“Gardasil has owed most of its success to the fact that government agencies have been subsidizing its sales, recommending its use, and even talking about requiring it.”
What government agencies have been the advocators one might wonder? This needs to be investigated further. Most people in the world no longer have the vote to fight these sorts of things, it’s up to us (while we still can) to fight them.
“Perry is good on most issues, but some have a litmus test that involves walking on water.”
This mandated vaccination is an important issue and needs further investigation. That he even contemplated such an action in the first place is beyond the pale. The people created holy hell and it was the legislature who countermanded his order.
We’ve been down this road so many times before...this time we MUST get it right. One must ask themselves if he isn’t just another selected cookie cutter. He reminds me of Clinton, who was elected for his looks and smooth tongue. It’s ironic that Clinton remarked a few days ago on Perry’s good looks.
I fought him on Gardisel, TTC and a couple of other issue until he LISTENED and BACKED down.
Most of these Perry haters never saw or heard of a politicians who would do such a thing so they just keep crowing the same lame stuff over and over.
Trouble is, I just can't sit back and let them destroy any hope of having a candidate who can kick Obama’s ass.
Onward thru the fog.
“I have no problem with calling Perry to task for the way the Gardisil EO was pushed through,”
Good because that’s the most important issue.
Again, Michelle isn’t running for president of the USA.
For some the only test is they have an R after their name and claim they are a conservative.
Exactly!
“Trouble is, I just can’t sit back and let them destroy any hope of having a candidate who can kick Obama’s ass.”
I know exactly what you mean but will this be a Scott Brown candidate kicking Obama’s ass?
Perry is no Bush nor Scott Brown as you've been led to believe.
Perrys headed to Israel
By W. Gardner Selby | Friday, June 22, 2007, 02:09 PM
Gov. Rick Perry is returning to the Middle East, this time heading to Israel, his office announced Friday, to get an award previously bestowed on U.S. Sen. John Kerry and Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the U.S. House, respectively.
Perry’s press release:
Gov. Rick Perry and First Lady Anita Perry today left on a seven-day trip to visit the Middle East nations of Israel and Jordan. In Israel, Gov. Perry will receive the “Friend of Zion Award” from the Global Leadership Council for his leadership in homeland defense, border security and economic development. The award, which is given to “leaders who have played key roles in promoting the close alliance between America and the Jewish state,” will be presented during a ceremony in Jerusalem at the historic Western Wall Square.
Past recipients of this distinguished award include former Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson, Senator Evan Bayh, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Senator John Kerry, and former Ambassador Jeane J. Kirkpatrick.
Perry is also scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, former Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and former Prime Minister and newly elected President Shimon Peres. In addition, he will meet with the Israeli Chief Scientist, Dr. Eli Opper, and several representatives of the aeronautics, defense systems, homeland security and biotechnology industries.
“America has a special relationship with Israel, and in the midst of turmoil and bloodshed, America must remain an unwavering supporter of a strong Jewish state in the Middle East,” said Gov. Perry. “Though the task is extremely difficult, our nation must be a consistent voice for a new era of peace and security between Israel and its Arab neighbors.”
“I believe Texans share a special kinship with the Israeli people,” he added. “We are both independent-minded and self-reliant, and our history is grounded in strong stands against impossible odds.”
The Perrys will visit several historic sites while in Israel, including Mea Shearim, Nachlat Shiva and Ein Karem, the home town of John the Baptist. They will also visit the Red Sea, the Dead Sea and take a tour of Masada. For less than a day they will also cross into Jordan and visit the City of Petra.
They depart this afternoon and return next Friday. All expenses will be paid by Global Capital Associates, which is hosting the gala awards ceremony where Gov. Perry will be recognized.
http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/legislature/entries/2007/06/22/perrys_headed_to_israel.html
Perry obviously caught their eye.
Anyway who are the Global Leadership Council and Global Capital Associates?
A very interesting list of advisors...
http://www.usglc.org/advisory-councils/
http://www.globalcapitalassociates.com/celebrity/index.php
“Perry is no Bush nor Scott Brown as you’ve been led to believe.”
I hope he’s okay but there’s no harm in looking a little deeper.
That’s fine with me.
I’ve spent over 12 years digging here in Texas and so has every political and MSM opponent of the governor.
Quote of the Day for me. Amen to that.
And three cheers for Michelle Malkin for exposing Perry--the same guy who pushed for Al Gore to be President in 1988--as the faux conservative he truly is.
We can do better than Perry and Romney and Guiliani and all the other RINOs who are put under our nose with the breathless threat: If you don't pick X, we'll be stuck with Obama!
Bunk.
Absolutely no harm at all.
It's the non-stop RINO and Obama-lite pejoratives that don't seem productive. Hence my issue with comparing the Gardisil issue with ObamaCare.
The Opt-Out Clause myth
...Naturally, the first response to defend Rick Perry is the “opt-out clause” encased within the executive order.
Without using the obvious comparison to Obamacare “waivers,” let me point out that the Governor’s sole vision still puts a mandate upon parents to apply for a waiver to not be immunized. My point remains, parents already had that right and privilege before the Governor’s order. Instead, THE GOVERNOR CHANGED THE STATUS QUO (my emphasis) to mean a child would be immunized unless you petition the government to stop the train and allow your child to disembark.
Further, this opt-out clause is not quite as simple as you might imagine. From Politifact:
The order included an opt-out “in order to protect the right of parents to be the final authority on their children’s health care.” Perry ordered the Department of State Health Services to allow parents dissenting for philosophical or religious reasons to request a conscientious objection affidavit form. That form, which has been available since 2003, enables parents to enroll their children in public school even if they lack state-required immunizations. It’s automatically granted as long as parents provide all required information.
According to the Department of State Health Service’s 2008-09 immunization report, which uses data from kindergarten and seventh-grade students at 1,300 independent school districts and 800 private schools, 0.28 percent of the students filed conscientious objection forms.
Parents must renew exemption affidavits every two years to maintain their validity, according to Allison Lowery, assistant press officer at the Texas Department of State Health Services.
We thought the opt-out form for public-school students proved Perry correct until we learned that “NOT ALL PRIVATE SCHOOLS ACCEPT THE AFFIDAVIT. That means some private schools may not allow their students to exempt themselves from any state-required vaccinations. Some 15 percent of more than 1 million Texas girls in fifth through 12th grade in 2008 were enrolled in private schools, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
According to a 2006 Texas Attorney General’s opinion: “A private school that does not accept state tax funds is not required to accept for enrollment a child who has received an exemption from the immunizations required by the Texas Health and Safety Code.”
In its policy for Catholic schools, the Catholic Diocese of Austin states: “Immunizations are not in conflict with the Catholic faith. Conscientious objections or waivers, which may be permissible for enrollment in public schools, do not qualify as an exception to this policy.” Catholic schools in the diocese do accept medical exemptions, meaning if the immunization could somehow harm the child, it’s not required to enroll. [emphasis added]
To repeat, BY THE STROKE OF A PEN GOVERNOR PERRY CHANGED THE STATUS QUO, that parents must appeal to the government to not have their child immunized against a sexually transmitted disease. In practice, an opt-out provision is much more difficult than it sounds, particularly when scores of service providers (not just in Texas) require compliance with government mandates.
This is not liberty, this is tyranny.
READ MORE -
http://redstate.com/tags/tag/merck/
Rick Perry stood parental rights on it’s head. A long and very informative article worthy of a read.
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