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
I understand what you’re saying but it was an extremely unwise decision. One wonders if he’s that stupid or was it a test from his masters. Thankfully, Texans went nuts, and as a result the legislature countered him. I don’t think that’s the end of it though...Merck spent too much money.
I was just looking at Mercks history. The government took it over in WWI and later made it into an independent company. I don’t have time to check out how this was done and am sure it was above board but who knows. Anyway, today it’s one of the largest companies in the world along with their sister company in Germany, called Merck KGaA - is that why Germany’s not as broke as the other EU companies - yes - I engage in crazy thinking. Anyway, there are a number of directors at US/Canada Merck who are also directors of Chrysler, General Motors... which is interesting as they’re currently being run by the government. I don’t have time to check it out but it would be interesting to see how many companies these directors are linked to... It makes one wonder if the government isn’t still running Merck after all these years. It would certainly clear up how this vaccination got fast-tracked through the FDA and onto the market within such a short time span. Is the government running it for someone or something else? I mean every now and again we get a big scare and everybody has to get a vaccination, it’s a crisis, a great emergency, 24/7 news, and then it all peters out. I think the last pandemic was the swine flu and the government paid out multimillions of our tax dollars - did Merck make anything? Now we don’t hear anything about it. And then there’s those annual miraculous flu shots...
For some reason, she decided to spin instead of being accurate.
The effective date for Gardasil was June, 2006. Medicaid providers would have 90 days to be up and running with the vaccine. (That 90 day rule may have changed since 2007, since my earlier writings said 60 days - can’t find the rule at the time.)
Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/ACIP/downloads/min-archive/min-oct08.pdf
Vaccines for Children information:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/programs/vfc/projects/faqs-doc.htm
“”Section 13631(g) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 (OBRA ’93) provided that vaccination services covered under the Early and Periodic Screening Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit for Medicaid-eligible children will follow the ACIP-established VFC schedule beginning 90 days after establishment of the schedule. CMS considers the 90-day clock to begin on the publication date in the MMWR of ACIP general recommendations for use of a VFC vaccine. Check with the state Medicaid program or CMS for more information regarding the effective date of a new VFC vaccine requirement for EPSDT children and payment of administration fees for such Medicaid children. “”
Here are my blog entries from February 2007
http://lifeethics.wordpress.com/2007/02/07/texas-hpv-vaccine/
http://lifeethics.wordpress.com/2007/02/08/med-associations-announce-position-statements-on-hpv-vaccine/
Michelle Malkin nails Perry here.
She quickly disposes with his predictable would be defenders as well.
Perfect.
[I engage in crazy thinking]
That’s OK, I know others like that, snicker.
If it was an unwise decision, Perry acknowledged it and put an end to it. He listened to the outcries. What more can you ask? Everyone makes unwise decisions in their lives but they are not in the public eye.
I get a flu shot every year. They seem to keep me from getting colds too, and I have never had a bad reaction to one.
People go crazy on things, some believed the swine flu shots were to inject people with a microchip, but I haven’t seen any zombies walking around yet. Lol
Do you believe it is appropriate for a governor to sign an important executive order without first researching the matter?
“Since the Perry debacle there’s now a second HPV vaccine (Cervarex) but works against fewer strains than Gardasil.”
Fewer than four strains of HPV, eh? Because, that’s all Gardasil worked against. And the effectiveness against those four are somewhat questionable.
No.
I was thinking more of the billions Merck et al are making for these vaccinations rather than physical reactions and microchips...:) etc. The flu shot costs a small fortune, and I’m not sure how effective it actually is, thereagain I don’t take it nor do I get the flu. Have you ever tried not taking it just to see if you get it or not?
The problem I have with Rick Perry’s decision is that he even contemplated doing such a thing in the first place. He didn’t think it through, or if he did and went ahead anyway, that’s even worse. The drug was fast-tracked for some reason and only been approved a few months before Perry signed his executive order. I posted the timeline here somewhere. No one even knows the early effects fully let alone the longterm side effects. One child died after getting it and many others have neurological and hormonal problems. HPV isn’t a communicable disease like the measles therefore should absolutely not be a mandate. He was wrong in so many ways. I honestly don’t think he can survive this... which leaves us back with Romney again. If only Cain had a year of two of government experience...
I WROTE: I honestly don’t think he can survive this... which leaves us back with Romney again.”
God forbid - I take that back...
[The problem I have with Rick Perry’s decision is that he even contemplated doing such a thing in the first place. He didn’t think it through, or if he did and went ahead anyway, that’s even worse.]
I’ve written this numerous times, perhaps even to you. The vaccine was already being provided at no cost to low income people in Texas. Insurance companies would not cover the vaccine for regular tax payers UNLESS it was on the states list of “mandated” vaccinations.
If you read my comments about young people freely engaging in oral sex and that it can be spread in that manner, I would say that the Governor was fully aware of that fact too and thought he was doing a good thing. He certainly wasn’t trying to harm anyone.
One child’s death is a horrible thing, but I am shocked that all this furor is over one death when other vaccines have probably caused many more.
[HPV isn’t a communicable disease]
Well, it is when More than 40 types of HPV can be passed through sexual contact. ... in the mouth or throat of a person who had oral sex with an infected person. .... There is NO CURE for the virus HPV.
http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/human-papillomavirus.cfm#e
According to new Canadian research, more than 75 percent of sexually active young women have previously engaged in oral sex,
Adios, mofo.
Apparently they never invited him back, so you are probably wrong about them liking his style.
Every vaccine order forces kids to get shots; it was stupid to force Gardisil, but the wording of the initial quoted paragraph would apply equally to ANY vaccine:
“In February of Whatever, Governer Whoever signed a SHOCKING executive order forcing every single kindergarten child to submit to multiple painful jab regimins of the Polio, Measles, and other vaccine. He also forced state health officials to make the vaccine available “free” to kids from 2-18.”
My point is that it’s an issue, but it’s inflamed by the rhetoric that is content-free but worded to outrage.
To equate this to Obamacare is to make a mockery out of common sense, and destroys the REAL ARGUMENTS we have against Obamacare. Adding a vaccine to the required list is NOTHING like Obamacare. Having a required list of vaccines is nothing like Obamacare.
I think it’s stupid to cheapen the real arguments we have against the monstrosity of Obamacare by saying it’s the same as requiring a new vaccine. Heck, there are a lot of people who thought it was GOOD to require the new vaccine, that it was helpful — tell them it’s like Obamacare and you might just convince them that Obamacare is a good thing.
That's a straw man argument. Malkin simply didn't equate a "required list of vaccines" to ObamaCare. Heck, the word ObamaCare is not even in the column.
What Malkin does say--and most of her critics on this thread fail to directly refute--is that the Gardasil episode includes behavior which is "Obama-like". As Malkin puts it, there is evidence of "every worst habit of the Obama administration." Malkin then goes on to offer specific, fact-based reasons for her claim.
Malkin's contention is that the Gardasil episode displays the following habits of the Perry administration: (1)trampled on the deliberative process, (2) engaged in "human shield demagoguery", and (3) cronyism. Malkin's critics would do well to actually respond to these specific claims, instead of knocking down a straw man argument that isn't made by Malkin.
I've never been a huge fan of Malkin, because she can get carried away with moments of self-righteous hyperbole which distract or undermine her positions. But here Malkin has written what I believe will come to be considered a seminal piece of political criticism, one that raises substantive issues that cannot simply be dismissed as hyperbole and stands to haunt Perry for the rest of the campaign.
I’ve been speaking about Perry in a more global sense rather than local. I find it interesting that they have a sex vaccine ready, just at the time they’re introducing an advanced sexual education program, directed at 6th grade and up. (UN advocate Mayor Bloomberg has apparently just okay’ed an extremely lurid and perverted sexual program for the classrooms.) Are we undergoing a Global Standardization in education and everything else for that matter? George Schultz signed a treaty with the Russians which leaves us vulnerable to such UN programs. Bottomline: Basically I’m concerned about Perry’s judgment, and perhaps a possible friendliness with trillionaires who already own Obama and a number of our other government officials.
Potlatch, I’m afraid your link doesn’t lead to an actual study which isn’t the bone of contention anyway. As for communicable disease - it’s not infectious from a classroom cross-infection safety aspect. As I’ve said these aren’t my bone(s) of contention in regards to Perry.
That's rich. I have a very good idea about you now my friend after looking at your about page. A young Libertarian living in Austin Texas and what you didn't say, likely a campaign worker for Perry. Nuff' said about you.
IIRC, when a large group of us Texans were getting after Perry for the TTC and Gardisel, you were a big supporter. If I’m correct, what changed?
Wrong again. You have me confused with someone else apparently. I know I sometimes forget small things on rare occasions but I believe I would have remembered that since I think considering what I think of Perry the liberal RINO. I very begrudgingly voted for Perry as Governor but only because he was presented to me as the lesser of two evils and his opponents were certainly even more evil and vile. No, again you are quite mistaken but a nice try to dis-credit those who happen to disagree with you.
Sorry if I was wrong. Just askin.
‘Course I think calling Perry a liberal RINO is idiotic.
Like everything else in life things are what they appear depending on where one is standing and viewing something. Obviously you like Perry and probably his style of governing. I don't and personally believe him to be bad for the nation. Like Bush, I voted for both of them as governor and don't really regret those vote's but in good conscience I did not vote for Bush for President and will (most likely - never say never caveat) not vote for Perry for President.
We have so little in common politically speaking. He may be a decent family man (and I don't really know that) but that doesn't translate into being a good President should he get elected. I fought, bled and nearly died in a foreign war for my right to vote for who I choose no matter whose feelings get hurt in the process. To me Perry meets the very definition of what a RINO is IMHO thus that is why I use that label for him. To me it fits him to a 'T'. I just don't trust him.
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