Rick Perry's officially joined the cast of the 2012 Republican primary, which means it's time for national audiences to start reading up on his decade-plus tenure as Texas' longest serving governor. One word you're going to be hearing a lot about in the early running: Gardasil. As in Gardasil, the vaccine developed several years ago to treat against HPV, a virus that can eventually lead to cervical cancer. An effort to introduce the drug into Texas schools turned into one of Perry's greatest defeats, an exceptional episode in that it pitted the governor, renowned for his ability to closely read his base, strongly against the religious right. "He's pretty clearly a social conservative in the Michele Bachmann camp, but you just can't nail him down all of the time," Bob Stein, a professor of political science at Rice University, told TPM. "He will surprise you." In January 2007, Gardasil's manufacturer, Merck, lobbied state governments to require schoolchildren to be vaccinated with the newly approved treatment. They quickly found an ally in Perry, who offered a relatively straightforward argument: why not reduce Texan girls' exposure to cancer? But before the legislature could take up the issue, Perry signed an executive order mandating that sixth-grade girls receive the drug before entering middle school, with an opt-out for parents who objected. Lawmakers revolted almost immediately over being cut out of the process, demanding that he rescind the requirement until they could review it first. The most notable early criticisms of Perry's plan came from social conservatives, some of whom fretted that protecting children from HPV -- a sexually transmitted disease -- could encourage promiscuity. Perry sought to address these questions up front in his State of the State address only days after the Gardasil order. "I understand the concern some of my good friends have about requiring this vaccine, which is why parents can opt out if they so choose," he said. "But I refuse to look a young woman in the eye ten years from now who suffers from this form of cancer and tell her we could have stopped it, but we didn't. Others may focus on the cause of this cancer. I will stay focused on the cure. And if I err, I will err on the side of protecting life." Although some religious groups supported the move, Perry's argument failed to quell growing dissent from the religious right. "They're hitting two nerves: They're not only taking away parental rights, but they're talking about a vaccine against a purely sexually transmitted disease," Linda Klepacki, then an analyst for the national evangelical organization Focus on the Family, told the Dallas Morning News. "Does the public health industry truly believe that all children and adolescents are sexually active? This is not something kids are going to contract sitting in the classroom." While the break with social conservatives is notable, especially in the context of today's GOP primary, it only tells part of the story. In fact, opposition to the vaccine quickly spread to encompass a wide variety of groups across the political spectrum. One very prominent angle in news reports at the time was Merck's personal connections to Perry. The governor's former chief of staff, Mike Toomey, did lobbying work for the company, which was at the time waging a very aggressive campaign to convince state governments to distribute their drug. Toomey currently runs a Super PAC supporting Perry's presidential campaign. Merck's PAC made a $5,000 donation to Perry's campaign, hardly a huge number in the context of his overall fundraising, but one that generated intense scrutiny in the press -- especially as it came the same day his senior staff met to discuss the HPV issue. Perry's office denied being influenced by the drug manufacturer. The special interest angle drew the state Democratic party into the mix, who accused Perry of circumventing the usual legislative process in order to reward his friends. Not everyone in the medical community was on board either. The powerful Texas Medical Association came out against the move as well, in part because they feared it would be too costly and logistically difficult for them to administer the drug en masse. In the end state lawmakers forced Perry's hand, passing a law overturning his decision with veto-proof majorities in both chambers. Perry acknowledged defeat and announced he would withdraw his efforts to implement the policy, but went down in spectacularly defiant form, lashing out at members of his own party. At a press conference, he played a video message from a 31-year old cervical cancer patient hooked to an oxygen tube, who was too sick to testify earlier at the statehouse. "I challenge legislators to look these women in the eyes and tell them, `We could have prevented this disease for your daughters and granddaughters, but we just didn't have the gumption to address all the misguided and misleading political rhetoric,'" Perry said. His tone has shifted markedly, however, since he began his presidential campaign. In a Saturday appearance in New Hampshire, he told reporters that he regretted his handling of the vaccine. "I signed an executive order that allowed for an opt out, but the fact of the matter is that I didn't do my research well enough to understand that we needed to have a substantial conversation with our citizenry," Perry said, according to ABC News. "But here's what I learned. When you get too far out in front of the parade, they will let you know, and that's exactly what our legislature did and I saluted it and I said, 'Roger that, I hear you loud and clear' and they didn't want to do it and we don't, so enough said." The episode has lingered in Texas politics. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) attacked Perry for "cronyism"on the vaccine issue in her 2010 primary challenge of the governor and an independent anti-Perry group aired ads as well. The question now is whether the issue will gain traction again as national Republicans absorb Perry's record. There are some rumblings of discontent so far: a coalition of New Hampshire Tea Party groups recently published a blog post condemning Perry's "attack on parental rights." "You still have people extremely upset about it," Felicia Cravens, a founder of the Houston Tea Party Society, told TPM. " But at the same time, many of them understand that you can get in the door to talk to Perry and he can be made to change his mind when he's off track. He is movable." One veteran Texas Republican strategist told TPM that the episode was "very illustrative" of one Perry trait: a willingness to sometimes "go it alone." He compared it to the recent Texas budget battle, where Perry clashed with Republican lawmakers over his insistence against using the state's rainy day fund to help make up the budget deficit. Critics of Perry's decision claim vindication in subsequent stories on Merck's vaccine that have questioned its effectiveness. The New York Times ran a lengthy article in 2008 airing concerns from medical experts that the company was pushing the drug on state governments before they could fully assess its effectiveness. And the CDC has raised concerns in recent years about potentially dangerous side effects even as it still recommends the vaccine. Correction: An earlier version referred incorrectly to a meeting with Merck representatives and Perry aides the same day as a donation from the company's PAC. The meeting was between Perry's aides only. This story has been updated.  Perry Says Vaccine Order Was MistakeWall Street Journal - - 1 hour ago Texas Gov. Rick Perry, under questioning from voters in recent days, has switched positions on a 2007 executive order he issued mandating the vaccination of all young girls before they enter sixth grade to ward off cervical cancer. ... Some conservatives not thrilled by Rick PerryWashington Post (blog) - - 4 hours ago By Rachel Weiner Presidential candidate Rick Perry, with his wife Anita, at left, speaks to New Englanders at the Politics and Eggs breakfast, in Bedford, New Hampshire. (Melina Mara - THE WASHINGTON POST) Does Rick Perry have a problem with ... Rick Perry's HPV decision examinedPolitico - - 10 hours ago Ben Smith and Byron Tau get a look at the Texas governor's engagement — or lack thereof — with the decision to mandate HPV vaccination for sixth-grade girls: [T]he email cache offers outsiders a bit of insight into how Perry's operation works, ... The HPV files: In emails, Perry mostly absentPolitico (blog) - 10 hours ago My colleague Byron Tau and I filed a Public Information Act request with the State of Texas last month for correspondence related to the decision to vaccinate girls in the state against the disease HPV, and about 700 pages of internal email ... Rick Perry reverses himself, calls HPV vaccine mandate a 'mistake'Washington Post - - Aug 16, 2011 Religious conservatives in Texas were stunned in 2007 when Republican Rick Perry became the first governor in the country to order young girls to get a vaccine against a sexually transmitted virus that can cause cervical cancer. ... Perry: I'm Against ItHuffington Post (blog) - Aug 16, 2011 Consistency may not be a moral virtue, but when it comes to the religious right it qualifies as a political virtue, especially when it comes to the reproductive health and rights of women. Thus it came as no surprise today that Gov. ... Gov. Perry says HPV vaccine decision a mistakeKXAN.com - Aug 15, 2011 He says he should have gone through the Texas legislature before making the executive decision, admitting a mistake. Perry and Cervical CancerSlate Magazine (blog) - - Aug 15, 2011 When I asked Rep. Louie Gohmert if Rick Perry would be an acceptable presidential candidate, the first gripe he brought up was Perry's signature on a bill that required young girls to get vaccinated for the Human Papillomavirus -- to ... Perry has some loose ends to take care ofWashington Post (blog) - - Aug 15, 2011 As I have previously written, one worrisome item in Texas Gov. Rick Perry's record concerns an executive order, later overridden by the legislature, to require that school-age girls be vaccinated against the human papillomavirus. ... Perry says he regrets Gardasil vaccine mandateDallas Morning News (subscription) (blog) - - Aug 15, 2011 Gov. Rick Perry is shaking hands at the Iowa State Fair, where he got hoodwinked into eating a corndog that turned out to be - wait for it - vegetarian. He ate half of it, though in his defense for any vegan Republicans out there, he'd eaten breakfast ... Inoculating PerryPolitico (blog) - Aug 15, 2011 The Texas Tribune — one of several quite serious political news outlets in Texas's nation-sized media market — looks today at Rick Perry's reversal on his decision to mandate vaccines against Human Papillomavirus, a common sexually ransmitted disease ... Perry's new stand on HPV vaccinePolitico - - Aug 15, 2011 Rick Perry's home state papers have been thoroughly going over their governor's record, introducing the official they've known for decades as he starts to introduce himself to the nation. With that in mind, the Texas Tribune's Jay Root does a deeper ... More On Perry And GardasilRedState - 6 hours ago Yesterday I made a post that has created some waves in which I offered a defense Texas Governor Rick Perry's decision to require girls in Texas to be vaccinated against the strains of HPV that cause cervical cancer. A couple of things have happened ... Candidate Rick Perry Shows Again How Incoherent He Is!Technorati - 6 hours ago Presidential hopeful Rick Perry calls for smaller government, however, in 2007, as the governor of Texas he had issued an executive order mandating all sixth-grade girls to be administered the vaccine, Gardasil, (manufactured by Merck) against HPV. ... Rick Perry “Walks Back” to His Conservative BaseThe Moderate Voice - 8 hours ago GOP presidential candidate Rick Perry reversed himself—some say “walked back, I say “ran back””—on an executive order he issued as Texas governor in Feb. 2007, mandating that young girls receive the expensive HPV (human papillomavirus ) vaccine ... Perry Says Pushing HPV Vaccine Was "Mistake"RH Reality Check (blog) - - 9 hours ago When Texas Governor Rick Perry mandated that all girls in the state should receive a vaccine to protect them from human papillomavirus (HPV), which is known to lead to cervical cancer, the religious right grew angry and ... Texas HPV Vaccination Emails Nearly Devoid of PerryThe Atlantic Wire - 9 hours ago Politico's Ben Smith just posted a sheaf of emails between Texas officials discussing that state's controversial 2007 law mandating vaccination for human papillomavirus. That's been a sticky issue for Governor Rick Perry, who authorized the legislation ... Rick Perry's Bad MedicineVDARE.com - - 22 hours ago 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. ... Rick Perry Calls His Gardasil Order A MistakeThe Moral Liberal - Aug 16, 2011 Now that he's running for president Texas Governor Rick Perry claims that he made a mistake when he ordered school-aged girls in the Lone Star State to get a deadly vaccine promoted as a miracle cure for cervical cancer. Should we expect Perry, ... Vaccination Controversy Follows Perry on Campaign TrailThe New American - - Aug 16, 2011 Controversy over an executive order issued by Rick Perry in 2007 is following the Texas Governor on the presidential campaign trail. In New Hampshire on Saturday and in Iowa on Monday, Perry faced questions about his order to have girls entering the ... Rick Perry And the Gardasil DecisionRedState - Aug 16, 2011 Now that Texas Governor Rick Perry has entered the race for the GOP presidential nomination his actions as governor are coming under close scrutiny. One of the items being tossed about is his Executive Order requiring all girls in Texas to receive the ... Perry-for-president disavows HPV vax mandateFiercePharma - - Aug 16, 2011 Texas Gov. Rick Perry courted controversy 6 years ago with an executive order mandating that 6th-grade girls get an anti-HPV shot. Perry withstood catcalls from conservative lawmakers and voters, not to mention allegations that it was a cozy ... Perry Flip-Flops on Women's Health, Gay and Abortion RightsSexIs Magazine - - Aug 16, 2011 Texas Gov. Rick Perry did a quick backpedal on his controversial 2007 attempt to required young girls to get the HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine. The Texas Tribune reports that Perry issued an executive ... Perry calls HPV vaccination mandate 'a mistake'WFAA - - Aug 15, 2011 DALLAS — Gov. Rick Perry is backtracking on one of the most controversial decisions he made since taking over as Texas governor in 2000. Perry, campaigning in Iowa on Monday, called his order to require sixth-grade girls to be vaccinated ... Rick Perry: 'I made a mistake' mandating HPV vaccineThe Hill (blog) - - Aug 15, 2011 Presidential hopeful Rick Perry on the campaign trail Monday called his decision as Texas governor to mandate a controversial vaccine for a cancer-causing sexually transmitted disease a “mistake. ... Perry Regrets HPV Vaccine MandateMyFox Dallas - - Aug 15, 2011 DALLAS - Gov. Rick Perry's first full day of campaigning for president included him admitting to making a mistake when it came to mandating a vaccine for young girls. In 2007 Perry tried to use an executive order to have all girls entering the sixth ... Perry calls HPV vaccine mandate a mistakeAustin American-Statesman - - Aug 15, 2011 In his first appearances as a presidential candidate, Gov. Rick Perry has disavowed a controversial 2007 vaccine mandate that had drawn concern from some key GOP constituencies. Hit with a question in New Hampshire on Saturday, ... The Start of Perry's Apology TourAmerican Conservative Magazine - - Aug 15, 2011 A few hours after unveiling his campaign for president, Perry began walking back from one of the most controversial decisions of his more-than-10-year reign as Texas governor. Speaking to voters at a backyard party in New Hampshire, Perry said he was ... Rick Perry and the HPV debacleHot Air - - Aug 15, 2011 If the first casualty of war is truth, the first casualty of politics is common sense. The nascent battle for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination is no exception, and has already managed to find a way to drive me to distraction. ... George W reduxThe Adirondack Daily Enterprise (blog) - - Aug 15, 2011 Do we have to do this again? Lets see Texas governor uses his state's economic success as his calling card, even though he actually didn't create any of the legislation and has one of the weakest roles as a governor in the US. ... |
No comments:
Post a Comment