Perry: No Connection Between HPV Vaccine and Mental Retardation

[brooklynite]

Source: National Review

Asked about Michele Bachmann’s remarks suggesting a link between the HPV vaccine and mental retardation, Rick Perry indicated he saw no connection.

“You heard the same arguments about giving our children protections from some of the childhood diseases, and they were.. autism was part of that. Now we’ve subsequently found out that was generated and not true,” Perry told NBC News.

...snip...

Perry also said he was “taken aback” by the few cheers that erupted in the audience at the suggestion that candidates should favor letting uninsured sick people die if they get a serious disease.

“We’re the party of life,” he said. “We ought to be coming up with ways to save lives.”



Read more: http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/277079/perry-no-connection-between-hpv-vaccine-and-mental-retardation-katrina-trinko

---

How courageous of Perry to say so.....twelve hours after the Debate, when he could have said something to the millions watching on TV.

[thereismore]

1. They are the party of life? News to me! nt

[closeupready]

8. They ARE - up to birth, at least.

:sarcasm:

[mac56]

12. They love the babies... UNTIL they're born!

:sarcasm:

[Frisbee]

10. Only because they have a never ending need...

for cannon fodder.

[Walk away]

2. And yet half of the country will proudly vote for these morons!

How did so many Americans become so stupid? Probably those flu shots!!!

[stockholmer]

3. actually, be very glad that Perry didn't say something real time about the 'let 'em die' thing, that

would have been a HUGE 'now there you go again' moment for this über-dangerous man. It would have cast a completely unearned golden halo over his detestable arse, not just in the eyes of many Republicans (who would look at it as a true invocation of leadership and power), but who have made Perry appear oh-so compassionate (of course falsely so) to millions of swing voters.

[nolaboy]

4. I don't know why he was "taken aback"

All of the people he watched die in Texas. Who knows how many innocent people were killed on his watch.

[alp227]

5. well, facts hurt religious fundies' feelings, so I think that Perry saying it straight up

would've been his flop moment

[sinkingfeeling]

6. Perry actually quoting something scientific? That vaccinations don't cause autism.

[R Merm]

7. They never had it

Bachmann & Perry never had the vaccine, so we can not show a link between their mental retardation and the vaccine

[Altoid_Cyclist]

9. There is a connection between Merck and Perry's buddies though.

The Goober didn't happen to mention that by any chance did he? Also, he didn't mention his close association with Merck either did he?

From Think Progress:

One of the funniest moments in last night’s debate was when Rick Perry denied that he’d been bribed into issuing an executive order mandating the use of HPV vaccines by arguing “If you’re saying that I can be bought for $5,000, I’m offended.” Everyone knows that it takes at least $50,000 to bribe the governor of Texas.

Still, I think Kevin Drum is perhaps a bit too quick to dismiss the cash nexus here when he says “It’s vanishingly unlikely that Merck’s five grand played any real role in Perry’s decision.” It’s almost certainly true that you can’t bribe Perry for $5,000 but I think it’s vanishingly unlikely that Perry’s decision wasn’t seriously influenced by the fact that Perry was lobbied on the issue by his former chief of staff who just so happens to have gone to work for Merck. The $5,000 in question came several months before the decision was made, but on the exact same day that Perry got a visit from Mike Toomey.
One of the funniest moments in last night’s debate was when Rick Perry denied that he’d been bribed into issuing an executive order mandating the use of HPV vaccines by arguing “If you’re saying that I can be bought for $5,000, I’m offended.” Everyone knows that it takes at least $50,000 to bribe the governor of Texas.

Still, I think Kevin Drum is perhaps a bit too quick to dismiss the cash nexus here when he says “It’s vanishingly unlikely that Merck’s five grand played any real role in Perry’s decision.” It’s almost certainly true that you can’t bribe Perry for $5,000 but I think it’s vanishingly unlikely that Perry’s decision wasn’t seriously influenced by the fact that Perry was lobbied on the issue by his former chief of staff who just so happens to have gone to work for Merck. The $5,000 in question came several months before the decision was made, but on the exact same day that Perry got a visit from Mike Toomey.

http://thinkprogress.org/yglesias/2011/09/13/318295/rick-perry-merck-gardasil-and-how-lobbying-works/

[jberryhill]

14. So what?

Okay, he may have had an interest.

The question is, and I am by no means a public health professional, whether the vaccine decision is the correct public health decision. If not, then the question of interest becomes relevant.

I am reminded of the way nutjobs carry on about Al Gore having interests in companies which benefit from conservation measures. Again, it is kind of a "so what?"

Was there actually an exercise of undue influence here, or is it the association game?

[SnakeEyes]

16. There are genuine arguements that suggest

the vaccine isn't really effective either. This was a giveaway by crony capitalism.

[jberryhill]

17. There are arguments all over the map about anything

What are the facts about the vaccine?

[Capitalocracy]

20. The issue of interest is relevant

It's certainly nice when personal interest lines up with public interest, but when people act on personal interest, we do have to take note of it, because that means that as soon as the public interest is out of line with their personal interest, they'll fuck us over.

[jberryhill]

21. Okay, so

Because GE donated to the Obama campaign, then Obama can't be trusted on wind power. Is that it?

The convenient thing about rational decisionmaking is that decisions stand or fall on their own merits.

Should the kids have gardasil available or not, is not a question whose answer depends on who is asking it.

[Capitalocracy]

23. No, I'm just saying it still has to be taken into account. nt

[jberryhill]

25. I agree

But at the end of the day, I don't think the CDC is in Perry's circle of cronies.

[Altoid_Cyclist]

24. Call me cynical, but I have reservations about a person who would

mandate that a drug be taken by so many people when there is still a lot of unknown territory as to the long term risks with this drug. My "grain of salt" meter gets interested when a less than human politician claims to be in the know about something so scientifically important. That meter goes way up when I then find out that a person (and friends) spewing such clueless commandments is hiding something.

The fact that he and his closest associates had a financial interest in this drug succeeding (being profitable) really arouse my cynicism. How many times have people been told that a certain drug was safe only to find out when it's too late that it has serious adverse consequences? I'm not sure that Perry can even read a drug warning pamphlet and yet he's insisting that it's safe and that children are required to take it. This despite the fact that the FDA has been wrong on so many "safe" drugs in the past.

For better or for worse, I would never take a chance with a family member because a less than bright politician telling me that something that he knows nothing about is safe. It ranks right up there with Sen. Baucus claiming that his staff of industry lobbyists didn't play a role in the pathetic "HCR" legislation.

[jberryhill]

26. The CDC is not running an experiment here

The best available science strongly indicates a net public health benefit here.

We either make public health decisions on that science or we pack it in and quit.

The reason it is "mandatory" is to qualify for public funding for those who want it. Those who don't can opt out, and I see zero problems with that.

[HuckleB]

30. +1

[Altoid_Cyclist]

31. That's fine if you want to trust the FDA and the pharma giants.

Afterall, it's not like "fast tracked" drugs are later found to be dangerous. Except of course,when they have caused problems later on. Allowing the pharma corporations to self regulate the reporting of any dangers found doesn't seem like the smartest or safest course of action. This still comes down to trusting pharma and a R politician from Tx. I mean...what could go wrong there?

In the present time, this is a fast tracked drug with no long term studies (especially on chidren) and which has caused some disagreement on its' efficacy and value in the countries where it has been tested.

Combine that with a moronic R politician and his staff lobbyist, and I would not let this be used on any family members. Time will tell, but if people are willing to trust two very dubious sources with something as important as their chidrens' health, then so be it.

[freshstart]

32. Concerns have been raised on this vaccine

This reporter from CBS was after this a few years ago.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/02/06/eveningnews/main4781658.shtml

[HuckleB]

33. Sharyl Attkisson is a well-know anti-vaccine pusher.

Anti-vaccine propaganda from Sharyl Attkisson of CBS News
http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/index.php/anti-vaccine-propaganda-from-sharyl-attkisson-of-cbs-news-2/

CBS News' resident anti-vaccine propagandist Sharyl Attkisson dives into breast cancer crankery
http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2009/07/cbs_news_resident_science_crank_sharyl_a.php

Further, the hpv vaccine was not fast-tracked... and it has a very good record.

Mercola, Gardasil, and Toyota?
http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/index.php/mercola-gardasil-and-toyota/

How safe is the HPV vaccine? New data available.
http://drjengunter.wordpress.com/2011/06/17/how-safe-is-the-hpv-vaccine-new-data-available/

[HuckleB]

34. Try science, rather than propaganda.

Mercola, Gardasil, and Toyota?
http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/index.php/mercola-gardasil-and-toyota/

How safe is the HPV vaccine? New data available.
http://drjengunter.wordpress.com/2011/06/17/how-safe-is-the-hpv-vaccine-new-data-available/

[proverbialwisdom]

11. Related link here.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1931245#1932180

[AlbertCat]

13. As if either of them would recognise sound science...

... if it bit them in the teabag.
:eyes:

[ProgressoDem]

15. Rick Perry, the "moderate" wing of the Republican Party.

Got to love where the center is now.

[lindysalsagal]

18. If Dr. Rick Perry ever declares me mentally brain dead, please call for a second opinion. Ok?

you're the best. Thanks.

[Capitalocracy]

19. This might just be a stroke of genius on Bachmann's part.

If she wants to corner the crazy/anti-science vote, she'll have to discredit Rick Our-state-teaches-both Perry. And with the HPV thing, she's actually forced him to stand on the side of science for once!

[marasinghe]

22. the inanely stupid leading the stupidly insane. sounds right for repukedom.

"... the party of life ..."? that's ripe - coming from the grandmaster of the signature of death.

[left on green only]

27. I am sure that all of you will notice that he never answered the question

as to if there is a connection with the HPV vaccine and other health problems, such as mental retardation. Instead, he quickly changed the subject to how he believes that the same type of fears associated with other vaccines in the past have proven to be false. The reason why he did not answer the question is because he doesn't have any idea what the answer to it is, and he didn't have the courage to admit that he does not know. All he really knows is that he has a vested interest in the manufacturer of the expensive vaccine, and that his promoting it will mean a big financial gain for him, personally. And this is the slime who would be president. Before election day, people really do need to ask themselves the question, "Would you ever buy a used car from Rick Perry?" Just look at him. "Is that a mug you can trust?"

[obama14]

28. Rachael Agress with him on MSNBC

I saw her tonight, she said Bachman was wrong. Wow they agree. LOL

[HuckleB]

29. Duh.

Now if Perry actually cared about science, this might matter.