Bachmann on Perry

Dear Fellow Conservative,

 

I'm offended.

 

If you watched tonight's Republican debate, you saw Rick Perry defend his decision to mandate a vaccine for young girls through an executive order while he was governor of Texas. As a mother, I have raised three biological daughters and 23 foster daughters, and I believe taking away a parents right to direct the health care of their children is flat out wrong. It’s a violation of liberty and everything you and I stand for.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0911/63348.html

i) But from what I’ve heard, Perry’s mandate had parental opt-out provision. So how did his mandate “take away” parental rights?

ii) But while we’re on the subject, what about parental rights? Suppose a Muslim-American couple wants to have their daughter circumcised? Would Bachmann support the imposition of female genital mutilation on their daughter as a parental right to direct the heath care of their children?

Ethical issues are often not as cut-n-dried as she makes them out to be.

Tonight, I also questioned why Governor Perry made this executive order. When you look at the facts, the question becomes, is this about life or is this about millions and potentially billions for the drug company? We cannot forget that in the midst of the executive order, a big drug company made millions of dollars because of this mandate. This drug company's PAC made thousands of dollars in political donations to Governor Perry, and his own former Chief of Staff was working as the lobbyist for this drug company when he issued the mandate. This is flat out wrong.

Conflict of interest is a valid issue to raise. At the same time, this is simply an allegation.

Governor Perry says if given the option again he would not issue the mandate. However, as President of the United States there are no mulligans; there are no do-overs.

Of course, there no do-overs for women who die from cervical cancer. They can’t go back in time and get vaccinated.

I am also concerned that Governor Perry also supports giving subsidies to illegal immigrants. The American way is not to give taxpayer-subsidized benefits to people who have broken the law and are here illegally. That is not the American way.

I’m very sympathetic to this objection. At the same time, Bachmann doesn’t say what she would do with illegal aliens if she were a border state governor, and the federal gov’t refused to secure the border or deport the illegals.