Rick Perry's thinking: "Life and death issues? no, no, no, I can't look like no unmanly governor."

[RB TexLa]

Rick Perry tells us that having sixth-grade girls vaccinated with Gardasil is "a matter of life and death!" Then when the bill blocking the vaccinations is passed he won't veto it because the veto would probably be overridden and make him look weak. I don't know much about the vaccinations or the drug, I don't raise children so I have no reason to know about the stuff. I do know that many people were upset with the idea of it happening, and I would agree that their child's health is their business. The thing is a governor who goes around saying something is needed to save lives (right or wrong) and then won't stand up for it out of fear he could look weak politically, some principles there.

[acmavm]

1. Well, you get caught taking campaign money from the people

who's drugs you're pushing and maybe your motives become suspect.

[RB TexLa]

3. If I were going to require or vote to require some drug to be given

in mass, I'd expect them to support me too.

[wakeme2008]

2. I have a major problem with the drug when

I found out the drug company that made it "donated" a lot of money to Rick just before he said the girls in Texas need this vaccine.

[ceile]

4. He's also backing down to his base.

The abstinence only, religious crowd. Because having young girls vaccinated against a cancer threat will make them promiscuous. :sarcasm:

[Gman]

5. The Texas governor IS a weak governor by design

Had Perry not been so self-absorbed, as the former Lt. Governor, he already knows the way he should have done it is to get the vaccination through the legislature and then onto his desk to sign. He has severe short-term memory problems if he honestly believed the legislature would roll over and let him rule by fiat as it wasn't that long ago that he was in the legislature his self.

[RB TexLa]

6. Oh, most definitely, I'd bet it's the weakest governor's office in the country

[Javaman]

8. exactly. sadly however to make up for that weakness perry and the last

asshole* that was govenor have to make up for it by looking like total macho tool jerk offs.

Oh how I wish Ann was still alive. :(

[Gman]

7. Actually when all is said and done at the end of May

Perry looks pretty stupid.. Of course he's never been accused of being a great thinker anyway.

In any event, I'm sure a lot of the push back over Gardasil was genuine about the drug being largely untested. However, if I know the leggie (and I do), the biggest part of the push back was the fact that the governor did something that is the responsibility of the legislature and the leggie showed Perry just who was in charge. There was a helluva lot more symbolism of the dominance of the legislature in this than anyone has really talked about.

-----on edit-----
...and I wanted to respond to your #5, but clicked on reply to #1. But you'll see this response.