Perry hits Bachmann on HPV claim

By Rebecca Kaplan Topics Tea Party
Republican Presidential candidate, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, answers questions after a speech before a Virginia Republican fundraising event in Richmond, Va., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2011.
(Credit: Steve Helber) RICHMOND, Va. -- After taking heat from Rep. Michele Bachmann for mandating that Texas schoolgirls receive vaccinations against human papillomavirus, Gov. Rick Perry on Wednesday hit back at his rival for the Republican nomination, saying that her suggestion the vaccine could be linked to mental retardation if groundless.


Bachmann's remarks had "no basis in fact," Perry told reporters, after a speech at a Virginia Republican Party fund-raising luncheon. Perry was asked to comment on Bachmann's assertion after Monday night's candidate debate that use of the vaccine might have link to mental retardation. The Republican from Minnesota told Fox News, "There's a woman who came up crying to me tonight after the debate. She said her daughter was given that vaccine. ... She told me her daughter suffered mental retardation as a result. There are very dangerous consequences."


During the debate, Perry called the use of an executive order a mistake, but said he stood by his support for the vaccine. He reiterated that position Wednesday, and described his personal connection to the fight against cancer. "I hate this disease that impacted my family. My mom and my dad are both cancer survivors," Perry said. "And to see young ladies who have died from cervical cancer -- I sat on the side of a bed of a young lady, and she was dying from cervical cancer. And it had an impact on me."

Addressing the friendly GOP crowd in Richmond, Perry weighed in on the spectacular upset victory of Republican Bob Turner in a heavily Democratic district in New York City on Tuesday. New York "sure got the message" when they chose Turner, a state senator, for the seat vacated by Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner after a sex-texting scandal. The district had been represented by a Democrat for 90 years.

"This is an administration and frankly a political party that's on the ropes and the American people understand that," Perry said of the Obama White House. On Obama's jobs plan, unveiled earlier this week, he said, "Another half a trillion in stimulus is not going to do anything except make Americans even stronger in their support for Republicans."


Perry spoke at the event at the invitation of Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, who introduced his Texas counterpart but who has so far declined to endorse a candidate in the nomination fight. McDonnell's backing would provide a boost for a candidate in an important battleground state. He and Perry ribbed each other throughout their remarks about which state was better for job creation. Perry spoke warmly of Perry and the two greeted each other with a hug when Perry took the stage.


Republicans sense an opportunity to take back Virginia from Obama, who won the state 53 percent to 46 percent in 2008. Anger at the president's policies stirred Republican voters just one year later, and they delivered the governor's mansion to McDonnell, a former attorney general, 59 percent to 41 percent in 2009. McDonnell replaced Democratic Gov. Tim Kaine. McDonnell is also serving as the current head of the Republican Governors Association, having replaced Perry as the organization's leader last month.