Wow! Texas just became the first state to order all its school-aged girls to get the controversial HPV vaccine. Human papillomavirus, or HPV, is a common cause of STDs and can lead to cervical cancer and other gynecological cancers.
But why is it controversial? It's not except that some conservative groups believe girls with the vaccine will have more sex. That's right. These groups would rather expose young girls to HPV-related cancers than give them a vaccine that could save their lives.
So did Perry, who plays often to his anti-abortionist and religiously extreme base, suddenly grow some brains and a heart? Nope. Perry reasons for signing this executive order had nothing to his concern for "the safety and welfare of our children." The reason - the only reason - is that Merck, the maker of the vaccine, gave Perry alot of money and lobbied him hard.
Perry has several ties to Merck and Women in Government. One of the drug company's three lobbyists in Texas is Mike Toomey, Perry's former chief of staff. Perry also received $6,000 from Merck's political action committee during his re-election campaign.
And just in case, you needed a reminder that it wasn't his heart that changed but his bank account, here's a photo of Rick Perry at another signing. It was at a church, where he signed an Anti-abortion bill. It was at the same signing that he told gays to find some other state to live in.
So, it wasn't safety or intelligence that won. It was money. However, at least this time, young women and girls of Texas won't be losing to the political pressure of the religious reicht and the politicians who kiss up to them.
