Debaters Attack Perry on HPV

It’s small consolation, perhaps, but you know you’re the frontrunner when everyone is out to get you. Just ask Rick Perry. The Texas governor must be getting sick of defending his decision to mandate HPV vaccines for all sixth-grade girls (the order was later overturned). Perry says he should have gone through the legislature, but he says he’s proud of his stand against cancer. That got him a wave of harsh criticism from the other candidates, led by Rep. Michele Bachmann, who’s otherwise been a nonentity. The Minnesotan got in perhaps the best line of the night when she accused Perry of having mandated the shots to please Merck, a donor to his campaign. “If you're saying I can be bought for $5,000, I'm offended," he said. Bachmann shot back: "I'm offended for the little girls." Zing!