Michele Bachman, who was condemned as an anti-vaccination conspiracy theorist after suggesting that Gardasil causes “mental retardation,” said Wednesday that she was in fact a big supporter of vaccines. Not only that, she thinks there are too many regulations on them.
Bachmann told a gathering of the Republican Jewish Coalition in Washington that cures for polio and other diseases “literally changed the course of history and this was good.” Until the government got in the way, that is: “[T]he problem is that bureaucracy has risen up to such an extent that today because of the FDA and other measures we’re no longer seeing the miracle of cures that were coming forward,” she said.
Bachmann told the audience her original “retardation” comment was really aimed at Rick Perry’s “crony capitalism.” Perry took a lot of heat over that angle, it’s true: his former chief of staff Mike Toomey helped promote the new treatment on behalf of Merck, its manufacturer. But Bachmann’s claim that a supporter’s daughter was mentally damaged by the vaccine — a loaded charge that’s never been backed up either in that individual case or anywhere else — clearly was an attack on the vaccine itself. Either way, given that she thinks a drug that causes children to become mentally retarded made it to the market just fine, it’s a little odd that her chief issue with vaccines is that bureaucrats are imposing too many safety requirements on them.
Benjy Sarlin
Benjy Sarlin is a reporter for Talking Points Memo and co-writes the campaign blog, TPM2012. He previously reported for The Daily Beast/Newsweek as their Washington Correspondent and covered local politics for the New York Sun.
Look at the color of her face vs her neck. HOW MUCH MAKEUP is on this woman?!!!
Probably the reason she doesn't believe that "we’re no longer seeing the miracle of cures that were coming forward" is that she shuns science and, as such, knowledge and awareness of the scientific developments going on behind the scenes (genome project and many, many others). We are a lot further along on several fronts than her drivel would lead one to believe (that is, if you place a scintilla of trust in her drivel, anyway).
And she say's these things with a serious look on her face... Even more amusing is Victoria Jackson. You may remember her from Saturday Night Live. You won't believe what she does on Fox... http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201112070011
George Sullivan Whatever she is doing on fox Newz is burying the needle on the cringe and creepy meter.
She is crazy enough to give bat shit a bad name.
LeeJo Calling her bat-shit insane is a disservice to bat shit.
She will soon claim her husband's love for shopping is a result of some government vaccine gone awry. Which is probably true, only an evil government concoction could cause such a severe fobia of open closet doors.
“[T]he problem is that bureaucracy has risen up to such an extent that today because of the FDA and other measures we’re no longer seeing the miracle of cures that were coming forward,” she said.
Michele, Michele, Michele. Vaccines don't cure anything. They prevent. One huge problem with the vaccine program these days is that too many states are allowing exemptions for religious and philosophical reasons You know - state's rights. So we're seeing a resurgence of measles, mumps, and pertussis.
Every time this woman opens her yap, she subtracts from the sum of human knowledge.
milwauken She is truly the black hole of knowledge.
Okay, who is going to remind this silly congressional representative about what happened in Europe with the unregulated use of thalidomide? And how grateful many were that the FDA had not allowed its use in the US. Rep. Bachmann is certainly old enough to remember this horror. And at the same time, ask her what those victims who are still alive are doing. Geesh.
mkolb I think Michele may actually BE the result of thalidomide.
Bachmann, Perry, Santorum and, sadly, Huntsman are flailing. We're closing in on three: Gingrich, Paul and Romney... finally.
The presidential nomination process should have a "mercy rule", or maybe something like demotions in European soccer. Once your polls hit a low threshold you get banished to C-SPAN or public access cable until you somehow bring them up again. I don't want to read any more about this never-gonna-be-president ninny.
Earth to Michele... Corn dogs cause OMV (Open Mouthed Vegetable) disease.
The Pharma industry finally got through to her staff and told her to play nice, and they might throw her a bone.
And now, Michelle <del>Bachmann</del> Romney
Sorry Michele, not interested in which way you lean this week
Sorry, Michele, there is no vaccine against Stupid.
Just imagine if vaccines were not regulated... This woman needs to go. Really. She is such a joke.
Bitch! Drop out already.
cholly8524
Noooooo! She can't leave! With Uncle Ruckus gone, she is the best chance for unintentional humor out of the entire bunch!
She can't drop out. She has books to sell. fargo117 cholly8524
fargo117cholly8524 You've forgotten that his frothiness is still around too.
fargo117cholly8524 But... but... give the others a CHANCE to fill their clown shoes!
See, it's real simple. The government shouldn't be *requiring* vaccines that could cause mental retardation, regardless of the fact that they actually don't do so. At the same time, the government should stay out of the way and allow any company to develop and market vaccines that might *actually* cause mental retardation or some such, and just let the free market sort things out.
It all makes perfect sense. Totally consistent, never any gaffes.
midnight rambler And of course we need to fix the legal system so that those company's that put out vaccines that actually cause injury don't get sued by the consumers that were injured because that will discourage the company from developing these miracle drugs.
@midnight rambler Jesus, I have a headache after your clear explanation of her logic. Well done.
You just can't fix stupid.
wrightwingnut But Michelle is working on a vaccination to cure it!
Not a contradiction. Michele Bachmann believes drug companies have the right to introduce defective products without government intervention.
However she seems to object to them introducing safe and effective products like the HPV vaccine.
Michele who?
Bachmann talks nonsense.
In other news: Dog bites man.
sullivanst In other news, The Chumpster endorses Christine O'Donnell.
She should not venture too close to the field of "science." She might get captured and put in a jar so a vaccine against stupidity can be developed.
Pearlywhite had it right on the other thread about Bachmann:
"The stupid is strong with this one...."
DF2691 "That is the feces that is created when shame eats too much stupid!"
~Dale Gribble
That's better, ah tell yew whut. Handy DF2691
Thank you for the great quotes, I intend to use ithem at every opportunity. Handy DF2691
Where to start? Most vaccines are developed with some federal funds. The Vaccine Compensation Fund was established by Congress to encourage industry to STAY in the vaccine business. FDA is incredibly responsive to vaccine issues. And, uh, Missy, vaccines prevent disease, they don't cure them. Drug development is a whole other issue. See, I know more than you already and I'm not even running for president.
Actually, a some vaccines, particularly those for cancer, are aimed at curing (though their efficacy is far short of a cure). Anyway, the lack of vaccines against AIDS and malaria and other diseases has nothing to do with regulation and everything to do with the difficulty of the targets. And certainly government funding is key to those programs (along with groups such as the Gates Foundation). I know it;s hard for a moron like Bachmann to grasp this, but the government working with the private sector is actually our best hope.
radicalrealist Y'all are talking science and facts. Stop it.
radicalrealist You are correct sir/m'am. We would love to have a vaccine to cure cancer--was referring more to the infectious diseases. In the developing world, public-private partnerships are the only way to go. This "them" versus "us" crap is idiotic.
I wonder what happened to Sailormarlowe/aka/ shiparules. Not of a sign of him. Do you think he died?
lousgirl84 Probably couldn't figure out how to transfer to livefyre. I kinda miss him and david "suds" farrarr. The quality of trolls here has gone way down.
DF2691 Oh I forgot about david farrar ex animo. Gee, I am technically challenged and all I had to so was sign it. I guess if you want to have a real avatar it might be difficult. I took the easy way out.
DF2691 Well there is always Hijack and Contrarian.
lousgirl84 True. With Contrarian, I have to be very careful when I type his name, keep hitting the "u" instead of the "o".
It is stunning to watch these people prostitute themselves on a daily basis. Morally bankrupt
"Not only that, she thinks there are too many regulations on them."
Teh stoopid, it BUURRRRRNNNNNSSSSS!
- spam
- offensive
- disagree
- off topic
Like