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Subscribe to RSSTAMPA, FL -- The morning after a sometimes-rocky appearance in front of a Tea Party debate audience, Gov. Rick Perry said he was "taken aback" by cheers from some crowd members on a hypothetical question of whether a young man who decides not to buy health insurance should be refused care if he develops a life-threatening illness and be left to die.
"I was a bit taken aback by that myself," Perry told NBC News and the Miami Herald after appearing at a breakfast fundraiser in Tampa.
"We're the party of life. We ought to be coming up with ways to save lives."
Perry distinguished from that the issue of "justice," reiterating his strong support and "respect" for the death penalty on a state-by-state basis. "But the Republican party ought to be about life and protecting, particularly, innocent life," he added.
Perry also responded to the crowd's negative reaction to his support for allowing in-state tuition for illegal immigrants, saying his campaign has "the right message" on opportunities for children who were brought to the United States illegally "by no fault of their own."
"This issue is about education, it's not about immigration," he said.
"These kids showed up in our state by no fault of their own, some 2-3 years of age. And they've been in our schools, they've done their work, they've prepared themselves good, they want to be contributing members of society. So it would be I think the wrong message to say somehow or another that you can't go to our colleges, or we've going to punish you because of the sound of your last name."
"When people really think about it, I think they'll understand what we did in Texas was the right thing for Texas," he said.
Last night's debate also featured shots at Perry from both Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum on the issue of Gardasil, a vaccine that Perry mandated to be given to 12-year-old girls to prevent HPV - a disease linked to cervical cancer.
Bachmann said on NBC's TODAY Show this morning that she was approached by a woman after the debate whose daughter had suffered mental retardation as a result of getting the vaccine.
Perry dismissed that idea as similar to debunked theories linking vaccinations to autism.
"You heard the same arguments about giving our children protections from some of the childhood diseases, and they were, autism was part of that. Now we've subsequently found out that was generated and not true."
"I would suggest to you that this issue about Gardasil and making it available was about saving people's lives," he added.
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You see people the tea paty cant be trusted..
Pro-Life only applies to the unborn. ...After that, you're on your own.
The GOP is now extremely radical. The only adult in the room is Romney. He is the only one who has a prayer of being elected. Not one has the intelligence, cool head, calmness of Obama. The GOP is scraping the bottom of the barrel to find a viable candidate.
The last time a Republican cared about me was when I was in the womb.
And even Romney at times doesn't act like an adult!
Someone answer me this...If an illegal immigrant student takes advantage of Rick Perry's "Dream Act" and goes to college, and gets a degree......They can't find a job because of their illegal status, unless they break more laws and steal the identity of a US citizen. So, what is the benefit?
J: I agree, and until we come up with a means of helping them become legal citizens, it's a waste of money to educate them. I know, here in California, they are allowing them to go to college and having them pay LESS than a student that lives in Cailfornia. How fair is that? I totally agree that they had no choice in coming here when they were small children, but there has to be a way that our government can help them attain citizenship, go to college, get jobs, and become viable taxpayers. Until that happens, we're just wasting money and blocking LEGAL, tax-paying residents from a college education.
J, you can bet they WILL indeed find a job. There are tons of companies that hire illegals. An illigeal with a degree just means you get a whole lot for a little bit of nothing. Exactly what corporations are looking for.
All politicians are crazy. Regardless of political party. Which is why this crap that's called politics isn't going so well right now. But in regards to Perry's debate question- if the guy didn't buy insurance, he didn't buy insurance. But that doesn't mean he should be denied medical care. He'd just have to pay more out of pocket or come up with a payment plan.
My two cents: if you're bashing the other party just because you don't agree with them, YOU are what is wrong with politics and government today. The bipartisan party was designed for check-and-balance and equalling out views. Presenting opposing viewpoints for others to see and consider and come to a rational conclusion that is good for everyone. Bash stupid politicians all you want, but just because one republican or one democratic politican does something stupid doesn't mean all the people that identify with that party are the same way.
Most intelligent comment I've seen all day :) Thank you!
Rosencrantz: I totally agree with you....I HATE being pigeon-holed into one box vs. another. Just because I happen to prefer President Obama doesn't make me a liberal; and because I don't agree with ALL of the Republican candidates doesn't make me a liberal either! There are both liberal AND conservative ideas that I agree on....does that make me a centrist? I don't really care, but as mentioned, I HATE to have people put me in a box when they don't even know me or what I believe in. So, when you talk about liberal and conservative thoughts....don't attribute them to EVERYONE that doesn't agree with one or the other....we're not all one or the other! Some of us are actually a little of both!
you want more walkers in office...then vote anyone of these tea party republicans in office..and you can kiss your SS good by to a 401 like plan.
What a group of losers. Take your pick, not one can win. Pitiful.
What a group of losers. Take your pick, not one can win. Pitiful.
Truth is our country would be much less strained of resources if there were fewer people to use them. Letting the poor and sick die is actually very patriotic and beneficial. To those left alive of course.
Perry often doesn't have a clue as to what is happening around him. He simply is unawares. And much of that is probably do to him being wrapped up too much in himself, so much so, that he doesn't know what's going on around him. To put it another way, it seems like his narcissistic behavior gets in his way. It's another shortcoming of his as to why he should not become President of the U.S.
Confirms what I have been suspicious of for a long time. The "Tea Party" hat is tall, pointy and white, with eye holes and it matches the robes.
RaBin-Really? The Tea Party is now the Klu Klux Klan? You guys have certainly reached a new low. I guess it's desperation.
lukewarm - I think what RaBin is saying is that the KKK is now the TP. If what one is doing is giving them bad press try changing the name. This is not an unheard of strategy at all.
I found it most ironic when instead of Mr. Perry stating that he couldn't be bought, he stated that he couldn't be bought for $5,000. So, Mr. Perry, how much CAN you be bought for??
Yeahhhhh Ricky,,,you are in the "Party of Life"...that is, right up until the moment of birth.......then all bets are off!
all of the republican candidates are corporation paid..politicians just like walker...we need a people president ..keep obama in office.
I am drinking to that one. I wonder how often Perry has actullay been out in the streets helping the poor and common man.
So now you are telling us that we must have children in order to retire. Guess what with the cost of health care my mother could move in with me and I still could not afford health care for either one of us. Health care has gone up a lot more than salaries. I have saved for my retirement and could support her if she lived with me except for the cost of health care. You fail to grasp that we did not have all these wonderful life saving drugs and technologies (both very expensive) when my parents parents got old enough to retire and they did not live as long. So if you want to totally bankrupt the entire middle class just ask them to pay for their health care and that of their parents too. The cost of health care in this country is the main drag on the economy and the middle class not to mention the number one cause of bankruptcy in the US (and many of those going bankrupt due to health care costs had insurance.) Just add to that the fact that I have paid in to both Social and Medicare for 40 years and still have 7 to go and I feel like I should get something back.
While it's nice to see Gov Perry of the side of decency and fairness for the children of illegal immigrants, his comment that they've "prepared themselves good" just reminds me that "English is the official language" needs to begin at home. I really thought GWB was hard on my native tongue until I heard this guy speak.
Perry is not the only one shocked - it was a hideous display human nature.
They should all be ashamed of themselves.
If the tables were turned, and it was *their* family member, would they feel the same?
Perry: "We are the party of life." Stated by the man who threatened secession; and at the debate, bragged about executing 234 people and grinned with pride when the audience applauded..
No, Perry, you are not the "party of life." You are a party of mean-spirited duplicitous, self-centered, bigoted fools.
How did George Carlin put it about conservatives??
"If you're pre-born you are all set, if you are pre-school you are screwed."
OMG he sounds so much like G W Bush, I think that alone is really going to hurt his chances. Also, if you watched his expression during the debate, he suddenly realized he's not in Texas anymore - they're playing hardball out there and I don't think he was used to that when running for office in Texas.
It would be very interesting to see him up against Obama. Obama is by far more intellect and would probably sweep the floor with him. It makes you wonder, is this the best the GOP has?
We had Clinton and Obama in the same race! They had McCain. Wow. Amazing.
Hey, Scary-Perry. We thought about it and ummm.. You're wrong.
He shouldn't be surprised. He has been catering to the Tea Party, which is nothing more than a populous movement funded by unscrupulous self-serving business men that built itself on getting ignorant people fired up emotionally by presenting the Government as a scapegoat for anything that is wrong in their lives. As far as the rank and file of the Tea Party are concerned, if the government does it, supports it, or even discusses it, it must be evil. They have been stirred up to only look at the messenger, not the message. It would not matter if a proposal was what was best for this Country. All that matters to these people, is the party or ideology to which the messenger belongs. The Tea Party along with the Citizens United decision (let the auctioning of our legislators begin), will be seen in the future, as what destroyed democracy in this country.
yes they want all that power they strongly talk bad about
ALLEN: Very well put. You sum up in a few sentences what the Tea Party phonies are all about. Reduced to their essence, they are nothing but the Far Right wing of the Republican party, wrapped up with a new bow. Contrary to their claim, that their party is made up of a diverse group, they are almost exclusively Republicans for whom the party was not far enough to the right already.
Ozzie;
Let's hope that new bow you talked about is a noose in disguise.
Perry is a tool, Bachman is a dildo. Neither one answered any of the real questions last night. Cowards!
Isn't the tool and dido one in the same for both of them?
If a parent chooses to NOT get a shot that would stop their child from getting CANCER, they should be brought up on assault charges. Idiots! If you open the door for someone to be a complete idot, they will do so most of the time.
Hey idiot the virus is SEXUALLY transmitted.
What if the links between the vaccine and life-threatening illnesses are proven?!?!?!?! There is a LOT of controversy around Gardasil right now, and there is an investigation into it to see if it is directly linked to a host of medical problems - blood clots, paralysis, palsy, seizures, and more.
Not to mention that it's only been proven in trials so far. The first of the general population to receive the vaccine are not yet old enough to prove the accuracy of the trials yet. We'll still be learning about the effects for the next 20 years minimum.
The IDIOT is the parent who forces a vaccine on their child without getting educated first and making a balanced decision.
Don't get me wrong - I think Gardasil is a step in the right direction, but I do not think it is proven safe and effective enough to mandate it, and I think too many parents are being swayed by commercials and not discussions with their doctors or research.
I thought this debate was horrible. The shouting and booing from the crowd was very disrepectful. What decent minded person want to run for office when this is what you have to put with. Why would a decent law abiding person want to subject themselves to this behavior from their fellow American. We are all brothers and sisters in this world. Sad to think that this is becomming acceptable behavior among family members in our country. We're doomed....
yes like a beer joint..yelling but they don'tno why...well if the others are clapping and yelling it must be something good...they did not have there tin foil hats on