A nice posting by Larry:
I was wondering when this was going to pop up on the blog. Not being a constitutional expert myself, this sure seems akin to the Youngstown v Sawyer case that our class should be familiar with at this point. Governor Zoolander seems hellbent to put himself on the 2008 radar in hopes of getting a VP tattoo on his ankle. And in typical Perry fashion, such a fine way to go about it.
To address the first thought, in my brief Googling and internet research, I can't seem to find anywhere that directly or indirectly gives or implies the Governor the power to implement such a sweeping mandate.
Secondly, this is a classic case of irony. Someone who champions family values, abstinence, no sex before marriage, etc. is mandating that school girls be vaccindated against a virus that is primarily spread through sexual contact. Would this go right alongside handing out condoms in schools? You sure won't find Dick advocating that strategy anytime soon.
Another thought to ponder is how much of a "mandate" this really is. From my understanding, it is mandatory unless a parent chooses to opt out for religious or PERSONAL reasons. That sure doesn't sound like it takes much for a parent to circumvent this should they so choose.
Third... the possibility of Merck lining the pockets of Gov. Perry, in my estimation, is next to nothing. While Perry can't seem to make up his mind on the border or find productive ways to enact his utilitarian philosophy on the minions, he hasn't shown himself to be a graduate of the Tom DeLay School of Politics, at least so far as this is concerned.
For a fleeting moment I had a thought that he might backtrack on this issue during his State of the State address, and that was quickly put to rest when he spoke out in staunch support of his brilliant idea. I think the big fuss is made by members of the Texas legislature not because they think it is a bad idea... after all, any parent has the right to opt out for virtually any reason they choose. I think the fuss has been made because Perry wasn't playing nicely with the other kids on the playground. He went over the heads of lawmakers and didn't allow them their God-given right in the law-making process and it ticked 'em off. So Nelson goes on the offensive and now the media gets ahold of this here story.
While the intentions surely are good, the execution is poor and transparent. Perry should have fired his legal counsel and PR firms yesterday if anyone thinks this is a good idea to up his opinion polls and get him on the radar screen for 2008's VP fun run.
Your thoughts?
