Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (R-MN). Image from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2036751/Michele-Bachmann-fights-GOP-debate-candidates-gang-Rick-Perry.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

So Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry, and Rick Santorum weren’t exactly talking about abortion last night, but if you didn’t know what they were talking about, you might think that’s what they were debating. The subject of this particular part of the debate was Perry’s executive order in Texas forcing girls to get vaccinated against HPV, which can cause cervical cancer. But as the heated exchanges between the candidates took place, I couldn’t help but think that they could easily have been talking about abortion. First, let’s go over what the candidates said last night.

“What was driving me obviously was making a difference in young people’s lives,” Perry said. “Cervical cancer is a terrible way to die.”

But Bachmann struck back. “Little girls don’t get a mulligan. They don’t get a do-over,” she said.

“This is big government run amok,” Santorum chimed in. “This is a bad policy and shouldn’t have been done.”

“At the end of the day, you may criticize me about the way that I went about it,” Perry said. “But I am always going to err on the side of life.”

“Was this about life or was it about millions of dollars and potential billions for a drug company?” Bachmann demanded.

Perry said that Merck’s donation amounted to $5,000. “If you’re saying I can be bought by $5,000, I’m offended.”

“I’m offended by all the little girls who didn’t have a choice,” Bachmann snapped back.

“What we were about was trying to save young people in Texas,” Perry replied.

Let’s imagine for a moment that they were indeed talking about abortion. Let’s say that Perry issued an executive order forcing pregnant girls to give birth. You would only have to change one sentence in the entire exchange. Here is the entire discussion again with the change.

PERRY: “What was driving me obviously was making a difference in young people’s lives. ABORTION is a terrible way to die.”

BACHMANN “Little girls don’t get a mulligan. They don’t get a do-over.”

SANTORUM: “This is big government run amok. This is a bad policy and shouldn’t have been done.”

PERRY: “At the end of the day, you may criticize me about the way that I went about it. But I am always going to err on the side of life.”

BACHMANN: “Was this about life or was it about millions of dollars and potential billions for a drug company?”

Perry said that Merck’s donation amounted to $5,000.

PERRY: “If you’re saying I can be bought by $5,000, I’m offended.”

BACHMANN: “I’m offended by all the little girls who didn’t have a CHOICE.”

PERRY: “What we were about was trying to save young people in Texas.”

See the hypocrisy? These candidates are talking about “big government” forcing girls to do something, yet all of them would force pregnant girls to carry a baby for nine months and give birth. Just as vaccinations should be a choice made between a girl and her doctor, so too should abortion. Abortion is a choice. It would be a wonderful choice if the girl choses life but ultimately it’s her decision. It’s her body, not Bachmann’s, not Perry’s, not Santorum’s, not anybody else’s. So I’m sure some of you are asking where the pharmaceutical company comes in. Well, many states have been forcing girls and women to get sonograms, or ultrasounds, before they can get an abortion. Isn’t that just handing money to the people who provide these? That is exactly like the pharmaceutical company providing vaccinations by executive order. They make a lot of money.

The fact is, there is not much difference in these cases. Either way, government is forcing a certain group of people to do something that they may not want to do. This exchange between the candidates is a fantastic example of the hypocrisy of the right wing. You can’t complain about government taking away choice, and then turn around and advocate taking away someone’s choice. But that’s exactly what Republicans want to do.

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