We've already established what you are, Mr. Perry. Now we're just haggling over the price.

[11 Bravo]

In last night's debate, Rick Perry stated, "If you're saying that I can be bought for $5,000, I'm offended." So tell us, big boy. What IS your price?

[No Elephants]

1. Exactly my thought.

[hobbit709]

2. He won't get on his knees for less than $50K.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

3. If you want to run wit the really big dogs it's $2.5 million.

Well, and maybe another $1 million laundered through the RGA. If you just want a tax payer subsidized Formula One racetrack it's $400,000.

[11 Bravo]

4. Pretty much, but it sure looks like Merck got one Hell of a return on their $5,000 "investment"!

[Lone_Star_Dem]

7. He didn't do it for the money. He did it for his Chief-of-Staff Toomey

Bachman was poorly informed or she would have mentioned this connection between Perry and Merck. Also, to my knowledge that $5000 figure is not correct.

But they failed to bring up a key part of the story that fueled the Texas controversy and which Democrats are poised to pounce on: Perry's order came after the drug company that manufactured the vaccine hired Mike Toomey, his former chief of staff, as one of the firm's top lobbyists in Austin.

Toomey, who is now running the main "super pac" backing Perry's candidacy, was retained by pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co., maker of the Gardasil vaccine, which is designed to prevent the human papillomavirus, or HPV, an infection linked to cervical cancer in women.
First Read: Simi Valley debate slugfest


His hiring was part of an aggressive lobbying push in Texas by the drug company, which also donated $16,000 to Perry's gubernatorial campaigns in the two and a half years prior to the executive order. Merck paid Toomey between $260,000 and $535,000 in lobbying fees between 2005 and 2010, according to state lobbying records.

Although Perry's GOP foes never brought up the connection during the debate, Democratic political operatives and a public watchdog group said Thursday his association with Merck is likely to be emerge as a prime example of Perry's "crony capitalism," should he win the GOP nomination.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44442051/ns/politics/#.Tmm_i2rB2nA

[Broderick]

5. I bet it is a lot more than 5000

But, most politicians are for sale for even less sadly.

[kentuck]

6. kick and rec!

I was thinking the same thing? We're just haggling over the price.

[lonestarnot]

8. Welp I wouldn't give 2 cents and a gumdrop FOR his ass so who gives a fuck. Let corporate merika

sponsor that dumb ass. Maybe they will stimulate the economy.