Bachmann refuses to apologize for linking HPV vaccine to “retardation”

(By Allahpundit, Hot Air) - Even Ed Rollins said [Wednesday] night on MSNBC that she should admit the mistake and move on. [Yesterday] she had the chance — and passed on it. Which is interesting, because she 'did' happily cop to a much more benign mistake a few months ago when she goofed on John Wayne’s hometown.

Of the two, apparently this is the one she’s willing to go to the mat on. The unfounded, potentially life-threatening proposition that vaccinating your kids against HPV might lead to “retardation.” Wonderful.

“During the debate, I didn’t make any statements that would indicate that I’m a doctor, I’m a scientist or that I’m making any conclusions about the drug one way or another,” the GOP presidential hopeful told reporters here who questioned her about the story she told suggesting that the vaccine had caused mental retardation. Asked whether she would apologize for comments that outraged medical experts say will discourage parents from getting their children immunized, Bachmann said: “Oh, I’m not going to answer that.”…

Talking to reporters here outside a breakfast meeting with Tea Party supporters, the Minnesota congresswoman tried to steer the conversation away from the science and back to Perry.

“I think if you look at the debate, my point was very clear and it’s the fact that there was an abuse of power,” she said. “And then secondary after that is the idea of crony capitalism.”