Commenting on the Gardasil flap from last night’s debate over at The Corner, Jonah Goldberg writes: “I think the charge of crony capitalism against Perry is valid generally and looks on target in this case in particular. The issue isn’t just that he got $5,000 from Merck. It’s that his former chief of staff was a lobbyist for Merck.”
This is exactly right. Too much attention is paid to how much money candidates get from which special interests and not enough attention is paid to who knows who. A lobbyist’s power does not come from the money his or her wallet (although it helps), it comes from the connections in his or her blackberry. And that is what makes the Gardisal story such a damaging one for Perry. The AP reported back in February of 2007:
Perry has several ties to Merck and Women in Government. One of the drug company’s three lobbyists in Texas is Mike Toomey, his former chief of staff. His current chief of staff’s mother-in-law, Texas Republican state Rep. Dianne White Delisi, is a state director for Women in Government.
Toomey was expected to be able to woo conservative legislators concerned about the requirement stepping on parent’s rights and about signaling tacit approval of sexual activity to young girls. Delisi, as head of the House public health committee, which likely would have considered legislation filed by a Democratic member, also would have helped ease conservative opposition.
Perry better come up with a better response to this issue other than “I raise about $30 million. And if you’re saying that I can be bought for $5,000, I’m offended.”
