DEBATE.
JULIA PACE AND RON FOURNIER OF 
THE "NATIONAL JOURNAL."
THE CONVERSATION WAS GOING TO 
HAPPEN ANYWAY.
IF YOU'RE RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT,
YOU SHOULD BE PREPARED TO BE 
ASKED JUST ABOUT ANYTHING.
YOUR FAVORITE COLOR, VACCINATION
POLICY, ANYTHING, YOU WANT A 
NUCLEAR FOOTBALL?
ANYTHING IS FAIR GAME.
CHRIS CHRISTIE IN LONDON 
YESTERDAY, ASKED IF VACCINES ARE
A GOOD THING OR BAD THING, HE 
SPLITS THE DIFFERENCE.
>> ALL I CAN SAY IS WE VACCINATE
OURS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE 
BEST EXPRESSION OF MY OPINION.
IT'S MUCH MORE IMPORTANT I THINK
WHAT YOU THINK AS A PARENT THAN 
WHAT YOU THINK AS A PUBLIC 
OFFICIAL.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE DO.
BUT I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT 
PARENTS NEED TO HAVE SOME 
MEASURE OF CHOICE IN THINGS AS 
WELL.
SO THAT'S THE BALANCE THAT THE 
GOVERNMENT HAS TO DECIDE.
>> IT'S THAT PART THAT HE SAYS 
PARENTS NEED TO HAVE SOME 
MEASURE OF CHOICE.
CHRISTIE'S OFFICE IN NEW JERSEY 
PUT OUT THIS STATEMENT, TO BE 
CLEAR THE GOVERNOR BELIEVES 
VACCINES ARE AN IMPORTANT PUBLIC
HEALTH PROTECTION AND WITH THE 
DISEASE LIKE MEASLES, THERE'S NO
QUESTION KIDS SHOULD BE 
VACCINATED.
THE AT THE SAME TIME, DIFFERENT 
STATES REQUIRE DIFFERENT DEGREES
OF VACCINATION, WHICH IS WHY HE 
WAS CALLING FOR A BALANCE IN 
WHICH ONES GOVERNMENTS SHOULD 
MANDATE.
THAT'S CHRIS CHRISTIE.
LET'S BRING IN RAND PAUL IN ANNA
COMBATIVE INTERVIEW WITH CNBC ON
A NUMBER OF SUBJECTS, HE'S AN 
EYE DOCTOR, LISTEN TO HIM HERE 
SAYING HE HAS SOME QUESTIONS 
ABOUT VACCINES.
>> I'VE HEARD OF MANY TRAGIC 
CASES OF WALKING, TALKING, 
NORMAL CHILDREN WHO WOUND UP 
WITH PROFOUND MENTAL DISORDERS 
AFTER VACCINES.
I'M NOT ARGUING VACCINES ARE A 
BAD IDEA.
I THINK THEY'RE A GOOD THING.
BUT I THINK THE PARENTS SHOULD 
HAVE SOME INPUT.
>> AGAIN, THE STAFF COMES IN TO 
DO SOME CLEAN-UP.
SERGIO GORE, RAND PAUL SPOKESMAN
SAYING DR. PAUL BELIEVES THAT 
VACCINES HAVE SAVED LIVES AND 
SHOULD BE ADMINISTERED TO 
CHILDREN.
HIS CHILDREN WERE VACCINATED AND
HE BELIEVES MANY VACCINES SHOULD
BE VOLUNTARY.
AND LIKE MOST MEDICAL DECISIONS 
BETWEEN THE DOCTOR AND THE 
PATIENT, NOT THE GOVERNMENT.
>> SHOULD THEY BE PREPARED TO 
GIVE CLEARER ANSWERS, I GIVE THE
GOVERNMENT DISTRUST.
ESPECIALLY ON THE REPUBLICAN 
SIDE, THE CONSERVATIVE SIDE.
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR 
CHILDREN AND MEASLES, IT'S A 
NO-BRAINER.
>> I THINK IT'S A FAIR 
CONVERSATION, ONE BECAUSE IT IS 
SOMETHING THAT'S TOPICAL.
TWO, DO YOU HAVE SEVERAL STATES 
THAT ARE DEBATING THIS ON A 
STATE LEVEL ABOUT WHAT KIND OF 
REGULATION SHOULD BE IN PLACE 
FOR SENDING YOUR CHILDREN TO 
SCHOOL.
SO THERE IS A POLITICAL 
GOVERNMENT ASPECT TO THIS.
IT DOES SHOW YOU, THOUGH, HOW 
WHAT YOU SAY AS A POTENTIAL 
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE CAN HAVE 
SO MUCH MORE RESONANCE THAN WHAT
YOU SAY EVEN AS A GOVERNOR.
WHAT CHRIS CHRISTIE SAID IS 
LARGELY THE SAME AS WHAT HE HAS 
BEEN SAYING IN THE STATE OF NEW 
JERSEY WHERE THIS IS A BIG 
TOPIC.
BUT WHEN YOU SAY THIS AND YOU'RE
POTENTIALLY RUNNING FOR 
PRESIDENT, YOU HAVE TO BE A BIT 
MORE CAREFUL WITH YOUR LANGUAGE 
AND HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER 
PREPARED.
WHEN YOU SAW THEM WALK THIS 
BACK.
YOU CAN TELL THEY GOT NERVOUS 
ABOUT THE MESSAGE THIS MAY HAVE 
BEEN SENDING.
>> ON RAND PAUL WE'VE BEEN 
TALKING ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RAND PAUL
AND CHRIS CHRISTIE, RAND PAUL IS
A DRXT IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE 
SAYING THINGS LIKE I KNOW OF 
CHILDREN WHO HAVE BEEN AFFECTED 
BY THIS YOU SHOULD HAVE EVIDENCE
TO BACK THAT UP AND AS FAR AS WE
KNOW, THERE IS NO EVIDENCE.
>> THAT'S THE THING, OBVIOUSLY 
CHRIS CHRISTIE.
WHENEVER YOU HAVE TO HAVE A 
STATEMENT THAT SAYS, TO BE 
CLEAR, YOU KNOW YOU'VE MESSED UP
AND ARE MAYBE NOT READY TO BE A 
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, YET.
RAND PAUL LITERALLY DREW A 
CONNECTION BETWEEN AUTISM AND 
VACCINES.
THERE IS NO CONNECTION BETWEEN 
THE TWO.
I HAVE AN AUTISTIC BOY.
I DON'T KNOW HOW HE GOT AUTISM, 
I KNOW HE DIDN'T GET IT FROM 
VACCINES.
IT'S THESE GENTLEMEN'S JOB IN 
WANTING TO BE A LEADER, TO 
EDUCATE THE PUBLIC.
THEY SHOULD BE MAKING CLEAR TO 
PEOPLE GET YOUR KIDS VACCINATED 
AND NOT BE PANDERING.
>> IF YOU WANT TO MAKE A 
DISTINCTION, LES SAY FOR 
EXAMPLE, IT CAME UP IN THE LAST 
PRESIDENTIAL CYCLE, MEASLES, 
MUMPS, KIDS SHOULD BE 
VACCINATED.
HPV, SHOULD THE STATE MANDATE 
THAT, THAT CAME UP, YOU HAVE TO 
BE SPECIFIC.
YOU BETTOR BE SPECIFIC OR YOU 
END UP HERE.
>> DON'T PRETEND THERE'S LAENK, 
THERE'S NOT A LINK.
>> OUR CONSERVATIVE FRIEND ERIC 
ERICSSON WRITES THIS IN "RED 
STATE."
SAYING THIS IS ONLY A POLITICAL 
ISSUE BECAUSE THE PRESS, HAVING 
FAILED TO PAINT THE GOP AS 
ANTI-WOMEN, WISHES TO NOW PAINT 
THE GOP AS ABTSANTI-SCIENCE.
I SUSPECT THAT SOME REPORTER 
WILL ASK REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES 
ABOUT THE GLOBAL FLOOD AND A MAN
NAMED NOAH.
IF THEY HAVE CLEAR ANSWERS, IT'S
OVER.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO RUN FOR 
PRESIDENT, YOU HAVE TO ANSWER 
ANYTHING, WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE 
TEAM.
WHAT'S UR FAVORITE COLOR AND 
SERIOUS PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES 
LIKE VACCINE.
>> THIS ISN'T ONE OF THESE 
ISSUES WHERE YOU HAVE A CLEAR 
LINE BETWEEN DEMOCRATS AND 
REPUBLICANS NECESSARILY ON THIS.
THERE ARE REPUBLICANS WHO ARE 
RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT WHO HAVE 
COME DOWN STRONGLY ON THE SIDE 
OF HAVING YOUR CHILDREN 
VACCINATED.
>> THIS IS NOT AN ISSUE TO 
DEBATE.
THERE'S NOTHING TO DEBATE.
WE KNOW THERE'S NOT A LINK 
BETWEEN VACCINES AND AUTISM.
IF YOU MAKE THAT LINK, YOU'RE 
GOING TO GET HAMMERED.
WHAT RAND PAUL DID IN PARTICULAR
IS NOT WORTHY OF THE SENATE, LET
ALONE A DOCTOR.
>> TO BE FAIR, DEMOCRATS SAW AN 
OPENING THEY WERE CRITICIZING 
RAND PAUL AND CHRIS CHRISTIE ALL
DAY YESTERDAY.
IN 2008 AS A CANDIDATE, 
PRESIDENT OBAMA SAID HE 
UNDERSTOOD THERE WERE PEOPLE 
UNDER THERE SUSPICIOUS ABOUT THE
AUTISM THING AND HE NEEDED TO 
HEED THE SUSPICIONS.
HILLARY CLINTON TWEETED SAYING 
THE SCIENCE IS CLEAR, THE SERT 
ROUND, THE SKY IS BLUE AND 
VACCINES WORK AND SHE ADDED 
GRANDMOTHER KNOWS BEST.
A NICE TOUCH THERE.
SHE ALSO IN 2008 TO BE FAIR, TO 
THE WE'RE BEATING UP THE 
REPUBLICANS, SHE ALSO IN 2008 
SAID THERE ARE SOME OUT THERE 
WHO FEAR -- 
>> I'M SORRY, JOHN, THAT DOESN'T
EXCUSE WHAT THE REPUBLICANS ARE 
SAYING NOW, YES, OBAMA AND 
HILLARY WERE WRONG THEN.
REPUBLICANS ARE WRONG NOW, AND 
THEY SHOULD KNOW BETTER THAN TO 
BE WRONG NOW.
THEY HAVE TO STICK WITH THE 
FACTS.
>> I THINK THAT'S A GOOD POINT.
WHEN YOU GO BACK TO WHAT OBAMA 
SAID IN PARTICULAR, I MEAN TO 
TALK ABOUT AGAIN WHY THIS IS NOT
JUST A CLEAR LINE BETWEEN 
REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS ON 
THIS ISSUE.
A LOT OF THE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN 
PUSHING THE SORT OF ANTI-VACCINE
MOVEMENT ARE CELEBRITIES, 
LIBERAL, HOLLYWOOD TYPES, THAT 
WAS A BIG DONOR BASE FOR OBAMA.
I CAN'T SAY FOR CERTAIN HE WAS 
PANDERING TO THEM AT THAT POINT.
BUT THAT IS KIND OF THE 
COMMUNITY THAT'S BEEN INVOLVED 
IN THIS AS WELL.
>> ILL WILL SAY HE WAS 
PANDERING.
BUT ANYBODY WHO IS PANDERING 
NOW, SHOULD GET SLAPPED.
>> FOR ALL OF THE FIRST-TIME 
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES OUT 
THERE, WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO BE 
FAIR.
WE'RE NOT PERFECT.
IF YOU SEE SOMETHING YOU DON'T 
LIKE, SEND IT MY WAY, I'LL TAKE 
IT BUT IF YOU'RE GOING TO RUN 
FOR PRESIDENT, SPECIFICITY, GIVE
A LONG ANSWER IF YOU HAVE 
