Updated 4:05 p.m. ET

GOP presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann is slamming rival Rick Perry's executive order requiring Texas girls to get a vaccine against cervical cancer in a fundraising pitch for "emergency" funds.

Appearing this morning on NBC's Today show, Bachmann repeated her line of attack from last night's GOP debate and criticized Perry for "crony capitalism." He signed an executive order in 2007 requiring sixth-grade girls to be inoculated for HPV, the virus that is the leading cause of cervical cancer.

"To have innocent little 12-year old girls be forced to have a government injection through an executive order is just flat out wrong," Bachmann says in her e-mail requesting donations, titled "I'm Offended."

Bachmann suggested at the debate, in her fundraising pitch and on TV today that Perry's order was motivated by his ties to a former aide who works for Merck, the pharmaceutical giant that manufactures the vaccine.

Perry said at the debate that he was wrong not to consult the Texas Legislature on the issue, but he defended his executive order as something necessary to save lives. He said he was "offended" by Bachmann's suggestion that his order was motivated by a campaign donation from Merck.

Bachmann, a Minnesota congresswoman with three biological daughters, is asking for donations of $25 or more in the fundraising pitch, saying she needs it to defeat President Obama.

Her attack on Perry over the HPV vaccination was endorsed by Sarah Palin, who told Fox News on Monday night that it's tough to go against someone in your own political party.

"You have to go up against the big guns, and they will try to destroy you when you call them out on the mistakes they have made," Palin said.

USA TODAY's Liz Szabo and Fredreka Schouten will have more in Wednesday's editions about HPV and the political controversy surrounding Perry's executive order. Liz also took a look earlier this year about the myths tied to vaccines.