Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann appeared as a guest on "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno Friday. The Minnesota congresswoman talked about her recent controversial remarks about the HPV vaccine, gay marriage and Sarah Palin.

The survey from The Atlantic reveals more than half of voters oppose the policy lead by Gov. Rick Perry that made the injections mandatory. Despite that approval, many don't agree with the Republican Congresswoman on her suggestion that the vaccine causes mental retardation.

Bachmann is trying to calm the reaction from medical professionals countering her comment linking the HPV vaccine to 'mental retardation'. Two medical ethicists, though, aren't willing to let the discussion die quite yet, offering a total of $11,000 for anyone who can show proof of a link between the injection and mental illness or cognition problems.

But now she's giving one more reason to oppose the vaccine -- it causes mental retardation. Bachmann made the comment on the 'Today Show,' explaining the vaccine is 'potentially dangerous.'

When writing the fifth season of True Blood, the popular vampire drama that returns to HBO this Sunday, creator Alan Ball found inspiration in the presidential primaries -- specifically, in Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn.

The Associated Press says more skeptical parents are opting out of vaccinating their children, and health officials worry that could lead to a resurgence in illnesses they once considered defeated. The AP report says Minnesota has the third highest exemption rate in the country, with 6.5 percent of parents opting out.