QUOTE
Palin herself said she opposes funding sexual-education programs in Alaska.

"The explicit sex-ed programs will not find my support," she wrote in a 2006 questionnaire distributed among gubernatorial candidates.

How'd that work out for ya?

Und let's add Herr McCain to ze mix:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080902/ap_on_...een_pregnancies

QUOTE
...In November 2007 whether he supported grants for sex education in the United States, whether such programs should include directions for using contraceptives and whether he supports President Bush's policy of promoting abstinence.

"Ahhh, I think I support the president's policy," McCain said.

When reporters pressed McCain whether the government should provide contraceptives or counseling on contraceptives, he replied, "You've stumped me." McCain said later that he was sure he opposed government spending on contraceptives.


"I think I support?"

You've "stumped" him?

McCain Thought-Bubble: "Hmmmm... Do I flip or flop here, my friends? Better check with President Bush what to think. It's not like I have a moral compass of my own...."

Yet his voting record is pretty clear:

QUOTE
In 2005, McCain opposed a Senate Democratic proposal that would have spent tens of millions of dollars to pay for pregnancy prevention programs other than abstinence-only education, including education on emergency contraception such as the morning-after pill. The bill also would have required insurance companies that cover Viagra to also pay for prescription contraception.

Nice.

So basically McCain? Pro viagra for the guys, but anti contraception or sex ed that might prevent a girl from having to endure a pregnancy before she's ready.

Way to go.


Oh and as a side note, I already wrote the AP and spanked them for just lobbing McCain accusations into the ether without confirming them. Below is my little note to them:

In your article, you quoted McCain as saying that Joycelyn Elders said that "abortion has had positive health effects, including reducing the number of children afflicted with severe defects."

Without confirming to the reader whether she actually DID say that or not, or in what context she may have said that, so that people can understand WHY she may have asserted such a thing.

You also quoted a McCain accusation that "Elders continued a condom distribution program despite knowledge that the condoms were defective."

Considering the statistically high effectiveness rate of condoms generally, I find it difficult to believe that there was a whole batch of "defective" ones that were not recalled from shelves immediately, much less that a health professional like Elders would neglect to inform people of it if there was.

What confirmation of this did you obtain before reprinting McCain's highly political accusation?

Additionally, you also quoted McCain as stating that "in countries where condoms were distributed in schools that teen pregnancies actually rose."

Which countries?

By how much, if any?

You never verify for the reader whether this statement is true, or whether McCain is simply pulling this stat directly out of his ass.

Simply reprinting accusations and stats quoted by a politician without providing the public with any context as to whether they are actually TRUE or not, is irresponsible journalism.

It is not partisan bias to say, "Politician X said such and such, but this is not actually correct, complete, or independently verifiable."

Indeed it's you JOB to verify those facts. Do better.