McCain Fought Teen Pregnancy Programs

WASHINGTON — Republican John McCain, whose running mate disclosed that her unmarried 17-year-old daughter is pregnant, has opposed proposals to spend federal money on teen-pregnancy prevention programs and voted to require poor teen mothers to stay in school or lose their benefits.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's announcement Monday about her daughter Bristol was aimed at rebutting Internet rumors that Palin's youngest son, born in April, was actually her daughter's. Palin said her daughter intends to raise her child and marry the baby's father, identified in news reports as Levi Johnston, 18, of Wasilla, a high school hockey player whom Bristol has dated for about one year. The baby is due in late December.

McCain's record on issues surrounding teen pregnancy and contraceptives during his more than two decades in the Senate indicates that he and Palin have similar views. Until Monday, when the subject surfaced in a deeply personal manner, teen pregnancy and sex education were not issues in the national political campaign.

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.

McCain's position on contraceptives and teen pregnancy issues has been difficult to judge on the campaign trail, as he appears uncomfortable discussing such topics. Reporters asked the presumptive GOP presidential nominee 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 a reporter asked McCain whether he thought contraceptives help stop the spread of HIV, he replied: "You've stumped me." McCain said later that he was sure he opposed government spending on contraceptives. Asked whether he would oppose condom distribution if he knew that condoms stop the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, McCain said he had never gotten into those issues before.

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The McCain campaign on Monday did not respond to repeated requests for information.

In Senate votes, McCain has opposed some proposals to pay for teen-pregnancy prevention programs. In 2006, McCain joined fellow Republicans in voting against a Senate Democratic proposal to send $100 million to communities for teen-pregnancy prevention programs that would have included sex education about contraceptives.

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.

McCain voted for the Family Support Act in 1988, which passed overwhelmingly in the Senate and required teen mothers who receive public assistance to remain in high school and, in some cases, to live with their parents.

"Young parents who have not completed high school will be required to stay in or return to school to complete the basic education so necessary to a productive life," said President Reagan, as he signed the law in October 1988.

McCain cited abortion, sex education and birth control as some of the issues on which he differed with Joycelyn Elders, former President Clinton's nominee for surgeon general. He quoted Elders as telling lawmakers that abortion has had positive health effects, including reducing the number of children "afflicted with severe defects."

"As a father of a number of young children, including an adopted daughter who was born with a birth defect, I am deeply, deeply troubled by these views," McCain said in a 1993 speech opposing Elders' confirmation.

Palin's fifth child, a son named Trig, was born in April with Down syndrome, a genetic abnormality that impedes physical, intellectual and language development. Conservatives supportive of Palin as McCain's running mate have praised her choice to deliver Trig even after the family learned about his condition during prenatal testing.

McCain said the country unarguably had a problem with teen pregnancy, but said Elders' approach would only make it worse. He said Elders started a program to distribute condoms in schools, but the rate of teen pregnancy actually rose in those counties. When it turned out many of the condoms were defective, Elders decided to continue the program rather than halt it or inform the public of the risk, McCain added.

___

Associated Press Writer Steve Quinn contributed to this story from Anchorage, Alaska.

(This version CORRECTS question to role contraceptives play in stopping spread of HIV.)

Comments

[JAB20]

McCain needs careful vetting too. Often he obscures issues and lets people assume he stands where he doesn't (a la GWB). McCain's work against Lillie Ledbetter, his 18 votes against raises in the minimum wage, his votes against support for the teaching of contraception, his vote against (or failing to vote for) some increases in education and other benefits for veterans, his desire to submarine any kind of more fair health care plan, his hope of privatizing social security, his record of encouraging corporations who are moving jobs overseas or commandeering and cutting jobs here (DHL), his desire for an ultra-conservative supreme court, etc., need to become well known.

There is a clear choice in this election.

[BluesDogLefty]

Dude, he was a POW!

Sheeeeeesh.

Look, he was a POW, man.

All this other stuff doesn't count.

POW

Obama/Biden '08

[STAYATHOMEMOMMY]

Being a POW is his answer for everything. He needs to remember that that war was over decades ago. You'd think that McCain an ex soldier would not want a 100 year war because of the years that he missed with his kids. Now, soldiers are missing years with their own kids because of Bush and McCain's wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Teen's need pregnancy programs to deal with the harsh realities of being teen moms and dads. I mean in today's economy health insurance is a luxury and teen girls like Jamie Lynn Spears are getting pregnant so other girls follow their examples. Teen pregnancy programs don't help to just prevent unwanted pregnancies, they also help curb the spread of STD's and HIV/AIDS.

[eirrac]

Palin may be against what she calls "explicit" sex education, but what could be more "explicit" than the statement her daughter makes by being an unwed mother. That's so explicit it's right there in front of our faces. And what kind of mom, knowing her daughter had been fooling around and was pregnant, would take the nomination and put her daughter through such public scrutiny and humiliation?? For that matter, what kind of mom, would take this VP job when she has a very young infant son with Down's Syndrome, who will need his mother's time and attention more than most babies. I know what caring for a Down's baby is like. These little ones need a great deal of mothering and support. I think Palin is ambitious, and selfish, and she 's putting herself above the needs of two of her own children. They are both facing serious problems and deserve better from her.

[Mac2008]

How sad for our country, I challenge anyone who thinks their family is perfect. It's our good fortune that the media is not interested in the average American family, otherwise we would all be fair game. Would we appreciate having our son's and daughter's open to public humiliation? The Palin family has the right to privacy. The media has pointed out that Sarah's husband had a DUI 20 years ago. Obama admitted he used cocaine while in college. Who has the right to rip this family to shreds?

Come on folks, wake up, Sarah Palin's family is no different than many families. The Kennedy family had their fair share of problems, did that mean they were not fit? Our country is in shambles, but yet the media only like to dig for dirty. Let's see how queaky clean ttheir families are.
John McCain is a good man, I for one respect the fact that he select a woman for the VP position. We all know how Hillary Clinton was treated by the media, now we see Sarah Palin being treated the same way. When is anyone going to stand up to this deplorable treatment?

George Bush admitted he had a drinking problem, John Kennedy had women coming in the back door of the White house, John Edwards had an affair while his wife was fighting cancer. No one is perfect, let's just stop throwing the dirt. Would Sarah Palin be a good choice for VP? Absolutely!!

[KOisGod]

Your words ring true up till this; "Would Sarah Palin be a good choice for VP? Absolutely!!"

Nothing you say supports that statement. Lets look at HER qualifications for VP. If that's all you want to make fair game, she's not.

McCain in picking her is pandering to the fringe right, its all they have. They can't address the issues, the vast majority of American's are not in favor of what they stand for. Obama is moving to the center, a balanced, sane approach to governing.

He'll get elected because the country is ready to move forward, not go back in time.

[hypnotoad72]

To failed policies, no less. Ironic that it would be McCain chastising Obama on the claim.

[dawlishgal]

NOBODY thinks his or her family is perfect. This is not a matter of "perfection" or lack thereof. It is a matter of distractions from a very important job. If a woman with 5 children (one pregnant and one handicapped) pays the required amount of attention to a job that demands a lot of attention, will she have to shortchange her family? If so, how does that jibe with the uch-touted "family values" policies of the Republicans. Palin's husband promised (as part of her campaign) to be a stay-at-father. Within months he had broken that promise. The pregnant daughter is already living with an aunt. Already! What next?

Republicans are trying to have it both ways, but it won't work this time. The critical issue here is potential to be sble to pay"good attention to duty" and whether a candidate will be able to provide it. McCain's age already calls his into question..­.he needs Lieberman's presence to correct errors re Iraq and its political/military factions. McCain is 72 and has a 40% chance of cancer-recurrance. And he chooses a woman with the potential for a lot of family-generated distractions to be a heartbeat away. What kind of judgment is THAT?.

It isn't of sexism; merely common sense. We need a VP who is ready to lead from day 1, one with few potential distractions, one who demonstrates loyalty to the UNITED States rather than joining a group of secessionists.

[lippp]

No one is denying every family has their own share of problems and probably degrees of dysfunction. But it is the Republicans that have their heads in the sand spouting an unrealistic, superficial family values platform and legislating from it. Palin's daughter exemplifies what is wrong with moralistic, family values abstinence programs. And now this poor girl will no doubt be forced, at a very young age, to marry a similarly ill prepared teenager who has said on his web site he is not interested in having children!!! He also appears very immature based on this tirade of profane language. But do you think the right wing will accept this young girl deciding to have the child, but not marry the father? I don't think so because it would be against family values to do so. Well, if the Palins want to set up her daughter for failure, that's their business. However, to support a government policy requiring everyone else to not have a choice to do what is best for them is as idiotic as the choice McCain made in selecting Sarah!!

[eirrac]

Palin's family may not be different from some families, but most mothers, if their daughter was an unwed mother, wouldn't take a job that would cause the girl public humiliation on a national scale. Nor would most mothers take on the VP job if they had an infant with Down's Syndrome and needed her time and attention more than most. She's putting her ambition and ego first, not her children. They deserve better from her.

I don't want an "average" or "unremarkable" VP or President anyway. I want someone who doesn't have a lot of baggage.

[arkanian]

"I challenge anyone who thinks their family is perfect. It's our good fortune that the media is not interested in the average American family, otherwise we would all be fair game. Would we appreciate having our son's and daughter's open to public humiliation?"

You should read some first amendment case law before spouting nonsense. Palin is a public official. She does not benefit from same privacy rights that you and I share as private citizens.

[pepper123]

What someone should research is whether under the health plan Palin has for her and her family, her daughter loses benefits if she gets married. If that were true then ask McCain if he thinks there should be health coverager for her. Or does he supports sex education for teenagers.

[Ivygreen]

Why WOULD the republicans support comprehensive sex education? They don't support any other kind of education. It's as if their strategy is to keep everyone pregnant and undereduca­ted...hey!

[NotBeatenYet]

The senator from Arizona has a gift for being on the wrong side of issues that matter to average Americans. Let's see if the so-called "values voters" can sway this electorate as successfully as they've done in the recent past.

[MissingAmerica]

I've seen teen mothers in the school yards. The local high school has a day care, something I never thought I would see. Young mothers are dividing their time between children and study, rather than being able to devote time to one. I've talked with a few of them as we've been out and about; babies bring out conversations. What most have said is they love their children, but neither abortion nor adoption were options for them because of their upbringing. If they had it to do over, would they make the same choice? The majority say that as much as they love their babies, no. Reason? They are finding that they can't get the education they wanted for the life they wanted, and don't feel equipped emotionally or financially to be a mother. Most remain single, and some fathers have just dropped out. It would appear that when there is no choice, it is the young woman who suffers. This is unfair to them and the children. There is a better way, but these hardline religious zealots refuse to even learn the truth from the book they preach.

[tloyd]

It's appaling to me that McCain views it as unnecessary to aid teens in not only preventing pregnancy but the spread of STD's. Herpes is at all time high among teens right now, and you've got young girls giving birth because they didn't know how to get contraceptives or they were too scared!!! It's ridiculous! Obama sounded right in his acceptance speech when he said "We may not all agree on abortion, but surely we agree that we need to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies" (not a direct quote, just as close as I can remember, but it was basically what he was saying). Obama is approaching it far more common sense than either McCain or Palin.
And though I really do NOT think that dragging a candidates family through the mud is appropriate AT ALL, the GOP kinda started it with this whole "We are the party of good, wholesome family values". I have to wonder, if Palin didn't want the schools educating her daughter about birth control and sex, did she do it then, or did she just figure that her teenage daughter wouldn't do that sort of thing? I mean really! I feel for the kid! In the spotlight like that can't be easy when you're an unwed mother of a woman who doesn't believe in preventing teenage pregnancy.

[sjmarie]

We really to let go of this pregnancy issue; it's going to hurt the democratic party. The focus should be her record as mayor and govenor. As mayor and govenor she is not a maverick as the republicans have us to believe. Get the word out regarding her background in public office. It's easy to find. And, have the media cover it instead this nonsence about her daughter being pregnant.

[tloyd]

Here! Here! Let's get it together people!

[franklin opt]

Aye! I am now a fan of tloyd!

[aaronr2000]

I'm torn on this one. Although you're right that it's not fair to make her daughter's pregnancy an issue, the real issue is the hypocracy of the Republican party. Like Dick Cheney who's a part of a party whose platform is antithetical to the advancement of the cause for his lesbian daughter, are also at it again peddling policies that hurts this family let a lone the country. If I had to flip a coin, I'd say instead of calling them on their hypocracy, let them have this one and leave her daughter out of it.

[who38]

Amen!

[Ohg]

The scrutiny is too great a sacrifice. Sarah Palin will withdraw to protect her family. .......
http://thefiresidepost.com/

[tloyd]

I have to wonder if McCain almost wanted that to begin with or wants that now. I mean, he basically nominated this woman to get any kind of media trump card on the DNC. He obviously didn't think this through.

[heal57]

The words 'think through' and JMcC can not be used in the same sentence.

[Seamus]

I agree. I think he owes someone in Alaska a debt - could it be Ted Stevens? They've been in the Senate almost the same amount of time.....I think there is much more to this story.

[daddyG56]

I think this piece is pure conjecture. I don't see any sources cited. It may well turn out to be true, but it looks like nothing more than a prediction or a wish at this point.

[dnels14]

let me be clear no way, no how, no mcsame

[brabra]

OBAMA/BIDEN POLLS ARE ON THE UP SIDE.

[dawlishgal]

Not if one reads the partisan crapola from AP that is present as NEWS on Yahoo and other search engines..

[tbirdalum]

Now, let me get this straight. Trig is 4 mos. old and Bristol is 5 mos.(so they say) pregnant. Then is this Bristols first child or is this her second child? And why all the secrecy. Come on out with the records and put the whole thing to rest and lets get back to the issues. Go big O/Biden 08.

[sueno]

Fair is fair-
Il duce Palin's daughter is off-bounds.
My problem is if the role s were reversed and the teen-mom
lived in Wash. D.C., NY. Cali., or michigan- and democrat,
then the GOP's response would be greatly different.
I'm glad to see that they've grown up a little-
Now if McBush and Il duce Palin, used this attitude in their congressional decisions,
all daughters of this country would be receiving valuable info about how to be safe
in intimate situations. But McBush and Il duce Palin, would like everyone
to stay in the dark ages.

[dawlishgal]

This is VERY selective outrage...­where was the Republican outrage when Bush sent his surrogates out to slime McCain's even younger (at the time) adopted daughter as being the offspring of McCain and a black prostitute? Where was their outrage when McCain told an insulting and filthy joke about a teen-aged Chelsea Clinton and her mother....­..told it not as a private yuk between himself and some other woman-hating "regular guys," but instead told it at a public gathering of conservatives?

[brabra]

Palin used to support Obama. Is she doing this to help him? Look at the recent polls.

[Flawless]

The electorate will not vote for a party that has no soul. Jewish teacher and prophet once spoke, “He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone at her.” The left wing media and Obama's zealots have become a wild pack of wolves assaulting a a precious young girl who needs our love not hate. This public stoning is reminiscent of the vile behavior of the Taliban who would not hesitate to stone this young girl in the public square. This is America we are better than this , we are a shining city on a hill. The Democrats will never win if we continue to act like this.

[aquarharris688]

How can you say Obama is assaulting anyone. Obama specifically said family is off limits. Obama said back off !!!

[judyc]

Nobody is assaulting the young girl!!!

It's the circumstances that surround the pregnancy that is the issue.

And the views of S Palin--family values, abstinence, no "choice",etc. We see how that works out .

[Flawless]

Where have you been the past 48 hours? Mars?

[Speakchic]

I'm sorry have you been living in the US or alive for the past decade? Because if you have then you'd understand that ONE the Reps have been doing this for years. And TWO the Dems did not bring this information to light. It's just how karma is, what goes around comes back around and this is the return on the past decade of smears and unfair attacks on Dems.

So get ur facts str8 and do some research b/c Democrats don't have to do anything but react to what this party has brought on itself by trying to once again steal the election.

[Ivygreen]

I'm sure that you'd be saying the exact same thing if it was one of Michelle and Barack's daughters.
PLEASE!

[DeniseD]

I haven't heard anyone attacking Bristol. It is her hypocritical mother who is getting all of the attacks.