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Meanwhile, back on the Strait Talk Express...
From the New York Times' politics blog, <i><a href=http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/03/16/mccain-stumbles-on-hiv-prevention>The Caucus</a></i>: Mr. McCain: "Well I think it’s a combination. The guy I really respect on this is Dr. Coburn. He believes – and I was just reading the thing he wrote– that you should do what you can to encourage abstinence where there is going to be sexual activity. Where that doesn’t succeed, than he thinks that we should employ contraceptives as well. But I agree with him that the first priority is on abstinence. I look to people like Dr. Coburn. I’m not very wise on it." (Mr. McCain turns to take a question on Iraq, but a moment later looks back to the reporter who asked him about AIDS.) Mr. McCain: "I haven’t thought about it. Before I give you an answer, let me think about. Let me think about it a little bit because I never got a question about it before. I don’t know if I would use taxpayers’ money for it." Q: "What about grants for sex education in the United States? Should they include instructions about using contraceptives? Or should it be Bush’s policy, which is just abstinence?" Mr. McCain: (Long pause) "Ahhh. I think I support the president’s policy." Q: "So no contraception, no counseling on contraception. Just abstinence. Do you think contraceptives help stop the spread of HIV?" Mr. McCain: (Long pause) "You’ve stumped me." Q: "I mean, I think you’d probably agree it probably does help stop it?" Mr. McCain: (Laughs) "Are we on the Straight Talk express? I’m not informed enough on it. Let me find out. You know, I’m sure I’ve taken a position on it on the past. I have to find out what my position was. Brian, would you find out what my position is on contraception – I’m sure I’m opposed to government spending on it, I’m sure I support the president’s policies on it." Q: "But you would agree that condoms do stop the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. Would you say: ‘No, we’re not going to distribute them,’ knowing that?" Mr. McCain: (Twelve-second pause) "Get me Coburn’s thing, ask Weaver to get me Coburn’s paper that he just gave me in the last couple of days. I’ve never gotten into these issues before."
Reporter: "Should U.S. taxpayer money go to places like Africa to fund contraception to prevent AIDS?"
Now, I can admire a man who admits he doesn't know something when asked a question about obscure policy or precedent, but about something like this -- wow. The bolded section in particular is just crazy. That's the language of a man too far gone into Washington doublespeak. That's the dangerous McCain.
Comments (14)
From the New York Times' politics blog, The Caucus:
*sigh*
March 29, 2008 3:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
He might not actually remember! Wholly unfit to be president however you look at.
Btw, your avatar makes me want to hug you, random I know, probably a little creepy too.
March 29, 2008 3:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
What??????? Is this man seriously running for President??????
Sure, I appreciate honesty when people don't know the answer to something, but first of all, they're asking for his opinion, and second of all, it's getting a bit....no, scratch that, extremely alarming to find out how many things he himself admits he does not understand.
Even I know his position on this, b/c it took me all of five seconds to find it online. And magically, I remembered it, even thought it wasn't me making up my own mind and voting on it!!!
He did vote to support funding for abstinence education and he voted to deny funding for education and contraceptives to prevent teen pregnancy in 2005. This guy gets scarier by the day.
Thanks for the heads up on this.
March 29, 2008 4:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Psychologists have determined that it's much more difficult to remember a lie than to remember the truth. McCain has had to contort his real views so many different ways that he can't keep them straight. His first impulse was to say we need both, but then he remembered he might have had to switch that position, and then he got lost in the fog of sorting out what Bush's position is, what he himself has said in the past, vs. what he really thinks.
March 30, 2008 4:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
Note that this comment was made last year, before McCain became the nominee. I think if anything this story probably helped McCain with the rightwing base at the time. I suspect that he's since learned that condoms can prevent the transmission of HIV, and he wouldn't give that same answer today. But there are plenty of other topics where his scientific illiteracy will continue to shine.
March 29, 2008 4:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's true that it's not the timeliest piece anymore, but I posted it anyway because frankly I wouldn't want that man to be my Senator (which unfortunately he is) much less my president.
His regrettable stance aside, I expect that level of confusion from elderly patients who've wandered away from their assisted care givers in the electronics section at Wal-mart, not a candidate for the most powerful job in the world.
Oy vey.
March 29, 2008 5:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
McCain is very clear on "Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, . .Bomb, Bomb Iran." He's clear as a bell on bomb the hell out of everybody and make 'em like us. On everything else, he's a darn dim sister. He doesn't KNOW if using condoms might help prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. He actually voted to deny funding for contraceptives AND Education for teenagers. This man is very, very scary.
March 30, 2008 3:26 AM | Reply | Permalink
Remembering to bomb countries in the Middle East is apparently never a problem for even the most memory-challenged of Washington politicians.
March 30, 2008 7:10 AM | Reply | Permalink
Look, it's hard to remember trivia when you're busy keeping those damned kids off of your lawn.
March 30, 2008 3:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'd like to comment on this, but I'm not sure what my position is and unfortunately my Brian doesn't work on Sundays. I will ask this, though:
If Bush's brain is Rove and McCain's positions are the same as Bush's, does that mean that McCain's Brian is the same as Bush's brain, which means Brian is really Rove?
March 30, 2008 10:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
Its a borrowed brain?
Hasn't the U.S. borrowed enough?
March 30, 2008 10:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
Well there's definitely a brain deficit here and, given the lack of willingness to consider changing any of Bush's policies, strong evidence of foreclosure.
March 30, 2008 1:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm sorry, but how long has McCain been in national politics? How long have we known that AIDS transmission can be stopped or slowed by the correct use of condoms?
Either the guy's senile or he's as ignorant of domestic politics as I've thought.
March 30, 2008 2:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
OK, so I was wrong; McCain has about as much chance of getting elected in November as my potted plants. So we're going to have a Dem in the white house no matter what.
March 30, 2008 2:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
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