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Obama Targeted on 'Sex Ed for Kindergarteners'
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ShareSeptember 09, 2008 9:49 PM
ABC News' Teddy Davis and Rigel Anderson report: Barack Obama came under fire from the McCain campaign on Tuesday for backing state legislation which would have armed public school teachers in Illinois - including those who teach students as young as kindergarten - with sex education standards.
"Learning about sex before learning to read?" asks the narrator in a new ad from John McCain. "Barack Obama. Wrong on education. Wrong for your family."
Watch it HERE.
The criticism of Obama on sex education stems from his work in the Illinois state senate on legislation which would have taken the state's entire sex education standards, which related to 6th through 12th grade, and applied them to all of K-12.
The legislation, which was never enacted, included an "opt out" provision for parents.
Sex education for kindergarteners first entered the presidential campaign on July 17, 2007 when Obama discussed his views on the topic while appearing before a Planned Parenthood conference in Washington, D.C.
Watch Video HERE.
Obama was asked his position on sex education and he mimicked an attack that was launched on him in his 2004 Senate campaign by Republican Alan Keyes.
"Barack Obama supports teaching sex education to kindergarteners," said Obama mimicking Keyes' distinctive style of speech. "Which -- I didn't know what to tell him (laughter)."
"But it's the right thing to do," Obama continued, "to provide age-appropriate sex education, science-based sex education in schools."
When Obama's campaign was asked last year by ABC News to explain what kind of sex education Obama considers "age appropriate" for kindergarteners, the Obama campaign pointed to an Oct. 6, 2004 story from the Daily Herald.
"'Nobody's suggesting that kindergartners are going to be getting information about sex in the way that we think about it,'" Obama told the Daily Herald. "'If they ask a teacher 'where do babies come from,' that providing information that the fact is that it's not a stork is probably not an unhealthy thing. Although again, that's going to be determined on a case by case basis by local communities and local school boards.'"
The legislation Obama supported also envisioned teaching kindergarteners about how to recognize "inappropriate touching."
Bill Burton, Obama's national press secretary, responded on Tuesday to McCain's ad with a sharply worded statement.
“It is shameful and downright perverse," said Burton, "for the McCain campaign to use a bill that was written to protect young children from sexual predators as a recycled and discredited political attack against a father of two young girls -- a position that his friend Mitt Romney also holds. Last week, John McCain told Time magazine he couldn’t define what honor was. Now we know why."
Burton invoked Romney because the former Republican presidential candidate indicated to Planned Parenthood in 2002 that he supports the teaching of "responsible, age-appropriate, factually accurate health and sexuality education, including information about both abstinence and contraception, in public schools."
Prior to Romney's tenure as governor, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts promulgated a set of K-12 goals for the teaching of sex education. Those standards remained in place during Romney's time as governor and he did not challenge them.
Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom nevertheless distinguished the position of the former governor from what Obama backed in Illinois by saying that Romney did not think that any element of sex education should be taught in kindergarten.
"The issue is whether children in kindergarten should be taught science-based sex education which is what Obama said he favors," Fehrnstrom told ABC News last year. "Gov. Romney does not support that. Let's let our 5-year olds be 5-year olds."
Obama was targeted by McCain on sex ed after launching his own ad on education which attacked McCain for backing private school vouchers and for his one-time support for eliminating the Department of Education.
Watch it: HERE
McCain's ad will air nationally on the Fox News Channel. It will also be seen in certain broadcast television markets in the states of Pennsylvania, Iowa, Missourri, Ohio, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.
Brian Rogers, a McCain spokesman, responded to Burton's attack on the former POW's honor by saying: “The Obama campaign has not disputed any of the facts in our ad, but if they want to question John McCain’s honor and record of service to this country, then that’s a debate we welcome.”
SCRIPT FOR McCAIN's "EDUCATION" TV AD (:30):
ANNCR: Education Week says Obama "hasn't made a significant mark on education".
That he's "elusive" on accountability.
A "staunch defender of the existing public school monopoly".
Obama's one accomplishment?
Legislation to teach "comprehensive sex education" to kindergartners.
Learning about sex before learning to read?
Barack Obama.
Wrong on education. Wrong for your family.
JOHN MCCAIN: I'm John McCain and I approved this message.
View the ad here.
ABC News' Tahman Bradley contributed to this report.
September 9, 2008 in McCain, John, Obama, Barack, Vote 2008: Democrats, Vote 2008: Republicans | Permalink | User Comments (559)
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This is even lower than the Willie Horton ad of years ago. McCain has lost any semblance of integrity he ever had.
So the McCain campaign would prefer that we not arm our innocent children with the means to recognize inappropriate touching? Disgusting.
Posted by: DebM | Sep 9, 2008 10:02:36 PM
Hey , don't you know that sex ed and self defense are not the same thing? Teaching improper touching and what to do about it is self Defense. Teaching about human intercourse is sex Ed. Geese, where did you go to school ? Illinoise?
Posted by: Voted Hillary, Now Voteing McCain | Sep 9, 2008 10:09:29 PM
It gets worse. The Willie Horton ad was distorted and disgusting but had at its core some amount of truth. This ad is entirely false.
It gets worse. The Willie Horton ad was run by a 527. This ad is run directly by the campain.
They have no shame and no honor. They have decided that the votors are stupid.
Posted by: DaveC1 | Sep 9, 2008 10:11:00 PM
McCain has lost my respect. His campaign is dishonorable based on these cruel attacks the last month or so. The new NBC Poll, which is highly relaible has Obama up 47 to 46 with Mccains little bump. The Palin enthusiasim will recede soon and we will be back to the issues that Americans care about. Once this happens within the next week, the campaign for Mccain will be over. There is now way the American people will vote another damn republican in office this time. Enough is enough! I can't wait to see McCain get embarassed at the debates against Obama. Obama will answer questions with substance and McCain is just cognitively slow.
Posted by: Duane | Sep 9, 2008 10:12:07 PM
As a Nurse Practititioner and Pediatric Nurse I just want to say that I'm outraged that Sen Obama is being attacked by the McCain camp on this. It's been suggested in the literature that we talk to young children about predators in an age appropriate way.
My husband, a former Naval Academy Graduate, was going to vote McCain - not anymore. This is the type of swiftboat politics that he said he was against. Again, Maverick - Not anymore. Of course - should we be surprised. He stood by while the same thing was done to kerry - a fellow Vietnam vet.
Posted by: sandra wallace | Sep 9, 2008 10:12:37 PM
This add should be pulled and the McCain campaign should be ashamed. McCain is getting uglier with each day in his campaign style. While I expect some lies and embellishments in a campaign, McCain is taking this to new lows.
This is one Independent female who is NOT impressed with the McCain campaign.
(and I am not a Hillary fan)
Posted by: Sandy | Sep 9, 2008 10:13:58 PM
McCain will say or do anything. Honorable man, dishonorable campaign. Shame on him.
Posted by: lynbrookbrown | Sep 9, 2008 10:14:34 PM
Learning about sex before learning how to read was a great line and criticism. Go McCain-Palin!
Posted by: denn84116 | Sep 9, 2008 10:17:07 PM
Teachers with guns? Obama has to be kidding. Did Obama pack a gun when he was a lecturer in Un. of Chicago?
Posted by: eviee | Sep 9, 2008 10:17:38 PM
Sandra wallace- that's short on your statement. McCain opposed to attacking Kerry on his war records. You don't even get your fact straight there. Just because he's a republican, doesn't what Republican done is what he's done too.
I came to the US from Asia at 7th grade and I didn't know anything about sex. This kind of educatin that obama talks about lead to why our country talk publicly about sex. There's not even a single show on TV doesn't refer to sex, even kids' show on Disney. Disgusting.
Posted by: hannah | Sep 9, 2008 10:18:16 PM
Obama is right!
If Sarah Palin would have talked about sex life and thought her daughter to use condom or do not have sex, than perhaps bristol would not have been pregnant today!
Obama's daughters won't be in that situation!
Posted by: Otis | Sep 9, 2008 10:18:42 PM
Sandra Wallace,
If your husband is going to change his vote because of this, he really needs to get a brain.
Then again, we all know your story is false. You're probably a bitter old single maiden. LOL!!
Posted by: JA | Sep 9, 2008 10:19:19 PM
It's time for parents to stand up to mindless politicians, like Obama, who are more worried about pleasing the media than serving Americans, especially the most vulnerable, and lifting them up. It's time for mothers of the world to stand up for our children and decency and say no to Obama's Marxist dreams. Obama is wrong on sex ed and he is wrong for America. We need strength and common sense in the White House -- we need McCain and Palin until Hillary can come back in 2012.
Posted by: Hillary and McCain-Palin Supporter | Sep 9, 2008 10:19:28 PM
Utilizing lies, deceit and treachery, neither McCain or Palin appear suitable to serve the AMERICAN PEOPLE. McCain's new ad is an EMBARRASSMENT to himself and the GOP! I know republicans who are repelled by it! If his advisers keep this up, insular McCain the Maverick will drive what's left of his cattle herd over a cliff!
McShame McShame
Posted by: Libratine | Sep 9, 2008 10:20:45 PM
Or, you can use the proven failure of abstinence-only programs and end up with a pregnant teenage daughter and a shotgun wedding, like a certain Govenor from Alaska.
Posted by: justhesh | Sep 9, 2008 10:20:47 PM
...disgusting twist of reality. Too bad a legally binding oath can not be applied to these ads.
Posted by: WhereDoesItEnd | Sep 9, 2008 10:21:12 PM
Obama has no experience to lead this country. Sarah at leat was a mayoe and now governer of a stae. She makes executive decisions and is well appreciated by thye state.
What Obama did for USA?
He is a good speaker, no doubt, and he is just like ordinary politicians who speaks something and do differently in practice. Its a pitty that he started worryining about a VP candidate and not the Presidential candidate.
THis is a big eye opener for the common people of this great country,
Posted by: shivaglal | Sep 9, 2008 10:21:27 PM
McCain, Palin and Rove are all pigs, with or without lipstick..
Posted by: jen | Sep 9, 2008 10:21:35 PM
Vote for LIARS you can believe in! MaCain/Palin. The future to nowhere!
Posted by: Jim | Sep 9, 2008 10:21:37 PM
I wonder what happened to Michelle Obama? We need Michelle Obama now!
She was taking in Hillary so good during the primaries!
Come on Michelle Obama, get out there and campaign for us!
Posted by: Where is Michelle obama? | Sep 9, 2008 10:22:22 PM
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