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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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Teachers should not be telling Kindergarten kids where babies come from, even if they ask. The appropriate response would be "Ask your parents." As a parent, if I did not want my child to be presented with the graphic facts before I deemed it appropriate, I would be VERY angry. The teacher is NOT the parent & needs to remember that.
Posted by: ellsbells930 | Sep 9, 2008 10:23:05 PM
I have to say, that ad is f*cking twisted. And so is this article. Why can't you "fact check" this a little better? Framing this perverse attack against Obama as credible -- is propaganda, not journalism.
Posted by: eric | Sep 9, 2008 10:23:14 PM
Sex Ed is Not The Same As Teaching about Predators. It's In The Details Folks! Read What Is Printed!!! McCain Said Kindergarten is Too Young For SEX - ED. NOT TOO YOUNG FOR SELF DEFENSE IN KNOWLEDGE And DEED!!! No One Has The Right To Touch Your Body No matter How Old You Are - Not For Any Reason, sex Or Otherwise.....That Is What Is Apporiate For small Children !!! Obama makes wrong choices for his family and ours too! Vote McCain!!!!!
Posted by: Voteing McCain | Sep 9, 2008 10:23:29 PM
Why in the world would McSame think it would be wrong for 5 & 6 yr olds to know the correct anatomical name of their body parts? You sure are O L D McSame. And this from the party that supports teen marriage. What a joke!
Posted by: Lori | Sep 9, 2008 10:25:36 PM
Hey where is Michelle Obama?
I agree, she was taking hard on Hillary! Michelle Obama was one of the strongest campaigner for barrack. We want her back on the campaign trail , especially to connect with women!
Posted by: Paddt | Sep 9, 2008 10:25:51 PM
ABCs decision to write the headline in this way is another example of their battle to become the next FOX News.
Posted by: john | Sep 9, 2008 10:27:45 PM
You'd expect Obama to be low class? Remember it was Obama that said Palin's family was off limits to the media, despite the fact that the Republicans had a media release of the info.
It was McSame that was making ugly jokes about Chelsea Clinton while she was a teen in the White House. I'd call that classless.
Posted by: Lori | Sep 9, 2008 10:28:19 PM
I'll tell ya, there is nothing this slime machine won't do.
Palin, even today, kept lying about her *bridge to nowhere* flip.
And now this???
This country is seriously ill, that people continue to support this crap.
Posted by: jon | Sep 9, 2008 10:29:29 PM
I agree,
Michelle Obama is called for the campaign trail immediately!
Posted by: Helen | Sep 9, 2008 10:29:46 PM
The viscious, negative, UN-CHRISTIAN things that are coming out of the McCain camp seem to have Karl Rove written all over them to me. Why do the Republicans insist on dragging this election into the mud? Oh yeah...they wouldn't want us to see that they can't compete on the actual issues that affect Americans on a daily basis! I think Jesus would be ashamed of many of the comments coming out of McCain/Palin and so many of their supporters.
Posted by: sarahpie | Sep 9, 2008 10:29:56 PM
McCain/Palin will ride to victory in November. Obama's sorry elitist leftist agenda is being exposed for what it is -- an attack on the American family's integrity and autonomy. As a father of a 3 and 6 year old, I am firmly of the belief that sex ed can wait. I was indoctrinated with graphic sex ed in the 4th grade in a great socialist left coast public school system -- I am ashamed that I live in a society that thinks it is okay to rain down filth children on the public dime and call it "education". Let's try reading, writing and math and let sex not burden the minds of our children. Obama should be ashamed of himself for attempting to sacrifice common sense and common decency at the alter of vain and amoral "science".
Posted by: TC | Sep 9, 2008 10:29:59 PM
John McSame is a sleazy sleazy disgusting man. He has NO HONOR. I once respected that jerk. UNBELIEVABLE!
Posted by: Eraticus | Sep 9, 2008 10:30:10 PM
When McCain was having his affairs was that more abstinence or did he use a condom? When he told his Chelsea joke was that showing his respect for women? Then there is the remark about his current wife ...
Posted by: Nelly | Sep 9, 2008 10:31:05 PM
Otis, How do you know that Gov. Palin did not tell her daughter about the facts of life and how to not get pregnant? Hasn't your children just not obeyed the counsel you gave them? I'm sure they haven't done everything you suggested!
I have 6 kids and I can tell you that they've been told alot of things and don't always do it.
Posted by: Dave | Sep 9, 2008 10:31:09 PM
It is not the school's job to tell kids where babies come from. Come on, parents...teach your kids these things. Sex education needs to come from parents, not schools.
Posted by: dk | Sep 9, 2008 10:32:29 PM
Why is OBAMA sinking low? One second he is abusing Sarah Palin as a Pig with lipstick & other count blasting McCain's patrotism & no bills no record but preach sex education to kindergarteners. SIck for America.. Change OBAMA Change .. Give away your nomination to HIllary and run..
Posted by: George Goodman | Sep 9, 2008 10:32:30 PM
Lori!
You've gotta be kidding me?
Obama is the one surfaced all the dirty information about Palin and her daughterthan sure he went on and siad he did not do it and families should be off limits!
And we believed it?
sure we are all so stupid!
Posted by: Sam | Sep 9, 2008 10:32:32 PM
He called her a pig. The pig is his devil. He won't eat ham for Easter. Don't vote in the sleeper cell.
Posted by: MN nice | Sep 9, 2008 10:33:34 PM
Voted Hillary, Now Voteing McCain:
Is there something wrong with age-appropriate sex-ed? Especially if you as a parent are given the option to opt-out your child?
*************
On a tangent, I do not understand the crowd who is both "pro-life" (anti-choice) and pro-abstinence only. Talk about setting kids up to fail.
Posted by: sigh | Sep 9, 2008 10:33:40 PM
The Republicans totally took this out of context didn't they? Sadly, the heading on this article will fuel the lies b/c most people don't read beyond the heading. The true title SHOULD be "McCain Distorts Truth About Obama's Sex Ed Plan in Schools". I have a 5 year old and a baby. My 5 year old knows that the baby came out of momma and we have never talked about storks. We didn't tell her about sex but we did tell her that when a man and woman love each other and get married they have a family sometimes. THAT is exactly the type of crazy sex ed Obama wants taught - whoppie. God forbid. But hey, instead we can be like Palin - who teaches abstinence and has a 17 year old pregnant daughter...and she herself had a baby 8 months after marrying Todd (or shall I say, First Dude).
Posted by: allie | Sep 9, 2008 10:33:43 PM
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