Straight Talk Express... Now with less condoms

[Easy Mac]

Seriously, does McCain have any thoughts or ideas, or does he just follow polls? And how does he not know about condoms?

SOMEWHERE in NORTHERN IOWA — The unthinkable has happened. Senator John McCain met a question, while sitting with reporters on his bus as it rumbled through Iowa today, that he couldn’t – or perhaps wouldn’t – answer.
Did he support the distribution of taxpayer-subsidized condoms in Africa to fight the transmission of H.I.V.?
What followed was a long series of awkward pauses, glances up to the ceiling and the image of one of Mr. McCain’s aides, standing off to the back, urgently motioning his press secretary to come to Mr. McCain’s side.
The upshot was that Mr. McCain said he did not know this subject well, did not know his position on it, and relied on the advice of Senator Tom Coburn, a physician and Republican from Oklahoma.
His press secretary, Brian Jones, later reported that Mr. McCain had a record of voting against using government money to finance the distribution of condoms.
All this took place on the second day of the reprise of the “Straight Talk Express” bus trips that Mr. McCain made a central part of his campaign in 2000. It also comes as Mr. McCain has eagerly been trying to ease strains with social conservatives in the party who, for the most part, do not support using government money to pay for condoms.
A transcript of the encounter follows. (Weaver is John Weaver, his senior adviser, and Brian is Mr. Jones, his press secretary):

Reporter: “Should U.S. taxpayer money go to places like Africa to fund contraception to prevent AIDS?”
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.”

This went on for a few more moments until a reporter from the Chicago Tribune broke in and asked Mr. McCain about the weight of a pig that he saw at the Iowa State Fair last year.

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2...iv-prevention/

[Crapshoot]

Another shining example of ideological purity overcoming science - woo hoo!

[WVUFAN]

So, he's not informed as well on a single subject, and ADMITS he's not informed well on a subject, saying "let me research this, and I'll answer you later". This is a bad thing -- how?

In the grand scheme of things, whether people in Africa should get condoms paid for by US taxpayers isn't one of those things I would expect a Presidental candidate to concern himself with.

[ISiddiqui]

Ouch... asking what his OWN position was on it and then asking what someone else thinks... really bad. If he didn't know, just say I don't know at this point in time. Don't try to find out what your position was on it before (does that really matter if you don't know about it NOW what your uninformed vote was prior?) and don't say you support the President's position when you aren't sure if you do.

McCain is dead in the water. Imagine pulling that in a debate. More polished guys would eat him alive.

[JediKooter]

The only bad part of it was him not knowing what his position is on it. He would have been better off just sticking to the part where he said he needs to research it.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by JediKooter

The only bad part of it was him not knowing what his position is on it. He would have been better off just sticking to the part where he said he needs to research it.

Yep, he leaves it there and it's a nonstory. Asking his aide his position on it was just painful.

[MrBigglesworth]

Originally Posted by WVUFAN

So, he's not informed as well on a single subject, and ADMITS he's not informed well on a subject, saying "let me research this, and I'll answer you later". This is a bad thing -- how?

In the grand scheme of things, whether people in Africa should get condoms paid for by US taxpayers isn't one of those things I would expect a Presidental candidate to concern himself with.

I think the point was more that he seemed evasive (ie, going against his straight talk image) than that he didn't know, as evidenced by the description of the panicked aid. It's an issue where a majority of the American people think one way, but the GOP base thinks another way.

[Fighter of Foo]

Originally Posted by MrBigglesworth

It's an issue where a majority of the American people think one way, but the GOP base thinks another way.

There are a lot of these. The republican primary is a race to see who can pander the least and still get nominated.

[Ksyrup]

I could swear I read this like a month or two ago. Is this deja vu?

EDIT: Nevermind, I see from the link it is from March.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Asking his aide his position on it was just painful.

Well, Obama should have asked his aide how many people died in Kansas this weekend instead of blurting out 10,000. So I guess there's 2 sides to the coin.

[CamEdwards]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Well, Obama should have asked his aide how many people died in Kansas this weekend instead of blurting out 10,000. So I guess there's 2 sides to the coin.

Hey, give him a break! He was tired!

Of course, that leads me to believe that if Obama's elected president, we really should have someone else working the night shift in the Oval Office.

[Klinglerware]

Originally Posted by CamEdwards

Hey, give him a break! He was tired!

Of course, that leads me to believe that if Obama's elected president, we really should have someone else working the night shift in the Oval Office.

Isn't that the arrangement we have now?

[IMetTrentGreen]

he went from straight talk to pandering years ago. he sold out big time.

[billethius]

There's a pretty big difference between not knowing how many people died in some storms recently and not knowing that condoms help prevent the spread of STDs.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by IMetTrentGreen

he went from straight talk to pandering years ago. he sold out big time.

Agreed. I really thought McCain was credible and would have likely backed him as a presidential candidate about 6-8 years ago. I am not sure if was him selling out or just a matter of getting enough exposure to him to realize what he is.

Well, at least he believes in evolution, which is better than 3 of the ten Republican presidential hopefuls.

[Vinatieri for Prez]

McCain has lost his mind . . . about 2 years ago. He is way too old to become president in another 2 years.

[EagleFan]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

I could swear I read this like a month or two ago. Is this deja vu?

EDIT: Nevermind, I see from the link it is from March.

In other news, the Titanic sank...

[MrBigglesworth]

So who is going to get the GOP nomination? The insane old guy who sings bomb-bomb Iran, the cranky authoritarian pro-choicer, or the flip-flopping Mormon?

[dime]

Originally Posted by MrBigglesworth

I think the point was more that he seemed evasive (ie, going against his straight talk image) than that he didn't know, as evidenced by the description of the panicked aid. It's an issue where a majority of the American people think one way, but the GOP base thinks another way.

Actually, I would be surprised if a majority of the american people wanted their tax money to go to africa for condoms.

[larrymcg421]

Originally Posted by MrBigglesworth

So who is going to get the GOP nomination? The insane old guy who sings bomb-bomb Iran, the cranky authoritarian pro-choicer, or the flip-flopping Mormon?

And people say Hillary can't win...

[Schmidty]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

Well, at least he believes in evolution, which is better than 3 of the ten Republican presidential hopefuls.

Yes, because belief in evolution will solve all of the world's ills.



(And I believe in evolution and am not a republican)

[MrBigglesworth]

Originally Posted by dime

Actually, I would be surprised if a majority of the american people wanted their tax money to go to africa for condoms.

The percentages probably depend on the framing of the question, but big majorities (60-70%) are in favor of giving funds to Africa to fight AIDS, and the easiest way to do that is to give out some condoms. Some of that percentage wants abstinence education probably, but the abstinence crowd is a minority, and that is the minority that politicians pander to when being against condoms in Africa.