This is mind-blowing. To think that I used to have some respect for John McCain.
The question recently put to McCain, on his Straight-Talk Express campaign tour, was straight-forward. Here’s the transcript of what unfolded: [1]
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 . . .
All I can figure is that McCain’s lust for power has shorted out some important neurons in his head. Or he’s convinced that a person who is ignorant on important issues can be elected president–where would he get that idea?
In case John McCain is reading this blog, here is the answer from Wikipedia [2]:
The best evidence to date indicates that typical condom use reduces the risk of heterosexual HIV transmission by approximately 80% over the long-term, though the benefit is likely to be higher if condoms are used correctly on every occasion. The effective use of condoms and screening of blood transfusion in North America, Western and Central Europe is credited with contributing to the low rates of AIDS in these regions.
[3]