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September 9, 2008 6:21 PM

New McCain Ad: Obama Favors Sex-Ed For Kindergartners

Posted by Brian Montopoli
The McCain campaign has released a new ad, "Education," that suggests Barack Obama favors teaching sex education to kindergartners. A McCain aide tells CBS News the ad will air on Fox News and in select markets in Pennsylvania, Iowa, Missouri, Ohio, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

"Education Week says Obama 'hasn't made a significant mark on education,'" an announcer says as the spot opens. "That he's 'elusive' on accountability. A 'staunch defender of the existing public school monopoly.'"

The announcer continues: "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."

Campaign spokesman Robert Gibbs told CBS News the legislation Obama supported provided information to children on what to watch for when with an adult they don't know, such as inappropriate advances or touching.

“It is shameful and downright perverse 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," Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton said in a statement. "Last week, John McCain told Time magazine he couldn’t define what honor was. Now we know why."

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Add a Comment See all 81 Comments
by david-w-oaks September 12, 2008 11:18 PM EDT
Re-reading comments, I can''t quite understand Reedmore''s point, hope I didn''t mis-interpret it as a blast at Obama. Reedmore -- a question: Do you or do you not think the McCain ads on this ad are immorally and unfairly false?
Reply to this comment
by david-w-oaks September 12, 2008 11:10 PM EDT
The anonymous "Reedmore" instructs us all to read the bill in question that he claims would expose young children to material inappropriate to their age. Thanks. I''ve done that. So here''s a LIE ALERT.

It turns out there plenty of references to "age appropriateness" in the bill. Here three such excerpts: "course material and instruction shall be age and developmentally appropriate" .... "appropriate to the various grade levels"... "then such courses also shall include age appropriate instruction"...

Then again, I note that Reedmore apparently thinks it is immoral to type the three letters "***."

Since even those three letters make Reedmore uncomfortable, perhaps a more appropriate quote for "Reedmore" might be this, from the Ten Commandments:

"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."

Your neighbor includes Barack Obama.

In other words:

That which is holy and sacred stands opposed to the hate lies promoted by McCain, the Republican party, and anonymous posters such as reedmore. Reedmore is literally violating core ethical traditions on which Western civilization stands.

This is using unethical approaches to try to get your way -- also known as authoritarianism.

This is also known as bullying.

This is all about bullying. I encourage American citizens to support one another, and stand up against such immoral bullying.
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by bill19014 September 12, 2008 10:30 AM EDT
Reedmore, they don''t break down grade level by grade level what is to be taught; they simply lay out the requirements for K-12 and mandate age appropriateness. I think that those who design the curriculum can figure out that STD prevention in kindergartners has more to do with child predators than condoms.

I agree that age-appropriateness is in the eye of the beholder; the law allows parents to opt out.
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by nik91179 September 11, 2008 10:55 PM EDT
I read the Illinois bill in question (SB99) and saw the following under section 27-9.1(a): "Each class or course in comprehensive *** education offered in any of grades K through 12 shall include instruction on the prevention of sexually transmitted infections, including the prevention, transmission and spread of HIV."

This seems to say that kindergarteners will be taught about STDs and, therefore, penetration.

Is that age appropriate?
Reply to this comment
by mojama-2009 September 11, 2008 8:17 PM EDT
Discussion of this advertisement is completely circuitous. Read the total break down of Obama''s TRUE stance on the bill here.

http://modernjackassmag.wordpress.com/2008/09/11/***-barack/
Reply to this comment
by reedmore-2009 September 11, 2008 6:48 PM EDT
Bill, if your interpretation is correct, then there would be no need to mandate a discussion about STDs in kindergarten since the lessons you describe (good touch v. bad touch) would cover it. Besides, not everyone agrees on what''s "age appripriate."

The bill also talked about abstinence, marriage, etc. It was not simply a child protection bill.

But here''s the link again. People can read it for themselves:

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext
.asp?DocName=09300SB0099&GA=93&SessionId
=3&DocTypeId=SB&LegID=734&DocNum=99&GAID
=3&Session=
Reply to this comment
by bill19014 September 11, 2008 10:09 AM EDT
Reedmore, I believe the bill called for STD prevention teaching overall, and that it be "age-appropriate". What would be "age-appropriate" teaching regarding prevention of STDs for a kindergartener? Since by far the most likely way in which a kindergartener would become infected with an STD would be victimization by an adult assailant, the most effective way to prevent STDs is to teach them how to be safer from predatory adults.
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by reedmore-2009 September 11, 2008 7:02 AM EDT
To all those attacking McCain, don''t just rely on the Obama campaign''s talking points. Go read the actual bill (something this reporter apparently didn''t do). It expands ***-ed to kindergarten and mandates for kindergarten students to receive "instruction on the prevention of sexually transmitted infections." It states it in 3 different sections of the bill. http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09300SB0099&GA=93&SessionId=3&DocTypeId=SB&LegID=734&DocNum=99&GAID=3&Session=
Reply to this comment
by idahospud44 September 11, 2008 6:46 AM EDT
John McCain has by making and showing this ad sold his soul. To advertise this kindergarten program as something evil is the lowest thing I have ever seen in politics. I have worked with sexual abuse victims for many years and also taught kindergarten. The most common "*** education" for this age is a book on "good" and "bad" of touches which was written by an adult survivor of sexual abuse who wrote this book and gives teacher training on how to use it. The entire point is to alert and PROTECT children. To turn this into something evil is as low as it gets. McCain should go to Palin''s church,get on his knees and promise to quit lying. It''s his only chance
Reply to this comment
by idahospud44 September 11, 2008 6:34 AM EDT
John McCain has by making and showing this ad sold his soul. To advertise this kindergarten program as something evil is the lowest thing I have ever seen in politics. I have worked with sexual abuse victims for many years and also taught kindergarten. The most common "*** education" for this age is a book on "good" and "bad" of touches which was written by an adult survivor of sexual abuse who wrote this book and gives teacher training on how to use it. The entire point is to alert and PROTECT children. To turn this into something evil is as low as it gets. McCain should go to Palin''s church,get on his knees and promise to quit lying. It''s his only chance
Reply to this comment
by idahospud44 September 11, 2008 6:32 AM EDT
John McCain has by making and showing this ad sold his soul. To advertise this kindergarten program as something evil is the lowest thing I have ever seen in politics. I have worked with sexual abuse victims for many years and also taught kindergarten. The most common "*** education" for this age is a book on "good" and "bad" of touches which was written by an adult survivor of sexual abuse who wrote this book and gives teacher training on how to use it. The entire point is to alert and PROTECT children. To turn this into something evil is as low as it gets. McCain should go to Palin''s church,get on his knees and promise to quit lying. It''s his only chance
Reply to this comment
by thisniss September 11, 2008 3:37 AM EDT
No shame. All good parents want to protect their children, and want their children to know how to protect themselves. For McCain to try to turn that against Obama is just disgusting. He has lost any claim to decency that he might ever have had. I suppose, by his own logic, that McCain would rather see children molested than lose an election?
Reply to this comment
by think4myself September 11, 2008 12:25 AM EDT
Poor Barry Obama can''t hide from his record. About time he is called on it. Just think, he didn''t vote "present". I read talk about him wanting to protect children from *** predators, but NOT infanticide. Just words, just speeches.
Reply to this comment
by mmarkg8 September 10, 2008 11:02 PM EDT
Helping kids protect themselves from sexual predators by teaching them the difference between appropriate and inappropriate touching is not the same as teaching kindergartners about ***.

McCain would rather lose his honor than lose an election.
Reply to this comment
by blueskypie September 10, 2008 9:08 PM EDT
The republican party should be ashamed of itself, when Obama has two young children. They have crossed the line, they are acting borderline racists.
Reply to this comment
by avere September 10, 2008 8:21 PM EDT
Why is the media even covering McCain or Palin? In two weeks'' time, no Palin press conference, no time to question her by anyone other than People magazine and Charlie Gibson. I''m serious, CBS News: How can you possibly continue to support what looks more and more like a totalitarian approach to our democratic republic?
By continuing to follow them around, continuing to post stories SET UP BY THEM with absolutely NO POWER to question her directly (and his avoidance of the press is also becoming more blatant), you are giving a stamp of approval to this reprehensible disregard for our citizens.
Please consider a "blackout" of their campaign until BOTH are willing to talk and answer questions.
Reply to this comment
by September 10, 2008 8:13 PM EDT
The John McCain attack ad purporting that Barack Obama advocates age-appropriate and science-based *** education in schools has again exposed the general lack of understanding that the public has about *** education. Most of the negative comments about Obama on internet blogs seem to make the assumption that the intention of age-appropriate and science-based *** education is to teach very young children about intercourse and other adult sexual activities. That is not what Obama meant and it is not something that young children even have the capacity to grasp.

What Obama was talking about was warning young children about sexual predators and explaining concepts like %u201Cgood touch and bad touch.%u201D A specific example would be teaching young children that it is inappropriate to touch ANYONE else without their permission, including other children. This is a very important lesson and one that should be reinforced by teaching the children how to comfortably ask for permission to touch someone and how to say "NO" when they are asked and do not wish to be physically touched in any way. In addition to the problem of sexual predators, children can be very disrespectful to other children and their early experiences, particularly in the public schools, often leave scars that last a lifetime.
----
Gary Schubach, Ed.D., A.C.S.
http://www.DoctorG.com
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by unclehoss_99 September 10, 2008 8:05 PM EDT
The law that Obama voted for was designed to protect children from sexual predators. It called for "age appropriate" education, which meant, for kindergartners, teaching them not to talk to strangers or allow strangers to touch them. McCain''s ad shows he can pervert with the best of them. He served our country honorably, but he obviously left his integrity in Viet Nam.
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by September 10, 2008 5:04 PM EDT
McScum.
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by grammamillie September 10, 2008 4:43 PM EDT
Why does Sarah Palin support pedophiles who want to molest boys and girls?
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