I remember seeing this on the news last March and I'm glad someone's dug it up again. I remember thinking at the time, "...and this man may become the next president of the United States?" Read this transcript of an interview with John McCain from the March 16, 2007 edition of the New York Times and see if you agree that it says quite a lot about what kind of man he is.
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 was not a question about nuclear physics or the risk of cancer from using cell phones. This was a question that begged a concise and informed response. McCain's answer just plain sucked.
Joseph Froncioni
Mr. McCain needs an aide to tell him his thoughts on AIDS! If it weren't so infuriating I'd be howling with laughter. He wants to be the president and he can't answer a sixth grade health question without help? I think most Americans have had enough of one self-professed "C-grade" president, two in a row (12 years) would be too much.
...and to claim to not know what your position is is just plain BS. Stop stalling for time to judge your crowd so you can give them the "correct" answer. The question is simple, what do YOU think?. Mr McCain should rename his campaign bus, beacause The Straight Talk Express it is not.
Posted by: Patrice | February 10, 2008 at 03:52 PM