dreadedmonkeygod . net

Whups. Looks like McCain has stumbled hard in his interview prep: he doesn't know what his position is on contraception education, and won't even address whether condoms help stop the spread of HIV.

From The New York Times:

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."

There are few other issue where idealogical positions collide with grim meathook reality with such force, and it's disappointing to see a guy like McCain, that seemed to restore so much clarity of reason and vision to the Republican Party, hit the skids on an issue that has been so deeply researched and is so well understood, and adopt the Bush administration's faith-based policies as his own.