They said it on the news – it must be true

They are all saying it, so it must be true. John McCain's campaign is telling lies. That is what they are saying.

The McCain campaign commercial claimed that Barack Obama has the legislative accomplishment of voting for comprehensive sexual education for Illinois children in Kindergarten. George Stephanopoulos said it was a lie. Joy Behar said it was lie. David Brooks said it was not truthful. Mark Shields said that by saying this, McCain has become dishonorable.

Forgive whom you must. The piece of legislation in question is some years old and nearly fourteen pages long. Illinois SB0099, amending the existing law to add K through 5 to the Sex Education statute, contains this text:

 6        (105 ILCS 5/27-9.1) (from Ch. 122, par. 27-9.1)

 7        Sec. 27-9.1.  Sex Education.

 8        (a) No pupil shall be required to take or participate  in

 9    any  class  or  course  in comprehensive sex education if the
     

10    pupil's
      his parent  or  guardian  submits  written  objection

11    thereto, and refusal to take or participate in such course or

12    program  shall  not  be reason for suspension or expulsion of

13    such  pupil.  Each  class  or  course  in  comprehensive  sex

14    education offered in any of  grades  K
      6  through  12  shall

15    include instruction on the prevention of sexually transmitted
     

16    infections, including the prevention, transmission and spread

17    of HIV
      AIDS. Nothing in this Section prohibits instruction in

18    sanitation, hygiene or traditional courses in biology.

19        (b)  All  public elementary, junior high, and senior high

20    school classes that teach sex education  and  discuss  sexual

21    activity   or   behavior
      intercourse  shall  emphasize  that

22    abstinence is an effective method of preventing unintended
      is
     

23    the expected norm in that abstinence from sexual  intercourse
     

24    is  the  only  protection  that  is  100%  effective  against
     

25    unwanted  teenage  pregnancy,  sexually transmitted diseases,

26    and HIV
      acquired  immune  deficiency  syndrome  (AIDS)  when

27    transmitted sexually.

That is from page 1 of the amendment. Underlined text is added to the law and struck-through text is removed.

At line 9, the legislation considers this bill as regarding "comprehensive sex education". At line 13, it adds grades K through 5 to those students receiving instruction on the prevention of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. At line 19, this includes the teaching of sexual activity or behavior. Barack Obama admits to voting for this legislation in committee.

I can forgive the McCain campaign for believing that a bill about comprehensive sex education amended to include K-5 on a vote by Barack Obama for sharing that with the public.

But, on the news, they said it was a lie.

They also said that the Obama comment this week about putting lipstick on a pig was not in response to the Sarah Palin comment about lipstick on hockey moms differentiating them from pit bills. You be the judge. The audience certainly seems to know what he was saying. The pause in his delivery, the wait for the audience to get "it" isn't confusing. Only Obama's defenders, only those who wish to pick another battle will leave it alone.

Behar, Brooks, Shields and Stephanopoulos, and many others in the media, said it was deceitful and misleading to accuse Obama of referring to Sarah Palin. He later characterized his statement as a common figure of speech for him. However, consider his delivery, not only on Letterman, but also at a campaign event. In the original, he stumbles and trips over getting the line right, but nails the wait for reaction. In the last two, the words slip off his tongue without any pause. Perhaps he was nervous the first time. Perhaps he understood the certain outcry to come. I cannot know.

What do you think?