If you need anymore reason to fear a John McCain presidency, check out his response to a sex education inquiry by the New York Times. (Thanks Salon for the tip!):

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?

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?

McCain: (Long pause) You've stumped me.

As Salon’s Rahul K. Parikh, M.D., pointed out, McCain’s continuation of Bush’s policy of abstinence-only education is not only disturbing, it is ineffective. Almost two-thirds of female adolescents have had sex by their senior year of high school, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most recently, the CDC found that one in four teen girls has a sexually transmitted disease.

McCain does support Bush's ideologically based policies. He has voted against legislation to ensure that sex education be scientifically accurate instead of just abstinence based, has voted to impose parental consent for teens seeking birth control, and has opposed legislation that birth control be covered by insurance. He has also voted against programs to increase awareness about emergency contraception.

How do Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama stack up? In Dr. Parikh’s view a heck of a lot better. They both have received a 100 percent rating from pro-choice groups and favor sex education that is based on science, including information on contraception. Clinton, however, has a longer record and has received the endorsement of all the women’s rights groups, including NOW and NARAL.