Palin, McCain Differ on Sex Education

Sarah Palin and John McCain differ on sex education, with Palin favoring both contraceptive and abstinence education in schools—while McCain and the GOP platform support teaching abstinence only, the Los Angeles Times observes. “I'm pro-contraception, and I think kids who may not hear about it at home should hear about it in other avenues,” Palin said in 2006, before her teen daughter became pregnant.

Earlier that year, the VP candidate completed a survey asking if she supported abstinence-only or “explicit" sex-education. “Explicit sex-ed will not find my support,” she wrote. But she later clarified that condom education was “relatively benign,” while “explicit means explicit.” McCain believes abstinence is “the only safe and responsible alternative,” a rep has said. Palin's spokeswoman said she stands by her 2006 statement supporting sex education including both abstinence and contraception. (More John McCain stories.)