The birds, the bees and the GOP

Republican leaders and pundits have shredded the Democrats’ stimulus package on various fronts, but a recurring theme is sex education, contraception, and family planning.

Matt Drudge’s headline today: “$335,000,000 FOR STD PREVENTION IN ECONOMIC STIMULUS BILL.”

“How can you spend hundreds of millions of dollars on contraceptives?” fumes House minority leader John Boehner. “How does that stimulate the economy?”

Here’s the New York Times’ Treatment:

Mr. Boehner and other Republicans have taken issue with the large chunk of funding in the stimulus package — some $300 billion all told — that will go to shore up the budgets of states.

That figure includes billions in state aid to education and such controversial pieces as millions in spending for family-planning initiatives.

I think this kind of wink-nudge sex-stuff is dangerous for the GOP. Yes, it plays beautifully with the rural-conservative base.

By way of example, here’s Rush Limbaugh’s take:

“When I think of reducing budget deficits, it would never occur to me to think about eliminating people. (A reference to abortion.) If [Nancy Pelosi] wants fewer births, I have the way to do this, and it won’t require any contraception. You simply put pictures of Nancy Pelosi … put pictures of Pelosi in every cheap motel room in America today, that will keep birth rates down because that picture will keep a lot of things down.”

Snicker, snicker.

The truth is that in suburbs and the cities — where Republican support is tanking — voters are perfectly comfortable with family planning and contraception.

A survey conducted in Minnesota found that 89% of parents support modern, comprehensive sex education. That compares with less than 10% who supported abstinence-only programs.

(The study was conducted between 2006 and 2007 and was published in the Journal of Adolescent Health.)

All of which is not to say that this stimulus bill shouldn’t draw a critical review from Republicans. That’s what opposition parties are for.

But surely the GOP can find a zinger-issue that doesn’t re-enforce their image as the chastity-and-Bible-belt party?