For Immediate Release:

September 17, 2008

Planned Parenthood to McCain – Time to Tell the Truth
Planned Parenthood Ad Exposes McCain's Lies

Madison, WI – Senator McCain hit a new low when he released an outrageous television ad attacking Senator Obama for supporting legislation to ensure that children are taught how to protect themselves from sexual predators. To expose McCain for his lies, the Planned Parenthood Action Fund has produced a new video to set the record straight on Obama's support for a bill intended to help children recognize inappropriate touching and highlights John McCain's propensity to play loose with the facts. The new video ad is scheduled to air in the Milwaukee area this week.

"It's obvious that John McCain will do anything to get elected, including twisting the facts in the most dishonest way possible," states Chris Taylor, Public Policy Director for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin (PPAWI). "McCain may try to detract from his history of keeping teens in the dark and putting their lives at risk, but the facts are that he and President Bush supported sinking $1.5 billion into ineffective abstinence only programs which don't work to decrease teen sexual behavior, pregnancy or the incidence of sexually transmitted infections."

The reality is that while in the Illinois State Legislature, Senator Obama acted to protect the health and safety of young children. Planned Parenthood, along with other health care advocacy and education groups, including the Illinois Parent Teacher Association, the Illinois State Medical Society, and the Illinois Public Health Association, supported the bill that would have taught kindergartners how to recognize inappropriate touching and how to defend against sexual predators.

The Planned Parenthood Action Fund has called on the McCain-Palin campaign to immediately pull down their dishonest ad attacking Obama for supporting this widely supported, common sense bill.

While McCain and Palin are scheduled to visit Green Bay this week, they'll likely continue to detract from their own dismal record in opposing common sense, comprehensive sex education programs that include age-appropriate information about abstinence and contraceptives which are proven to lower teen sexual behavior, reduce teen pregnancy, stop the spread of sexually transmitted infections, and protect the health and safety of our teens.

"The truth that needs to be told is that McCain is lockstep with Bush in wasting billions of tax-payers dollars on ineffective abstinence only programs," said Taylor. "We will continue our efforts to make sure voters know the truth about the candidates in this presidential election with the goal of electing candidates who support the health of our children and our families."

To learn more about McCain's lies and bad policies, link to http://www.ppawi.org/elections/mccain.aspx.

###

Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin is the advocacy arm of Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin (PPWI). The mission of PPWI is to empower all individuals to manage their sexual and reproductive health through direct services, education, and advocacy.  www.ppawi.org

Paid for by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin, a 501 c4 qualified nonprofit organization, Tanya Atkinson, Treasurer.

Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's agent or committee.