For anyone who happens to follow American politics...

[403]

A quote from Republican senator and presidential hopeful John McCain:

“It’s indisputable that autism is on the rise among children,” Senator John McCain said while campaigning recently in Texas. “The question is, What’s causing it? And we go back and forth, and there’s strong evidence that indicates that it’s got to do with a preservative in

Comments

[kisekileia]

*sigh* No, there isn't. There was never particularly strong evidence for it, and now there's fairly strong evidence against it. What's much more evident to me is that people are now actually recognizing that autism exists on a spectrum rather than only consisting of classic Kanner's autism, and so many people who were previously going undiagnosed and un-helped are now getting diagnosis and treatment.

[conuly]

What's so surprising? That people will continue to say absurdly ignorant things is certainly not news. It is, of course, a good example of olds.

[lordalfredhenry]

McCain says all kinds of crap. He's a Bush-Hugger and it's hardly surprising that politicians will do focus group research on family "issues" and come up with these tired sound bites that are already so "meme" as to be believable. (any lie told often enough eh?) Not to sound cliché, but it seems everyone and their dog can have an expert opinion on "disease of the week" these days

[lnaphx]

He's probably saying that because someone paid him to say it. Someone is clearly pushing that line, about the vaccines. Gosh, I hate to sound paranoid, but whenever I see a debate about medicine and children, there's the CCHR or Scientology behind it. I wonder if that is the case.

He is a politician, not a doctor or scientist, so he can't back this stuff up, and the highest bidder wins his mouth.

That Texas speech was probably written for him. "Indisputable"? I just disputed it. So there. :P

[lnaphx]

Here's a blog backing up my suspicions about the Scientology connection with a "cure". http://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/?cat=39 A blog on autism no less -- anybody seen it before? I hope I'm not repeating something.

[life_forsaken]

Well I'm sure the evidence was as obvious as the evidence that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction when he was involved in the decision to go to war there.

I love a whole politcal platform based on misinformation.