House Rejects Bid to Block Sex Research (Conservative Defeat)

[Khephra]

WASHINGTON -- The House handed a narrow defeat Thursday to conservatives who wanted to forbid the National Institutes of Health from giving grants to researchers conducting four sexual research projects, including studies of older men and of San Francisco's Asian prostitutes and masseuses.

The 212-210 vote derailed an effort led by Rep. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., to block the grants for next year, which are expected to total $1.4 million.

The debate recalled fights waged in Congress a decade ago over arts projects financed by the National Endowment for the Arts. Conservatives led by former Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C., argued that taxpayers should not finance objectionable works of arts, a controversy that resulted in the endowment revamping the way it decides which projects to back.

"I ask my colleagues, who thinks this stuff up?" Toomey said of the sexual research projects he singled out. "These are not worthy ... of taxpayer funds."

more...................

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-house-sex-research,0,2226345.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[DarkPhenyx]

1. You have to admit though...

...some of the stuff they research really is pretty off the wall.

[hang a left]

2. I was wondering

if I could get a grant to do some sexual research myself.

[DarkPhenyx]

3. Trust me on this.

You really don't want to write a grant request. I do it as a part of my current job and it severely sucks.

[Terran]

4. "not worthy of taxpayer funds"

And killing civilians in Iraq, that was worthy?

[Freddie Stubbs]

5. Toomey

is the guy who is challenging Arlen Specter next year.