Only one member of Congress earmarks money for abstinence education. Guess which state he represents?

Specter views the abstinence earmarks as a response to “a significant segment of his constituency, which he believes is entitled to implement programs most consistent with their values,” the senator’s chief of staff, Scott Hoeflich, said in a statement.

But those familiar with Pennsylvania politics and the politics of earmarks say Specter’s motives are not one-dimensional.

The five-term senator is renowned for his refusal to leave even a pebble of support unturned. And, critics say, the use of abstinence earmarks is merely an extension of his Pennsylvania survival strategy: to blunt his weakness among conservatives by selectively championing their causes.

Call it calculated morality.

For the record, I’m not opposed to abstinence education. But should we be spending federal tax dollars on special programs - and web sites - like this?