Twenty-two House Republicans, led by Rep. Donald Manzullo of Illinois, have sent a letter to U.S. Comptroller General David M. Walker requesting that he review the processes by which the Department of Health and Human Services determines the effectiveness of 24 federally funded sex-education programs.

The congressmen note that one "Focus on Kids" program, which is aimed at students ages 9 to 15, "assigns teens to create a list of ways to be close to a person without having intercourse, including body massage, bathing together, masturbation, sensuous feeding, fantasizing, watching erotic movies, reading erotic books and magazines."

The congressmen's descriptions of the remaining programs we dare not print, given this is a family newspaper, and adults might be reading.

JUST GOT TOUGHER

"I kinda like being on the same platform as Senator Burns because he makes me sound like Shakespeare." - President Bush, attending a fundraiser this week for Montana Republican Sen. Conrad Burns, who faces some tough competition for re-election.

BUSH PICKS FLORIDA

President Bush is putting his money on No. 3-seed Florida to beat No. 11 George Mason in the NCAA basketball national semifinals Saturday; but then again, his brother Jeb is governor of the state.

Jim Martin, president of the 60-Plus Association, informs The Beltway Beat that Bush told him "Florida will probably win."

The president made the prediction after commenting on the Florida cap worn by Martin, who graduated from the university with a journalism degree in 1962 and received the William Randolph Hearst reporting award for creative writing.

Martin is rooting for Florida, even though his son attends George Mason. Continued...