21 December 2007  I'm Still Waiting for My Congratulatory Call
from the President  For my growing family. But I can't take all
the credit. Finally, some decent news on the birth dearth front:
U.S. Fertility Rate Hits 35-Year High, Stabilizing Population
By Rob Stein Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, December 21,
2007    "It's been quite a long time since we've had a rate this
high," said Stephanie J. Ventura of the National Center for
Health Statistics. "It's a milestone."    The reasons for the
unusual U.S. fertility rate are the focus of intense interest.
Experts can only speculate, but they cite a complex mix of
factors, including lower levels of birth control use than in
other developed countries, widely held religious values that
encourage childbearing, social conditions that make it easier
for women to work and have families, and a growing Hispanic
population.     The nation's religiosity also contributes to the
higher fertility rate, which varies geographically, experts
said. Red states tend to ha