By William K. Wolfrum

It has been noted time and time again – the more Conservative the people of a state, the more likely it is that the state lags behind national averages in most, if not all, state rankings of child wellness. Because while wails of “think of the children” reverberate around every conservative rally, children in red states are at a distinct disadvantage when ranked against the children in more liberal states.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation released its annual 2010 KIDS COUNT Data Book on Tuesday, and the numbers could not be more telling – liberal states take better care of their children than conservative states. The overall child wellness rankings show:

The worst states for a child: Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Alabama & New Mexico.

The best states for a child: New Hampshire, Minnesota, Vermont, Utah & Massachusetts

Nearly every important indicator in the study shows the divide between Red and Blue: Infant Mortality, Child Deaths, Teen Deaths and other important indicators all favor more liberal states. And not by a little. An example: The infant mortality rate for Mississippi is 10 in 100,000. For Massachusetts, it’s 4.9.

You can view whole report here. Give it a read, especially if you’re a conservative. Because you can talk about “the children” as much as you like, but the fact is, the more the GOP dominates your state, the more likely it is that your children will be poorer, less educated and more likely to die.