Washblog

This issue has been flopping around the Senate like a dying fish for two years now, with no resolutions.  45 countries allow over-the-counter access to Plan B to all women, but the social conservative shutins in America call it an "abortion pill" and claim it'll lead to rampant promiscuity among our teens, unlike the teens throughout Europe who showed no change in sexual activity whatsoever after introduction of Plan B.  As Monsters and Critics puts it:

Plan B is already for sale without a prescription in 45 countries ... what von Eschenbach is really saying is that 'somehow our young women are stupider.'

Exactly.  

Fortunately, our very own Patty Murray has been at the forefront of the battle against morons who happen to also be religious, and has enlisted Hillary Clinton's help in blocking the confirmation of interim FDA chiefs seeking to become permanent, until they can show why the FDA hasn't approved Plan B for over-the-counter sales despite unchallenged medical evidence that it works and is safe, statistics showing no change in teen sexual activity, and a recommendation from its own science commission to approve.  For three years, they've been fighting against this morality moronity.  (not a word, but fun to write.  HA!)

Lester Crawford, the wife-raping moralist who proudly told his church about his blocking Plan B for religious reasons, was the first to face the Murray buzzsaw.

Last year, Sens. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and Patty Murray, D-Wash., angered at what was then two years of delay on Plan B, put a "hold" on Crawford's nomination, preventing a vote. When Crawford promised to make a decision on Plan B by last Sept. 1, they lifted it, and Crawford was confirmed.

Crawford resigned shortly after, presumably to "spend more time with his family", who in fact led a media crusade against him because of his repeated physical and sexual assaults on his wife.  Sorry to focus on this guy, but he's really one of the biggest pieces of shit to hold a government position in a while - and that's saying something.

Susan Wood, former assistant FDA commissioner for women`s health and director of the Office of Women`s Health left her job after five years because of what she felt was unreasonable political interference during the Plan B discussion. After the hearing, which she attended at Clinton`s request, Wood said she agrees that politics has come to play an undue role at the agency.

'I would not say there`s safety concerns about (Plan B) regardless of the age,' she told United Press International. 'Science is not driving the discussion.'

Losing Susan Wood was a huge blow to the agency, but as with many such resignations-by-frustration in this administration, just left a hole to be filled with a zealous ideologue.  

So now we're faced with Andrew von Eschenbach, who in 11 months on the job as interim FDA chief has failed to take any step on Plan B - what a freakin' surprise.  Never fear, Patty's still there:

Murray and fellow committee member Hillary Rodham Clinton (D., N.Y.) have vowed to block a committee vote on the nomination until the FDA acts on over-the-counter sales of Plan B.

Damn straight, and they're pushing him to answer some damn questions.  He's trying to force confirmation by tricking them with sleight-of-hand the way Lester Crawford did - suggesting they're "willing to talk about it" and sharing a letter he wrote to the pharmaceutical company promising to meet with them to discuss "security" issues.  But they're not buying it, and the bottom line is, until he does his goddamn job, they're not confirming him.  

Emergency contraception is a high dose of regular birth-control hormones that, taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex, can cut the risk of pregnancy by up to 89 percent; the pills have no effect on an established pregnancy. Major medical and public-health groups have endorsed easier access as a way to reduce unplanned pregnancies and the need for abortion.

Social conservatives contend easier access to the pills would lead to promiscuity, risky sexual behavior, medical complications, and rape cover-ups, especially among teens.

For social conservatives, all roads lead to the genitals.  I'm not sure how politicians haven't figured this out and started to just tune out their prudish knee-jerk reactions to things.  And to repeat: the pills have no effect on an established pregnancy.  I'm proud of Patty every time I read something about this story.  The FDA badly needs someone in charge, because the entire department is a disaster right now.  

But blocking political ideologues at the confirmation process is the right thing to do for the nation's physical, sexual, and yes, moral health.  It would appear that this jackass will get himself a Bolton-style recess appointment so he can moralize at our daughter's and wives expense, but he'll still have to face the Senate confirmation machine again, and next time, it's looking unlikely that he'll be facing a friendly Republican-led committee.  Their time is ending, and ultimately, this type of dumbass bullshit will be defeated.