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Bush Says He Supports Plan B Over-the-Counter

At yesterday's White House press conference, President Bush said he supports over-the-counter sale of Plan B to women ages 18 and up.

Q: Thank you very much. Mr. President, some pro-life groups are worried that your choice of FDA Commissioner will approve over the counter sales of Plan B, a pill that, they say, essentially can cause early-term abortions. Do you stand by this choice, and how do you feel about Plan B in general?

THE PRESIDENT: I believe that Plan B ought to be -- ought to require a prescription for minors, is what I believe. And I support Andy's decision.

Bush only recently announced his support for contraception, saying it was acceptable for "responsible adults" to use birth control, but not anyone else. (Because, clearly, irresponsible people make the best parents.) Maybe he's opposed to making Plan B available to women under 18 because he's concerned, like some FDA officials, that it would create teen sex cults. In reality, all medical evidence says the drug is completely safe for over-the-counter sale to minors-- and has no effect on their sexual behavior. But anti-abortion groups are predictably incensed that Bush is supporting the morning-after pill at all.

And speaking of abortion foes, supporters of the South Dakota abortion ban are saying it's a-OK to criminalize abortion because, hey, emergency contraception would still be legal. They declined to mention that pharmacists in South Dakota are allowed to refuse to fill prescriptions for Plan B.

Posted by Ann Friedman on 08/22/06 at 10:46 AM | E-mail | Print

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Comments

I think this is a good opportunity for the Zionist voters Bush has pandered to elsewhere to see that this man really has no moral integrity. I am pro-choice and certainly support the am after pill, but to the religious purists who fight so hard on this issue, this let down should hopefully be remembered in 2008, when the Republican candidate steps up to the podium with his best solumm preacher face.
It seems unfathomable to me that the same person who so adamantly opposes stem cell research can sloth this one off so easily.

Posted by: paul miller on 08/22/06 at 3:27 PM

Whoops, your trackbacks aren't working.

My comment here

Posted by: Darleen on 08/24/06 at 7:09 AM

and no embedded links, either, I see ...

Sorry 'bout that.

http://www.darleenclick.com/weblog/archives/2006/08/fda_issues_reas.html

Posted by: Darleen on 08/24/06 at 7:10 AM

It's sad that even a pro-choice person doesn't understand that Plan B is a contraceptive and not an abortion method. Contraception has nothing to do with stem cells. Admittedly it sounds like abortion opponents also don't understand this distinction and Bush doesn't seem like the type to be able to actually teach them this point.

Posted by: paul martinez on 08/24/06 at 7:43 PM

Paul, I do understand the difference, but to a purist [these are people who think masterbation is a form of abortion - the unfulfilled seed, etc.]Bush cannot have been pleasing on this subject.
On another note, however, its a shame that more people don't use condums as a form of birth control, as they also help combat the spread of disease. I think this gets too often overlooked in this debate.

Posted by: paul miller on 08/30/06 at 5:29 PM

I think that plan b should be made over the counter as long as they put age restrictions on it.

Posted by: Tanya Popham on 09/19/06 at 6:50 AM