August 29, 2005

Plan B

The FDA has delayed making a decision on the Plan B emergency contraception pill, and most observers attribute that delay to the politics of abortion. So says the NYT. My response to that is that the NYT has an acute grasp of the obvious. But here's what I don't get:

Dr. Crawford said Friday that the F.D.A. would seek public comments over the next 60 days on whether it had the authority to approve Barr's application and whether it could enforce any regulation that would stop girls younger than 17 from buying the pill freely.

What? Since when does a federal agency ask the public whether the agency "has the authority" to approve a drug? Or whether it could "enforce" a regulation? Isn't that what the agency's employees are paid to do by us, the taxpaying "public?"

Pusillanimous idiots. If you don't want to approve it because you're afraid of Mr. Bush's religious-right and anti-abortion supporters, say so. Don't hide behind that nonsense.

For Commissioner Crawford's spin, go here. He seems to be hiding behind the "it's an entirely new situation" defense.

Posted by Linkmeister at August 29, 2005 11:35 AM | TrackBack
Comments

Pusillanimous idiots, well said!

Posted by: Karan at August 29, 2005 03:30 PM

"Pusillanimous".
I had to look that up in my Funk and Wagnells!!!!
(with all apologizes to "Laugh In"...)

Posted by: Toxiclabrat at August 29, 2005 04:17 PM