Plan P for politics

Imagine that the following, from the American Progress Action Fund, was about another drug. Say, Viagra for example. Can you imagine the outrage that would have occurred this happened with any other drug? The FDA commissioner just made up an excuse not to release the drug.

HEALTH -- INTERNAL DOCUMENTS REVEAL FDA PLAYING POLITICS WITH 'PLAN B': Internal documents made public by Rep. Harry Waxman (D-CA) yesterday have raised new questions about the Bush administration's refusal to allow over-the-counter sales of the emergency contraceptive known as "Plan B." The documents show that, in February 2004, policymakers at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found no problem allowing the so-called morning- after pill to be sold without a prescription to women of all ages. Yet 18 months later, former FDA Commissioner Lester Crawford cited concerns about selling the drug to younger teens as a major reason for blocking the move. The new revelation is just the latest proof that the Bush administration is playing politics with "Plan B." Last year, the Bush administration promised to make a decision on the issue if Crawford were confirmed by the Senate. Then, in August 2005, after Crawford was confirmed, the Food and Drug Administration indefinitely postponed its decision on whether the "morning after pill" could be sold to women without a prescription. The administration has rejected the overwhelming judgment of scientists; instead, it has prioritized politics over women's health.