Skepticism Over FDA's Plan B Announcement

Via National Partnership for Women and Families:
"Yesterday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it had developed a framework that could potentially lead to approval for Plan B emergency contraception for women age 18 and over.
Some have hailed this as a victory, but we are skeptical. Years of unjustifiable, politically-motivated delays and misrepresentations have left the Bush Administration with zero credibility on Plan B. Setting up a "framework" for "potential approvability" is not the same as making a decision on Plan B.
American women deserve better. The FDA should make the only decision that medical research and science will support, by granting over-the-counter status to Plan B for all women.
We commend Senators Murray and Clinton for placing a hold on Dr. Von Eschenbach's nomination as FDA Commissioner until the FDA makes a firm decision on Plan B.
We will continue to monitor this issue closely and update you with developments."
Read the National Partnership press statement.

How true. After over 2 years of jerking women around and not allowing them freedom to their own reproduction, the FDA has decided A DAY BEFORE Dr. Von Eschenbach's confirmation hearing to announce they are reconsidering EC OTC status.
What hysterical timing.
What an obviously transparent bag of tricks.
Well, this ain't Halloween and I ain't got a sweet tooth for politically-motivated lies.
Since April 21, 2003, when Barr Laboratories applied for OTC status, there has been a conspiracy of great lengths to deny women access to this safe and effective birth control.
As found here, http://www.house.gov/shays/news/2005/november/PlanBTimeline.pdf, Representative Joseph Pitts, along with 43 Republican members of Congress, including Majority leader Tom DeLay, send a letter to FDA urging it to reject Plan B OTC status.
Since when did members of Congress decide the medical effectiveness or safety of a drug?
Since when did the FDA make decisions about "moral behavior"?
Speaking of so-called moral behavior, the FDA's excuse for the age restriction of 18 (recently upgraded from 16--another in their long list of delay tactics) remains the same: access to the Morning-After Pill might increase the likelihood that teenagers will have unprotected sex. If the FDA is really so concerned with safe sex, it would also push men to wear condoms, not punish women by withholding birth control. Whatev.
This age requirement essentially requires that women show a pharmacist their ID before getting this safe, effective contraceptive. What a sexist insult of being carded for birth control.
This country has been hijacked by twisted interest groups. They foamed at the mouth and bought politicans. Those politicans then turned and infiltrated our medical and scientific communities.

Check out this must-read, in-depth analysis of the issue at: Kaisernetwork.org.

And check out this video by MSN: http://video.msn.com/v/us/v.htm?g=F3EB2F22-0EEE-4B62-B2B1-AD51DD949256&t=c150&f=06/64&p=hotvideo_m_edpicks&GT1=8404