Iraqi Constitution As I consider our own, others are trying their hand at writing a new Iraqi Constitution. Since our own experience is being used by some as a comparison, a few points: our original (Articles of Confederation) was written during a war, but took years to ratify (1777/81). Also, the control of oil revenue is interesting -- except for overall reserves, our way is private ownership. Do conservatives oppose this and the affirmative action program that requires a minimum number of women in the assembly? And, what of this 2/3 of each section having a veto? We needed 9 states of 13 to ratify our Constitution!
Morning After Pill: "Federal drug regulators have once again rejected an application to allow over-the-counter sales of the morning-after pill, saying that they need 60 days to gather public reaction to the plan." Two senators, including Sen. Clinton, put a hold on the nomination of the FDA commissioner to force a ruling, and one was promised by Sept. 1. I guess this counts, huh?
The agency's decision comes in the wake of years of study and wrangling. The F.D.A. initially approved the drug as an emergency contraceptive that would be available by prescription only in July 1999. In April 2003, Barr Laboratories filed an application to sell the pill over-the-counter. A committee of independent advisors voted, 23-4, in December 2003 to approve the application.
Although the agency usually follows the counsel of its advisors, Dr. Steven Galson, a top agency official, said then that he decided to reject the application because he said Barr had provided little information about how young teens might react to easy availability of the drug. He said that he was worried that young girls might engage in riskier sexual behavior if they knew they could get the drug.
As noted in a piece that discussed the seedy nature of a leader of the four that opposed the decision, this is dubious at best. The likelihood that availability of another contraceptive would have much effect on the sexual habits of young teenagers, especially since they already could get it with a prescription and parental consent, is suffice to say low. If you want, limit its availability in respect to those under sixteen. But, this mixture of ideology and medicine policy is wrongheaded. Cut the BS, and follow the norm -- 23-4 indeed.
Plame Summary: The Los Angeles Times has a very good extended account of the events that sometimes has an accurate dubious tone such as:
What role Plame played in securing the mission for her husband has become a noisy sideshow to the substantive questions his trip raised about prewar intelligence. It is not clear why Plame's role would have been relevant to Wilson's uranium findings. But it was very important in the campaign to discredit him.
And ...
Wilson seemed a credible critic: His diplomatic leadership as charge d'affaires in the U.S. Embassy in Iraq just before the 1991 bombing of Baghdad had earned him letters of praise from President George H.W. Bush.
That made him dangerous to the administration. ....
Within 24 hours, the White House reversed its view of the damage Wilson could do. He began to receive the attention of Rove, a man with a reputation for discrediting critics and disciplining political enemies, and of Libby, a longtime Cheney advisor and CIA critic. ....
This approach depended largely on a falsehood: that Wilson had claimed Cheney sent him to Niger. Wilson never made such a claim.
You know information that might have been relevant in 2004. Oh vey. Anyway, even for those that have followed the events, such a comprehensive overview is worthwhile and should be encouraged.