Today we feature our “Tribute to Rep. Mark Souder” with a blog from recently ousted CDC panelist and SIECUS VP William Smith, and we note that the Congressman is holding a hearing on Mifeprex (RU-486), the prescribed abortion medicine. The medicine has been linked by opponents and in the media to the deaths of seven women, though recent information indicates that two bacteria have caused similar deaths in several women who have not taken the medicine.
The Washington Post quotes former FDA official Susan Wood, who will testify at the hearing, "The deaths are clearly serious and tragic, but the overall rate of adverse reactions is actually low," said Wood, who is to testify at today's hearing. She said that although serious side effects are often underreported with many drugs, strict reporting requirements required for RU-486 resulted in a full accounting.

“The fact that the CDC has identified at least 12 women undergoing miscarriages or childbirth who died from the same clostridium bacteria,” she said, “indicates that the problem is more widespread than imagined and not limited to users of RU-486.”

The Post in its last paragraph does readers a huge favor by starting to distinguish what abortion opponents have intentionally muddled in their efforts to attack not just abortion but also contraception, “The RU-486 controversy is sometimes confused with the ongoing dispute over Plan B, the "morning after" emergency contraceptive that its manufacturer wants to sell without a prescription. Although RU-486 does cause an abortion, the FDA describes Plan B as a contraceptive that prevents, rather than ends, a pregnancy.”

The Snow Job began at the White House yesterday as former FOX TV commentator Tony Snow held his first White House press briefing. Asked about the President’s personal beliefs about contraception Snow was at first dismissive with a “thank you,” then finally, "I don't have an answer for you." We’ll be waiting for that answer Tony.

Some Republicans who aren’t afraid to openly support the majority of American voters on issues of contraception and choice are watching the New York gubernatorial primary closely as the New York Times calls it it a “Battle for the Republican Soul.” The upcoming primary features pro-choice former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld against anti-choice State Assemblyman Mark Faso. “Mr. Faso's position against abortion will alienate some voters and hurt the party over all in November should he emerge as their candidate. They [moderates] point out that the most successful Republicans in the state — Mr. Giuliani, Mr. Pataki and Mayor Michael Bloomberg— all support abortion rights.”

As disturbing as the right wing attacks are within politics and science, comes new evidence of the truly reckless way right wing rhetoric stirs the souls of some – another attack on an abortion clinic was reported yesterday in Iowa. The attacker, “reportedly told police he wanted to break the fingers of abortion doctors.” He mugged a female employee, throwing her to the ground before entering the facility. Finally, from Lifesite.net, apparently political and social movements cause breast cancer. “It’s the women of the Roe v. Wade generation that account for most of this increase. Dramatic lifestyle changes brought about by the sexual revolution and the women’s liberation movement are largely responsible for the rampant breast cancer we see today,” they quote a doctor as saying in the latest attempt to keep alive the long ago disputed linkage between abortion and breast cancer.