President Bush Knows Health, Not

According to the President of the United States, when it comes to female patients of reproductive age, health is a very vague term.

I'd love to be able to come up with some clever commentary, but this has left me speechless. Except, to say this: it is most reassuring that President Bush, although unable to clearly understand the concept of "health", is crystal clear on the much more unambiguous concepts of, say, "the War on Terror", or "domestic surveillance".

And speaking of things that floor me, there's this tidbit about the South Dakota abortion ban:

[The bill] also prohibits the sale of emergency contraception and asserts that life begins at fertilization.

What does the sale of emergency contraception have to do with prohibiting abortion? Ugh, I guess I really have to force myself to read the actual bill in order to confirm this particular bit of idiocy. [To be continued.]

Last, but not least, there's the ongoing mystery of obtaining a quote from Concerned Women for America for every article on female reproductive health.

In a report on new research from the Guttmacher Institute on state-by-state efforts to reduce unintended pregnancies, we have this:

The Concerned Women for America, a conservative group, criticized the report. In a statement, the group said that increased funding to prevent unintended pregnancies does not necessarily translate to lower abortion rates.

What is the rationale for quoting this group? What value do their statements add to the discussion? And why this group, in particular, as opposed to a group of scientists who have some relevant research? Remember, the original article is not about the political or religious propaganda de jour on unintended pregnancies; it's about a research report.