# Why is the Obama administration fighting so hard to legally restrict access to contraception? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 1, 2013, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270 "2013-05-01T23:42:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Condescending\_Robot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a183cd/32.png) [@Condescending\_Robot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Condescending_Robot)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2013, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270/1 "2013-05-01T23:42:53Z")
It wasn’t enough for the foreign policy, the secrecy, and the domestic surveillance to be George W Bush’s third and fourth terms, we had to go there on women’s health too? > **[U.S. to Defend Age Limits on Morning-After Pill Sales (Published 2013)](https://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/02/health/us-will-appeal-order-on-morning-after-pill.html?_r=0)** > > With its appeal of an order to make the most common next-day birth control pill available to all ages with no prescription, the Obama administration is returning to a charged political issue. ---
**Author:** ![miss\_elizabeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@miss\_elizabeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miss_elizabeth)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2013, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270/2 "2013-05-01T23:51:30Z")
Why? Politics. Sucks though. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2013, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270/3 "2013-05-01T23:59:48Z")
Because he’s a right winger, not a liberal and not a moderate despite all the Republican frothing at the mouth about how he’s some socialist/communist. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270/4 "2013-05-02T00:07:50Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Because he’s a right winger, not a liberal and not a moderate despite all the Republican frothing at the mouth about how he’s some socialist/communist. Correction, he’s a social liberal. And the real reason is probably a mix of politics, the personal feelings of Katherine Sebelius, and some lingering safety concerns: > [@](#): > > Ms. Sebelius said the pill had not been studied for safety in girls as young as 11. It was the first time a cabinet secretary had publicly overruled the F.D.A. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270/5 "2013-05-02T00:15:43Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > Correction, he’s a social liberal. No he isn’t. He had to be browbeaten for years by his base to grudgingly move towards tolerating rights for homosexuals for example. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270/6 "2013-05-02T00:22:10Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > No he isn’t. He had to be browbeaten for years by his base to grudgingly move towards tolerating rights for homosexuals for example. Social liberalism is hardly a radical or a leftist philosophy: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social\_liberalism](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_liberalism) And even if he didn’t directly support gay marriage until 2012 (to use your example), it was pretty clear where Obama’s instincts lay considering in 2008 he opposed Prop 8 in California. Indeed, it can be argued that without Obama out front on the gay marriage its been de-partisanized (not sure if its a real word) somewhat. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270/7 "2013-05-02T00:37:01Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > No he isn’t. He had to be browbeaten for years by his base to grudgingly move towards tolerating rights for homosexuals for example. That’s good enough for me; maybe he does the right things for the wrong reasons, but that’s way better than not doing the right things at all. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270/8 "2013-05-02T00:56:01Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > No he isn’t. He had to be browbeaten for years by his base to grudgingly move towards tolerating rights for homosexuals for example. His sudden “evolution” last year was enough to make a Creationist feel vindicated. He’s a social liberal who tempers his public stance on certain issues to be a viable candidate. ---
**Author:** ![miss\_elizabeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@miss\_elizabeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miss_elizabeth)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270/9 "2013-05-02T00:57:15Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > That’s good enough for me; maybe he does the right things for the wrong reasons, but that’s way better than not doing the right things at all. He’s doing the wrong thing now, on this issue. Hence the thread. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270/10 "2013-05-02T01:04:11Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > His sudden “evolution” last year was enough to make a Creationist feel vindicated. > > He’s a social liberal who tempers his public stance on certain issues to be a viable candidate. Absolutely. Further, what other medication do we demand that children have unfettered access to without parental supervision? This really isn’t a debate about abortion or contraception, but a discussion about what children can legally access. If someone believes that children shouldn’t be able to buy liquor, does that make them a prohibitionist? ---
**Author:** ![Condescending\_Robot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a183cd/32.png) [@Condescending\_Robot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Condescending_Robot)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270/11 "2013-05-02T01:10:45Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > Social liberalism is hardly a radical or a leftist philosophy: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social\_liberalism](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_liberalism) > > And even if he didn’t directly support gay marriage until 2012 (to use your example), it was pretty clear where Obama’s instincts lay considering in 2008 he opposed Prop 8 in California. Indeed, it can be argued that without Obama out front on the gay marriage its been de-partisanized (not sure if its a real word) somewhat. He “opposed” it while also busing in enough people from black churches that he ensured its passage, all in a state he had no chance of losing in the first place. His own egoistic need to win 61% of the vote instead of 55% when the electoral college dictates that there is no meaningful difference between the two killed gay rights in America’s largest state for four years. Obama’s record on gay rights is generally all talk, no action, because of his need to keep the church folk at his beck and call. He sucks on that, he sucks on women’s issues (bull SHIT it “hasn’t been studied for safety”), he sucks on civil liberties. ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270/12 "2013-05-02T01:11:35Z")
prescription \<\> parental supervision. ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270/13 "2013-05-02T01:18:25Z")
Studies for safety on drugs other than those explicitly intended for children don’t tend to test on children do they? (Not US, and just based on discussion with a pharmacist as to why the minimum age on many over the counter medicines was 12). I’m not sure what age “children” goes to for this purpose, but I would have guessed over 11, (though probably not as high as 15), so safety may be a reasonable concern at the lower end of the age range. (Most of this is probably political though). ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270/14 "2013-05-02T01:34:17Z")
> [@Condescending\_Robot](#): > > He “opposed” it while also busing in enough people from black churches that he ensured its passage, all in a state he had no chance of losing in the first place. His own egoistic need to win 61% of the vote instead of 55% when the electoral college dictates that there is no meaningful difference between the two killed gay rights in America’s largest state for four years. Ah, so we shouldn’t help black people vote since they’ll be more likely to vote against gay marriage. :rolleyes: > [@](#): > > Obama’s record on gay rights is generally all talk, no action, because of his need to keep the church folk at his beck and call. He sucks on that, he sucks on women’s issues (bull SHIT it “hasn’t been studied for safety”), he sucks on civil liberties. You mean except for abolishing DADT, passing anti-discrimnation legislation, and fighting DOMA. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270/15 "2013-05-02T01:41:52Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > His sudden “evolution” last year was enough to make a Creationist feel vindicated. > > He’s a social liberal who tempers his public stance on certain issues to be a viable candidate. Or as I feel is much more likely, he’s a social conservative with a history of caving in to pressure, and he caved in on this as he has on so many other things. It’s just that for once the position he caved in on was a _good_ thing to cave in on. ---
**Author:** ![Condescending\_Robot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a183cd/32.png) [@Condescending\_Robot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Condescending_Robot)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270/16 "2013-05-02T01:50:34Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > Ah, so we shouldn’t help black people vote since they’ll be more likely to vote against gay marriage. :rolleyes: That’s a particularly blunt way to put it, but yes, I see no particular advantage to expending resources to “help” people vote my rights away, especially since it didn’t affect who won the election anyhow. > [@](#): > > You mean except for abolishing DADT, passing anti-discrimnation legislation, and fighting DOMA. He dragged four years on fulfilling the DADT promise after seeking every way to get out of it, and he basically made Congress do it for him even though it was implemented by executive order and he could have revoked it through the same power any time he chose. For the few things actually in the “did” rather than “said” program, this is the same pattern you’ll find every time–lots of big speeches to dinners for the base, followed by waiting as long as possible for the confrontation with the church folk, only giving the slightest actual crumb every time it looks like the equality block might just abandon the campaign. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270/17 "2013-05-02T01:51:26Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Or as I feel is much more likely, he’s a social conservative with a history of caving in to pressure, and he caved in on this as he has on so many other things. > > It’s just that for once the position he caved in on was a _good_ thing to cave in on. In what bizzaro universe is Obama a social conservative and a right winger? What is left wing in your mind? Only pure communism? ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270/18 "2013-05-02T01:54:17Z")
> [@Condescending\_Robot](#): > > That’s a particularly blunt way to put it, but yes, I see no particular advantage to expending resources to “help” people vote my rights away, especially since it didn’t affect who won the election anyhow. You do realize there are elections taking place such as Congressional and local races? > [@](#): > > He dragged four years on fulfilling the DADT promise after seeking every way to get out of it, and he basically made Congress do it for him even though it was implemented by executive order and he could have revoked it through the same power any time he chose. In that case a Republican President could have revoked it if elected President. > [@](#): > > For the few things actually in the “did” rather than “said” program, this is the same pattern you’ll find every time–lots of big speeches to dinners for the base, followed by waiting as long as possible for the confrontation with the church folk, only giving the slightest actual crumb every time it looks like the equality block might just abandon the campaign. There is not much Obama can do _more_ on gay rights unless he wishes to expend political capital that’s better used elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270/19 "2013-05-02T01:54:29Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Or as I feel is much more likely, he’s a social conservative with a history of caving in to pressure, and he caved in on this as he has on so many other things. > > It’s just that for once the position he caved in on was a _good_ thing to cave in on. Yeah. But he only did it because Biden talked about his support of gay equality. The president being led by the VP is not good. Obama has supported gay rights for years, I am sure he is just trying to maintain a political alliance between social liberals and socially conservative minorities. I don’t get Obama, maybe he really is an amateur like his critics make him out to be. From the outside looking in he seems like he thinks the congressional GOP is negotiating in good faith, or that trying to appear centrist is automatically popular, or that he can alienate his base w/o consequence. A true liberal/progressive administration would’ve browbeat Harry Reid into passing filibuster reform back in January 2009, then passed a litany of progressive legislation once that was out of the way. Doing so would’ve not only given them a lot to run on, but the 2010 election wouldn’t have been so lopsided because democrats were too demoralized to vote. I wish Obama was the hard assed socialist Chicago politicians he is made out to be. He comes across as someone who is in over his head. ---
**Author:** ![Condescending\_Robot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a183cd/32.png) [@Condescending\_Robot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Condescending_Robot)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270/20 "2013-05-02T02:02:16Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > You do realize there are elections taking place such as Congressional and local races? And I should desire for senile bigots who wouldn’t even WANT to vote if they weren’t basically puppeteered into the polling stations Weekend at Bernie’s style to participate in those elections…why? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270.md?page=2)