Wednesday, June 01, 2005

Is Bush against contraception?

In an odd little hiccup at a press briefing last week, Press Secretary Scott McClellan was disturbingly mum on the topic of Dubya's views on contraception (via Feministing):

Q: There are news reports this morning that parents and children who were guests of the President, when they visited Congress, wore stickers with the wording, "I was an embryo." And my question is, since all of us were once embryos, and all of us were once part sperm and egg, is the President also opposed to contraception, which stops this union and kills both sperm and egg?

MR. McCLELLAN: I think the President has made his views known on these issues, and his views known --

Q: You know, but what I asked, is he opposed -- he's not opposed to contraception, is he?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, and you've made your views known, as well. The President --

Q: No, no, but is he opposed to contraception, Scott? Could you just tell us yes or no?

MR. McCLELLAN: Les, I think that this question is --

Q: Well, is he? Does he oppose contraception?

MR. McCLELLAN: Les, I think the President's views are very clear when it comes to building a culture of life --

Q: If they were clear, I wouldn't have asked.

MR. McCLELLAN: -- and if you want to ask those questions, that's fine. I'm just not going to dignify them with a response.

OK, a) I love McClellan's knee-jerk response that "the President's views are clear on [X]" whenever an uncomfortable question is asked. Ballsy. But, b) WTF??!? My assumption is that this is one of those occasions when the Preznit fears that a definite response in either direction will cause too much hubbub. But my fear is that this is some kind of set up for more draconian restrictions on access to contraception, emergency and otherwise. Thoughts?