Tit-for-tat politics

To get along in Washington, the lesson to remember is that hell hath no fury like senators scorned. Thus the Bush administration's decision last week to nominate Acting FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach as permanent commissioner is giving Senators an opportunity to get even in the dispute over the Plan B "morning after" contraceptive.

Although any number of hurdles to a Senate confirmation vote can be identified, the biggest is the fallout from the White House's and FDA's handling of an application by Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc. (BRL, Pomona, N.Y.) to market Plan B levonorgestrel over the counter. ...