Limbaugh Flips And Flops, Then Agrees With Caller With Facts About Plan B

[JABBS]

When Jessica, a Southern California-based drug sales representative, woke up yesterday morning, I doubt she would have predicted the role she would play in the ongoing debate over women's reproductive rights.

But when conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh muddled the facts during a second day of lengthy remarks on abortion, birth control, and the use of levonorgestrel -- the drug nicknamed Plan B -- Jessica sprung into action.

What followed was an amazing back-and-forth between a caller who seemingly knew the facts -- and told listeners to do their own research, rather than believe her or listen to Limbaugh -- and Limbaugh, who found himself backtracking, sidestepping and generally sounding more uneducated than usual. Ultimately, Limbaugh, on his third or fourth flip-flop, found himself agreeing with his caller.

Limbaugh began discussing all of this Monday, when he commented on an anonymously written piece in the June 4 edition of the Washington Post, "What Happens When There Is No Plan B," a first-person account of a 42-year-old woman, "Dana L.," who claims she had an abortion because neither her doctor nor her internist prescribed Plan B.

The writer goes on to say that weeks later, she confirmed that she was pregnant. Given her age, and the fact that she was taking a variety of medications, she felt any pregnancy she had would be high-risk.

DANA L.: "Although I've always been in favor of abortion rights, this was a choice I had hoped never to have to make myself. When I realized the seriousness of my predicament, I became angry. I knew that Plan B, which could have prevented it, was supposed to have been available over the counter by now. But I also remembered hearing that conservative politics have held up its approval.

Now, before we stray into a debate on abortion rights, let's be clear. The debate at hand is about Plan B and its availability, not whether abortion is right or wrong.

As Limbuagh said Monday:

LIMBAUGH: "The point is this Dana L. was upset she couldn't get it over-the-counter because Bush's conservative political policies prevent it from being made available over-the-counter."

(The FDA has offered its reasoning for not allowing Plan B to be made available over-the-counter -- a decision made in 2003, during Bush's first term.)

Limbaugh, as you would expect, is against abortion. On Monday, he did his radio listeners a favor by saying that Plan B should not be confused with another drug, RU 486.

LIMBAUGH: "What Plan B does is cause an immediate period. I think Plan B is just a large dose of hormones. This causes an immediate period. That's why it has to be used within 72 hours. I don't know. It just causes periods. RU-486 is a steroid. "

But yesterday, Limbaugh backtracked, suggesting that it didn't make much difference whether Dana L. had an abortion or used Plan B, because either way she was terminating a pregnancy.

LIMBAUGH: "You can hide behind Plan B and it's just an immediate period or whatever you want, but it's an abortion. ... I'm being bombarded with questions asking me to explain my "ridiculous assertion" that there's no difference in an abortion and Plan B. Typical question. "Well, what's the difference? In all seriousness here, El Rushbo, what is the difference between birth control and Plan B?" Well, that's easy! Birth control prevents conception. Life begins at conception. I don't care what anybody says; it can't begin anywhere else. Life begins at conception. Human life begins at conception. Plan B comes after conception. Ergo... I mean, my logic is unassailable."

By his own admission, Limbaugh had been besieged by e-mails on Monday -- apparently from angry anti-abortion listeners who are against the use of Plan B. Perhaps it was on their behalf that Limbaugh tried yesterday to invoke "the moral question" into the debate.

But facts are facts, and Limbaugh was straying from them. And that's when our heroine caller, Jessica, got in the act.

>>>

To read the rest of this article, go to JABBS.

[trotsky]

1. Nice.

Very nice. Jessica might just have caused a few dittoheads to activate some brain cells, and that is a true miracle.

[Nikki Stone 1]

2. K & R

:kick:

[JABBS]

3. thanks

[wicket]

4. And another

:kick:

[JABBS]

5. I tried to convince thinkprogress.org

... to look into this and potentially highlight it in its "Think Fast" column. No dice thus far. I really think this is an issue, though, that is purposely skewed by the religious right. They don't want the facts out there, because those facts get in the way of their doctrine.

[calmblueocean]

6. Wow. She gave Rush listeners a megadose of the truth.

I'm sure he never intended for that to happen!

I'm glad she got on the air and gave the clearest definition of the difference between Plan B and RU486 I've ever heard, but I'm also glad I didn't have to hear Rush actually say the words, "It causes an immediate period." Just hearing Rush talk about anything sex-related makes me want to puke for a week.

[Dora]

7. Great read.

Good for her. I hope a few people were listening.

[JABBS]

8. he's got the largest radio audience in America

... about 13 million people at any one time. Maybe Jessica made a dent.

I'm actually shocked that Rush gave her that much time. If that had been Mark Levin, he would have given her a half-sentence, shouted over her, hung up on her, and then lambasted her for several minutes.

[Hubert Flottz]

9. Rush should be an expert on pill popping!

If nothing else...

[JABBS]

10. LOL .... not that kind of pill!!!

[neoteny]

11. Plan B Facts

Plan B does not induce a period and does not act as some type
of an abortificant. The hormone works to prevent ovulation
(release of an egg) and will have no impact on a fertilzed egg
implanted in the uterine wall. 

[IndyOp]

12. Welcome to DU, Neoteny!

I don't suppose you chose 'neotony' from the phenomenon associated with the evolutionary phenomenon of paedomorphy?

:hi:

[newyawker99]

13. Hi neoteny!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[fishnfla]

14. Its about as clear as mud

'specially the part where she says "it does
NOT stop the sperm from fertilizing the egg" (her second reply)

maybe she misspoke or something?

[JABBS]

15. give her the benefit of the doubt

She was just a caller making off the cuff comments. She might be a professional in her biz, but there's no reason to believe she has experience on the radio. Overall, she did a fine job.