Bush administration's attack on birth control not about birth control? Right...

Kristin Koch is Deputy Director of Communications for Online Strategies for NARAL Pro-Choice America.

Bush's administration is feeling the heat on the recent attacks on birth control - and Bush is making it clear he's not going to touch the issue with a 10-foot pole. So instead he's sending Secretary Mike Leavitt in front of the firing squad.

Leavitt's response to the onslaught of editorials and leaders on Capitol Hill who oppose the regulation?

He flat-out denied the attack:

An early draft of the regulations found its way into public circulation before it had reached my review. It contained words that lead some to conclude my intent is to deal with the subject of contraceptives, somehow defining them as abortion. Not true.

And we're supposed to believe him? Coming from the administration that's canceled funding for family-planning programs that serve the world's poorest women and bans teachers from discussing birth control in the classroom - I don't think so.

And it looks like we're not alone in our skepticism (check out the Oregonian, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, and the Houston Chronicle as well as MyDD, Women's Health News, RH Reality Check, and the Iowa Independent).  

But wait, there's one group that is in Leavitt's court: Concerned Women for America. Shocker! Concerned Women is coming to Leavitt's defense by calling on their members to post supportive comments on Leavitt's blog.

And I hate to say it, but they are flooding his blog with comments.

So I hope you take a moment to post your thoughts on Secretary Leavitt's blog about why protecting women's access to birth control is so important.

There is really good news out of this. According to Leavitt, "The Department is still contemplating if it will issue a regulation or not."

That means the Bush administration knows the attack goes too far. Now we need to keep the heat on Leavitt so that these draft regulations stay on the shelf where they belong. Pro-choice leaders in Congress are doing everything they can to stop the regulation, but the fact is, Bush can put it into place if he wants. That's why this is one issue you need to speak up about.