Wow...that was really short compared with the 2 minutes of squirming he really did!

I think this is fine to highlight that he isn't regularly supportive of women's reproductive rights, especially because one study said that 25% of Female McCain supporters mistakenly thought he was pro-choice. It doesn't misrepresent him. It might even help him with the evangelical vote.

He probably rides bareback. That's the way JMac rolls with da shorties.

it's not even about pro-life pro-choice. I use the pill because my periods are torturous and I can't function for a week out of the month without it. I think people can generally function without viagra!

Jon Stewart's reaction to McCain's response was so funny.

imLissy, so many men don't understand that the pill isn't just about sex!

"I think people can generally function without viagra!"
Well, they can take the trash out and clean the gutters and that's what we really need men for anyway.

"He probably rides bareback. That's the way JMac rolls with da shorties."

WORD.

Oh, rac, you just killed the horny all around the world with that image.

My pill perscription is covered by insurance. I only pay $5 a month.

imLissy, You are right. Men don't medically need viagra to function through everyday life. Viagra is a lifestyle drug not a life saving one. I couldn't go to work during my time if I weren't on the pill.

I think insurance companies should weigh the cost of covering a child for the eighteen years they will be on their parents insurance versus the $30/ month pill cost. I think the pill is far cheaper than a child.

That's what happens when grandpa runs for president!!

Oooh. That was indeed awkward.

Amen for PPH

Since he is "of a certain age," I would HOPE that Sen. JSMcCain is uncomfortable talking about "the Pill."

I do not like to watch television advertisements for Cialis, Viagra, Kodex, or other "feminine pads" and any other situations best left between a person and her/his doctor. I do not enjoy sharing someone's "intimate" discussion about herpes while sitting in the room with my parents or my grandchildren. It is embarrassing. It is out of bounds.

I am GLAD that Sen. McCain is old enough to recall when "those" discussions were not acceptable dinner table discussions. If you have a problem, talk to your doctor, do not advertise and heaven help the idiots who send me sexually oriented spam.

If there's one thing to admire about Sen. John S McCain, it is that he is a gentleman in an age of uncouthness.

Poor man, he looked like he was going to throw up.

ugh, how can insurance cover viagra and not birth control? that's absurd.

Wow.

I have to say I like that this ad shows an actual McCain moment instead of a scary looking picture with a deep, foreboding voiceover. Kudos.

Also, speaking of insurance covering Viagara and not BC, anyone participate in the Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) at work, where you can basically set aside pre-tax dollars for certain health-related expenses (e.g. co-pays, medicine, etc.)? I do, and I cannot tell you how UNFAIR it is that condoms are covered, but not pads/tampons. Let's look at it this way: condoms prevent pregnancy, and therefore the result of condom use is the presence of a woman's period. HELLO! Come on, FSAs, cover some damn Stayfree products AND Trojan products!

(Also, seriously, isn't the guy in my avatar a pretty man? I heart you, Stephen Colbert).

Mmm, yes. Stephen Colbert. I do love that one elf ear he's got going on

I didn't know that about FSAs, even though I had one at my last job. Interesting. I actually wouldn't have thought that they would cover condoms as well.

He may have been uncomfortable about the subject matter, but are you seriously going to tell me that a man his age, whom has been thru the experiences he has, is so easily fluttered that he cannot handle a question about birth control? "Shockingly immature" is the description I would give such misplaced modesty, not "gentleman."

Give me a break, do you seriously think people should "Talk to their doctor" over menstrual pads? That's a superb waste of the doctor's time, and any woman worth her salt should not balk at something which is 100% part of her natural body's function. Do I think it should be discussed over Friday night meatloaf? Not especially, but I think the people in charge of the country should be over the teenage boy embarrassment of something that affects half the population of this country, wives, daughters, and mothers.

Its birth control, its periods, whatever. Its time people got over it and stopped flipping out over their own bodies.

Jeez, we get more freaked by this than seeing someone bludgeoned to death on TV..now that is messed up.

If Viagra is covered, and birth control is not, there is only one word for it: irresponsible!

One word for this one.......Alzheimers!

McCain was asked about this issue because one of his surragates, Carly Fiorina, brought it up at an appearance. She stated, "There are many health insurance plans that will cover Viagra but won't cover birth-control medication. Those women would like a choice."

When the reporter started to tell McCain he voted against the bill.
McCain stated, "I don't know what I voted." Either he's lying or he's losing his memory. Is Fiorina, a supporter, unaware of his voting record? If so, why is courting the female vote for McCain,especially former Clinton backers? Or is she aware of his record and just misleading women.

McCain is SUCH an idiot.

Auntie Coosa--it doesn't look like McCain is sitting at the dinner table. He is running for president and unfortunately that means he has to address uncomfortable issues. The way he handled this does not mean he's a gentleman, it means he just doesn't care. It is a problem that insurance companies cover viagra & not birth control and talking to one's doctor is going to do nothing to fix the problem.

are you all kidding me?

first of all, which health insurances don't cover birth control? I've been on multiple carriers and never had that problem.

Second, what was the context of the interview, what were the previous questions, what was he doing before the interview, was he about the catch a flight when a reporter bombarded him so they could get a 3 second sound byte of silence?

And all the alzheimers/grandpa jokes and "such an idiot" are uncalled for and childish and add nothing to our usually enlightened discussions. So could you save those remarks for popsugar.com or gigglesugar.com

The fact that he voted the way he did is more troubling to me. In my opinion, a candidate shouldn't make an on-the-record statement about something until he has all of the information.

And Fo show, I would appreciate it if you would stop taking Alzheimer's so lightly; having known several people who suffered from it for long periods of time, I take offense to it. And, this looks nothing like the first stage of Alzheimer's.

I will admit that it is probably just political posturing because he wasn't sure at the time how he "should" respond to this question. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the larger insurance companies do provide coverage for birth control, so this may not have been an issue he felt was going to come up; he should have been more prepared for the question, but I see why he wasn't.

On a side note, I am going to look into how the group that put this ad out is funded; my guess is that it's affiliated with Planned Parenthood, but separately funded (because it's the Planned Parenthood Action Fund). I mean, it seems illogical that any group that receives funding from the federal government would be allowed to put out an ad of this nature. I'll have to do a little research.

My comment got flagged.

First thing I said was that we don't know the context of this interview so don't be so quick to judge. (I elaborated, but don't want to again)

Second, I've been on multiple carriers of health insurance and never had problems getting my BC filled. Does this actually happen? And how often? What are the stats on this?

THIRD AND MOST OF ALL! Joking about alzheimers, calling McCain and idiot and a grandpa add Nothing to our usually enlightened discussions. If you have a point, make it. Don't insult someone for the sake of not having an actual argument. Reserve those types of comments for popsugar and gigglesugar.

There.

I do have to say, one part of me wishes he would have voted differently on the bill, but the other part of me understands that, as a general principle, he is against more regulations on companies. I do wish he would have clarified, though. In my opinion, he could have voted that companies shouldn't be forced to provide this coverage, but that he still believes they should provide this coverage. Does that make sense?

good points lilkim.

How much (percentage wide) is planned parenthood funded federally?

I was lucky enough that my dad bought me health insurance after moving out on my own. Now I am lucky enough to have a job that offers insurance. Problem is, now I have to jump through hoops to get the birth control I want. I never knew how much of a problem it was until I got health insurance (government-quality, mind you) and had an even worse time with getting my birth control covered than any previous insurance I've ever been covered under.

As if I didn't have any other reason not to vote for McCain... this would be the kicker. How the hell does Viagra get a more preferred status than birth control?!?! It sickens me.

It looks like it's about a third. However, it does look like the Action Fund is funded separately.

Of course it is.

god help us all that john mccain doesn't get elected president. what the hell. auntie coosa, what the hell are you talking about? we want a president who is too "classy" to talk about issues that a majority of women deal with every day??! come on. please stop trying to defend this as anything but what it is: he is ignorant about women's health and is certainly not going to make it a priority if he is elected president. the BEST case scenario is that he is posturing for a vote from one group or another, and in my opinion, posturing for a vote that excludes the rights of one half of the population is NOT the way to go.

oh, and i know plenty of people who are in mccain's generation who are not above talking about birth control. my own grandparents who are in their 80s - and republican! - have no problem talking about BC and abortion rights. this is just stupid. i wonder if his daughter is on the pill??

"Second, I've been on multiple carriers of health insurance and never had problems getting my BC filled. Does this actually happen? And how often"

Just because an injustice doesn't happen that frequently, does that mean it is ok? I think the fact that it came up for a vote in the Senate shows that it is a big enough of a problem to warrant action.

Lilkimbo, I don't really see birth control coverage as any more of a regulation that making them cover diabetic medication or any other medication. I just don't see that bill as adding more regulation when the industry's practices in regards to medication is already regulated.

Lilblu, I am so glad you brought up Carly Fiorina. I find it VERY DISTURBING that a surrogate is out there telling large groups of people misrepresentative information about where McCain's position stands. She was trying to make the argument that McCain's position was the opposite of what it really was. It might have been an honest mistake, but I think it is so important to clear that up.

I'm not saying it's not an injustice, Jill, I was seriously wondering how often it happens.

And I also think it's important to note that if it doesn't happen often, that could be why McCain hasn't put much thought into it. The vote happened in 2003; a lot may have changed since then. Also, since the industry is so regulated, as you brought up Jill, maybe he thought that the other regulations should be re-interpreted to cover birth control, rather than bringing on another regulation entirely. Or, maybe he thought that the amendment was not attached to the proper bill; it was to be attached to a bill banning partial-birth abortion.

Sorry, syako, it sounded like you thought it wasn't that big of a deal because it didn't happen that often. I apologize for the misunderstanding.

There are a lot of reasons that could have lead to his vote (which is what the first part of the tape covers that is not in this commerical). She does ask him about his vote, and he says he has voted thousands of times and doesn't remember the details, and I completely understand that.

However, she rephrases the question to take it away from being about that vote, and makes it just a simple question about the issue itself. Some companies cover Viagra and not the pill, what do you think about that? I would think that he would have a better understanding of his position on this question.

I don't think there is a right or wrong answer, I think there is really just an honest answer. People are going to support or not support him based on where he stands on the issues, and I think no matter what his position is, there are people that will support it (or not). I think there is something for him to gain by just honesty answering the question.

(Ultimately though, I think long thought out stances on issues are more telling than pop quizzes).

I was flagged! No curse words or links.

"I think long thought out stances on issues are more telling than pop quizzes"

Agreed. And the 3 second pause could have meant there was not time to create that long thought out response that he knew was needed.

I agree with Jill and sy.

as a former pharmacy tech, I can tell you that both birth control and ED (viagra, cialis) drugs have an equally hard time getting covered by insurance, both have brand vs. generic stipulations and both have a lot of prior authorization from the doctor paper work hoops to jump through.

I think a man running for president ought to always have a response to issues being discussed by the general public of voters, and if he didn't have a response that day, he should have declared one by now.

My BC is not covered by my insurance and I have a great PPO --by US standards, it pays 90% of everything why not BC. I never understood why its not.

You know...all this talk is making me think I need to look at my plan again and see specifically what it covers and why.

Jill, you should really. I thought the plan was good until I uncovered that tidbit - which I had to call to get. All the literature I received from my company and the insurance company never mentioned it BC was covered.

I think what Sen. McCain failed to realize in that moment that would have been to his advantage at least in not looking awkward, is that it's o.k. not to know something on the spot as long as you're committed as a public servant to finding the answers. His complete break down in confidence left him appearing impotent, no pun intended.

I do agree, Hypno. He should have stated right away that it was something he would need more information about. Then, it could have looked positive, like he didn't want to make a decision about something before he had all of the information, which, to me, is always a good thing. He did hesitate and get too nervous, though.

Syako - although my BC is covered I still pay an out-of-pocket fee (mine is $10 a pack but I know others can pay as high as $30). Many lifestyle drugs on my plan -cialis being one- can be completely covered with no out of pocket fee. Again, that isn't always the case - it really depends on a person's insurance and if they allow you to waive the fee or not - but it still is interesting that for MY insurance I have to pay $10 a month or $120 a year for my pills while viagra/cialis could be free even if both are technically covered.

I dislike McCain for MANY reasons- his stand on women's health is one minor factor for me -believe it or not. His policies are not well thought out for someone who is running for President. And the ones that are thought-out I totally and vehemently oppose. This doesn't change anything for me.

Wow, geebers, you must have amazing insurance that some medications are completely free! I have been with all of the top insurers and I have always had between a $10 and a $30 co-pay. ($10 for generic, $20 for preferred, $30 for non-preferred, or sometimes $25)

well said, hypno!

yea I agree lil. I have always had to pay for all medications (10, 20, 30 is about the same)

What plan are you on geeb?