If you’re wondering why the Left is going ballistic over current proposed legislation by Senators [mc_name name=’Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH)’ chamber=’senate’ mcid=’A000368′ ] (R, NH) and [mc_name name=’Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO)’ chamber=’senate’ mcid=’G000562′ ] (R, CO) that would effectively make oral contraceptives an over-the-counter medicine, why, here you go: “Planned Parenthood alone makes around $1.2 billion each year from contraceptive services.”  It really does just come down to this: money.  There’s a lot of money on the table. You tell an industry that it’s about to lose that huge a chunk of its revenue stream, and it’s going to react.  You almost can’t even blame them for it: effective monopolies always look different from the inside.  In fact, they may not even consider themselves to have an effective monopoly*, insane as that sounds.

Anyway, I know that people are going to be more inclined to focus on the political aspects of this decision, rather than the economic ones. And, trust me: if buggy-whip manufacturers had the partisan clout that Planned Parenthood has we probably still wouldn’t be able to buy a new car unless it came with a ceremonial buggy whip.  But if it was strictly political then Planned Parenthood and its minions would have to give way, considering that 70% of the population thinks that this idea of OTC birth control is just swell.  But, again, money’s involved. Enough money to try to roadblock what’s a pretty commonsense proposal.

Moe Lane (crosspost)

PS: No, the Left doesn’t want ‘free’ oral contraceptive birth control.  They want subsidized oral contraceptive birth control.  That way the price never has to go down – because somebody will end up paying for the birth control. But if everybody does, then, well, who has to worry about spending too much money? Tax money doesn’t count, right?

*If pressed, I would concede ‘dominant market share.’ But that’s as far as I would go.