McCain’s tongue suffers erectile dysfunction on Viagra question

What happens when a reporter asks John McCain his opinion of medical insurers’ willingness to pay for Viagra but not birth control? His tongue goes all limp in his mouth.

John McCain on birth control, Viagra and health insurance (:26)

John McCain has answered the question in his own way. He voted “no” on the Equity in Prescription Insurance and Contraceptive Coverage Act that would have required prescription coverage of birth control medication–twice, in 2003 and again in 2005. Interestingly, his home state of Arizona is one of 27 states that require insurance plans to cover birth control methods.

That apparent disconnect within the campaign raised a few eyebrows. McCain was asked about the issue and his votes against prescription equity. He first said, “I certainly do not want to discuss that issue.” He was stumped into eight seconds of uncomfortable silence followed by his response: “It’s something that I had not thought much about, and I did hear about her response, but I hadn’t thought much. But I will get, I will get back to you today on it.” As of Monday morning, it doesn’t appear that McCain eever got back to the reporter.

The irony of McCain’s inability to answer a question about an important women’s issue a day before a much vaunted bid for women’s votes was not lost on reproductive health advocates. Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota Action Fund president Sarah Stoesz took him to task for the non-answer in an e-mail statement Friday morning.