We are about to embark on a rough ride into the distant past. Most Americans do not feel that way. But Mr. Ashcroft goes further. While in the Senate he proposed federal legislation and a constitutional amendment that not only would criminalize abortion, but would define human life as beginning at fertilization. Under those circumstances, the law could be used to attack some of the most common types of birth control, including the pill and intrauterine devices, which in very rare cases may work by inhibiting the implantation of a fertilized egg.
Abortifacients are drugs or devices that induce abortion.
Most Americans do not consider taking the pill to be the equivalent of having an abortion. Mr. Bush gave the impression during the campaign that he would preside over a reasonably moderate administration. Mr. Ashcroft's politics are somewhat different. Linda Chavez is Mr. Bush's selection to head the Labor Department. The secretary of labor is supposed to serve the interests of working men and women.