McCain: Viagra and Birth Control

When questioned about the disparity in the way insurance companies cover Viagra and birth control, John McCain, the self-styled straight talker, had remarkably little to say, straight or otherwise. His pregnant silences were deafening. And he came across as something less than a candidate knowledgeable about issues that matter to a lot of people. Too bad his good buddy Joe Lieberman wasn't available to bail him out.

Viva Viagra

The continuing story about Roger Clemens and performance enhancing drugs took an unexpectedly bizarre turn the other day when it was revealed that Rocket kept pills of Viagra, the erectile-dysfunction drug, in his locker. Clemens' interest in the drug was spurred not by performance between the sheets but between the white lines. Apparently, many athletes in a variety of sports "have turned to Viagra because they believe it helps dilate blood vessels and delivers oxygen, nutrients and steroids to various muscle groups more efficiently." However, Dr. Lewis Maharam, medical director of the New York Marathon, notes that the benefits might be overblown: "I don't think there is any evidence it's a performance enhancer, except in the bedroom."