(Image Source: CNN)

BY CHARLES MCKEAGUE

ANCHOR LAUREN GORES

A highly contested and controversial decision by the Obama administration.  Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius publicly overruled the FDA - for the first time ever. 

The decision blocks the oral contraceptive “Plan B, One Step” from being sold to women under the age of 17 - even though the FDA deemed it safe for women of all ages.

CNN catches us up on what the decision means and the reaction.  

“Sebelius’ decision means current restrictions on plan B stand. Women 17 and older can purchase the pill over the counter. Those 16 and younger need a prescription. The right is applauding the call. The left says it's pure politics, a move that allows president Obama to avoid criticism from Republicans in what's shaping up to be a bruising re-election battle.”

It’s a decision being criticized hard by the left - but PBS reports that comes after a strong push from conservatives. The network also said the decision was completely unexpected. 

“This was a big surprise, a real shock. Nobody expected the secretary of health and human services to overturn the decision by the FDA. … There’s was a lot of opposition to relaxing the restrictions on plan B.  A lot of conservative activist groups, the U.S. conference of catholic bishops were opposed to it.  They thought it was unsafe and that young girls and women could not use it safely.  They were worried about it encouraging sexual activity.”

Obama said he fully supported Sebelius - and talked about his own two daughters questioning whether they could use the product safely. 

President Obama: “The reason Kathleen made this decision was that she could not be confident that a 10-year-old or 11-year-old going to a drugstore should be able, alongside bubble gum or batteries be able to buy a medication that, potentially if not used properly, could have an adverse effect. I think most parents would probably feel the same way.”

MSNBC interviewed Irin Carmon - a columnist for Salon - and a critic of the White House’s decision. She argues the pill is simple and safe - and that with the decision - politics trumped science.

“The internal studies show that there is no safety concern and public health concern to denying plan b to children under 17. … The reason to do this is playing politics with women's bodies.  What he has done is alienated a lot of women's groups who are feeling optimistic when he said we will make the decisions based on science and not ideology that that's what's going to happen.”

Whether it was science or politics behind the decision - the science says the pill is most effective during the first 72 hours after intercourse. But whether young girls should be taking it in the first place - is something a blogger for the conservative blog Hot Air says shouldn’t even be a question.

The blog fully supported the decision headlining “Kathleen Sebelius Finally Does Something Right” and writes,

“I cheer this decision because I’m of the same mind as John Paul II and others who’ve compellingly made the case that contraception and abortion ... are, in many ways, two sides of the same coin. … I’m not going to complain when pro-lifers receive a little help from Kathleen Sebelius.”

So what’s the political shakeout going to be?  A writer for the Washington Post says it’s probably a wash.

“There is a damned if you do, damned if you don’t quality of this one. The political benefits and drawbacks aren’t that clear cut,” said Democratic pollster Geoff Garin, who has worked for Planned Parenthood. “It seems completely plausible that at the end of the day, this was about the public policy considerations, not just the political considerations.”