Thursday, July 19, 2007

In his July 17 op-ed, "The Doctor Who Didn't Know When to Quit," Richard Cohen asked why public servants such as former surgeon general Richard Carmona do not quit when they are marginalized.

Two years ago, my spouse, Susan F. Wood, who was director of the Food and Drug Administration's Office of Women's Health, quit the FDA in protest over delays in offering the emergency contraceptive Plan B over the counter. As a family, we discussed her options. The argument for resignation that made sense was that of personal integrity; the possibility of influencing public policy seemed remote. But her resignation would have had no point without impact. What followed was constant travel, a threat that led us to speak with local police about security, and Justice Department subpoenas for personal documents. The skills that Susan acquired to explain her decision to the public were well outside her scientific training; a misstep in the limelight would have negated the value of her resignation. As for personal integrity, a professional who resigns publicly must just get used, I suppose, to being likened in the blogosphere to Osama bin Laden or being labeled a "Feminazi." Through the leadership of Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), and their colleagues in the House, and with the hard work of many others, the outcome for Plan B was a partial victory. I am hugely grateful, but that year was a tremendous challenge for a family with dual scientific careers. After this, I cannot criticize those who decide to stay and work from within, even though I regret their compliance with an administration that neither respects scientific evidence nor protects whistle-blowers.

RICHARD PAYNE

Silver Spring