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PRO (YES)
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), an animal rights organization, wrote in its article "Got Pus?," published on www.milksucks.com (accessed Dec. 27, 2007):
"Have some … pus with your cookies? If you down a glass of cow’s milk, you will. It may be white, but researchers say that every cupful contains somatic cells, i.e., pus.
The dairy industry knows that there is a problem with pus in milk. Accordingly, it has developed a system known as the 'somatic cell count' to measure the amount of pus in milk. The somatic cell count is the standard used to gauge milk quality. The higher the somatic cell count, the more pus in the milk...
Dairy farmers don’t tell consumers that every glass of milk is contaminated with pus, bacteria, and perhaps with paratuberculosis [a bacterium that causes Johne's disease (a chronic intestinal disease) in cows]. The only way to avoid drinking pus is to avoid cow’s milk.
PETA is calling on the USDA [United States Department of Agriculture] to lower the legal limit of allowable pus cells in milk to the limit used by the rest of the industrialized world. Presently, our limit is nearly twice that. Seventeen states are producing milk that would be illegal to sell in Europe!"
Dec. 27, 2007 PETA 
Robert M. Kradjian, MD, Surgeon at Seton Medical Centre, wrote in his article titled "The Milk Letter: A Message to my Patients," published on www.afpafitness.com (accessed Jan. 30, 2008):
"You may be horrified to learn that the USDA allows milk to contain from one to one and a half million white blood cells per milliliter (That's only 1/30 of an ounce). If you don't already know this, I'm sorry to tell you that another way to describe white cells where they don't belong would be to call them pus cells."
Jan. 30, 2008 Robert M. Kradjian
[Editor's Note: The 2003 FDA Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO)  PDF (3.5MB) sets the maximum level of somatic cells allowed in Grade A milk at 750,000 cells per. milliliter - a level that has been in effect since at least 1999.]
Samuel S. Epstein, MD, Chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition, wrote in a Mar. 20, 1994 article "A Needless New Risk of Breast Cancer," published in the Los Angeles Times:
"The FDA [United States Department of Agriculture] - approved label insert for Posilac [Monsanto brand Artificial Bovine Growth Hormone], a pamphlet that only dairy farmers see, admits that its 'use is associated with increased frequency of use of medication in cows for mastitis and other health problems.' Monsanto's own data further show up to an 80% incidence of mastitis, an udder infection, in hormone-treated cattle and resulting contamination of milk with statistically significant levels of pus…"
Mar. 20, 1994 Samuel S. Epstein
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CON (NO)
Kim Polzin, Consumer Media Representative at the Midwest Dairy Association, wrote in a Spring 2003 article "Milk Quality Is Key to Consumer Confidence," published in the Dairy Initiatives newsletter:
"On the surface, somatic cell counts seem like a topic that would interest only dairy farmers, veterinarians, and dairy processors. The impact of somatic cell counts on protein levels and cheese making seems far removed from things a consumer might think about while visiting the grocery store.
Enter People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and its 'Got Pus?' campaign, which attempts to 'alert consumers to impurities in the U.S. milk supply, particularly the high levels of bacteria-harboring pus.' Their so-called proof? Somatic cell counts...
[PETA] goes on to discuss the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance and even uses a state-by-state list of average SC [somatic cell] counts published by Hoard's Dairyman as 'evidence.' These activists are asking the public to abandon milk - one of the most tested, wholesome, and nutritious foods available.
The dairy checkoff is working to make sure consumers are not swayed by PETA's ridiculous and incorrect claims. There is no pus in milk."
Spring 2003 Kim Polzin
The National Dairy Council wrote in a Dec. 21, 2007 e-mail to ProCon.org:
"There is no pus in milk. All milk - including human breast milk - naturally contains somatic (white) cells, which are critical in fighting infection and ensuring good health.
People should get their family's nutrition advice from reputable, accredited health professionals, not animal rights groups like PETA [People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals]."
Dec. 21, 2007 National Dairy Council
Jeffrey W. Hull, MD, FAAP, practicing pediatrician, provided the following response to the question "do you feel that it is accurate to state that there is indeed pus in milk?" in a Jan. 4, 2008 e-mail to ProCon.org:
"No. Pus contains much more than simply white cells. There are dead neutrophils
present, live nutrophils, dead tissue cells, blood proteins, dead and sometimes
live bacteria...Pus is a pejorative and prejudicial term
in this context, especially for material aimed at the scientifically naive.
White cells - both neutrophils but also immunity bearing lymphocytes -
are present in all mammalian milks. They have no bearing on the health
of the beverage. Only bacterial or mycobacterial contamination of milk
is of any relevance in my view."
Jan. 4, 2008 Jeffrey W. Hull
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