Amy Goodman: Darrell Issa, Step Away From the Corporations

[marmar]

from truthdig:




Darrell Issa, Step Away From the Corporations

Posted on Jan 4, 2011
By Amy Goodman


Remember “freedom fries”? That’s what the House Republicans, when they were last in the majority, renamed french fries, after France refused to support the invasion of Iraq. It seems like renaming fries might be just about the extent of food regulation that some in Congress are willing to support.

The new Republican majority threatens a barrage of investigations. California Republican Darrell Issa is the new chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Issa has been tweeting about the subjects he intends to investigate: “CONTINUED INITIAL OVERSIGHT INVESTIGATIONS LINEUP: WikiLeaks, the safety of American food/medicine and effectiveness of @FDArecalls ...”

The timing of his tweet on food safety was impeccable, coming just one day before President Barack Obama was scheduled to sign into law the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, one of the last bills passed by the House before Congress recessed in late December. The new law will give the Food and Drug Administration authority to order a food recall, among other tools intended to protect people in the U.S. from foodborne illnesses. Believe it or not, before now, the FDA could only recommend a recall, not order one.

The new law won’t come in time to help Shirley Mae Almer. She died Dec. 21, 2008, after becoming infected with salmonella, which she contracted from tainted peanut butter. Almer and at least eight others died of the illness, caused by King Nut peanut butter and other products made using infected nuts from the Peanut Corporation of America. Two years have passed since Almer’s death, and her family has just filed suit in federal court. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports at least 714 people were sickened by the outbreak in 46 states. The CDC says foodborne illnesses cause millions of people to get sick every year, sending 128,000 to the hospital and killing 3,000—that’s more than eight people a day. .............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/darrell_issa_step_away_from_the_corporations_20110104/

[The Wielding Truth]

1. The Republicans have mounted an Attack on the Middle Class!

[atreides1]

2. That may be true

But how many of the middle class voted to put the Republicans back in charge? How many union members voted Republican? What about the elderly, how many of them voted Republican?

How many stupid idiots went into the voting booths and voted for a Republican?

And when their little worlds are gone in a puff of Republican smoke, who do you think they'll blame? Does anyone here actually believe that these fools will take responsibility for what they did.

No, they'll blame everyone else.

Those who voted Republican, brought this on themselves and the rest of us.

[The Wielding Truth]

4. If you support republicans you are republican.You are how you vote!

Exactly.Our democratic majority chose to not vote and not get involved and they let the fascist snakes back in.No offense to real snakes.

[divine_truine]

3. hey issa, you a$$hole...WHERE ARE THE JOBS?

YOu are going to wish you never became chairman of oversight comm.! YOU'RE A FRAUD! I've got your 'walking around money' right here, you corporate bootlicker!