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Today's Q for O's WH
January 30, 2009 3:05 PM
TAPPER: There have been new revelations that call into question the ability of the FDA to keep our nation's food supply safe with the salmonella epidemic. More than 500 people are sick; more than half of them are children. Eight people have died. On the campaign trail last year, President Obama said, "As the parent of two young daughters, there are few issues more important to me than ensuring the safety of the food that our children consume." So what are you guys doing about this?
GIBBS: Well, obviously, we've read reports I think on the AP wire today about trouble at FDA last year. We've certainly read reports, and I think the Justice Department is looking into the business practices of the company in Georgia. And I know the president hopes in the next few days to announce a pick for commissioner at FDA to address all of what you said. I think the revelations have no doubt been alarming, that whether it was our own regulatory system or a company that repeatedly found salmonella in its own testing would continue to ship out that product is beyond disturbing for millions of parents. The president, I said, in the coming days will have a new commissioner at FDA and hopefully will be able to announce also picks at things like the Consumer Product Safety Commission and places like that to put in place a stricter regulatory structure to ensure that the type of thing that happened in this case doesn't happen again.
-- jpt
January 30, 2009 in Today's Qs for Obama's WH | Permalink | Share | User Comments (11)
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I just wish that some one could help this situation.
Posted by: Ted Haggard | Aug 6, 2009 12:32:45 PM
Jake, thanks for reporting on more tax evasion by Obama's nonimees. Now can you ask a big time attorney how "ordinary Americans" can defer $140k and $34k in taxes for years until caught... and then get no jail time but rather rewarded with a cabinet post? As a hard working American that pays huge tax bill annually, I would like to be treated fairly by the new administration. Also, please ask Pelosi why the current congress approval rating is at 14% (that's the last number I saw but no one reports on it like they did weekly on the Bush approval rating!
Posted by: Ed E | Jan 31, 2009 6:03:02 AM
So it looks like Peter Pan peanut butter has been recalled into Never Never Land for the time being. I doubt this problem will be going away in a Jiffy.
Posted by: kathy | Jan 30, 2009 7:40:10 PM
Red rover, red rover, let the deregulation folks all cross over.
Posted by: Mavsreader | Jan 30, 2009 5:52:25 PM
Gee, who would have guessed that de-regulation would kill people?
RIP - killed by capitalism.
Posted by: Flash Override | Jan 30, 2009 5:10:54 PM
"More of the inherited mess from Bush is seen in this FDA lax handling of the peanut processing company. It is all about who heads an agency and what their instruction are. And I'm afraid the Bush administration made it very clear that business profits were not to be messed with"
Excellent points.
Consumer safety under the Bush administration had been abysmal.
Actually most safety has been, from lead in children's toys to food borne illness to mining disasters.
One could write a novel on Bush's incompetent failures and conversely a pamphlet to describe his successes.
Posted by: Ryan C | Jan 30, 2009 4:58:11 PM
More of the inherited mess from Bush is seen in this FDA lax handling of the peanut processing company. It is all about who heads an agency and what their instruction are. And I'm afraid the Bush administration made it very clear that business profits were not to be messed with (remember how they were against re-importing U.S. drugs from Canada, claiming it would be dangerous although it would save the consumer big dollars while they allowed heparin and other drugs to be made in Chinese plants that aren't inspected by us) and less government regulation. Their conservative base thinks companies will do the right thing all on their own without oversight. Do any conservatives read history and why the FDA and other consumer and worker agencies were created in the first place? Many companies left to their own devices would sell dangerous food and products while putting their workers in hazardous conditions.
Those who don't read history should keep their opinions to a minimum until they do. We can't go forward as a nation if we keep repeating mistakes learned decades ago. Strong regulation is a necessity as long as greed is a common human trait.
Posted by: Lydia | Jan 30, 2009 4:32:19 PM
JT...
Get Jimmy Carter on it. He's a Peanut Farmer and Nuclear Physisist....OH, on second thought....
Walter Mondale, DFL
Posted by: mark | Jan 30, 2009 3:45:13 PM
Jake,
You heard it first. Obama has guaranteed no one will ever, and I mean , ever, get sick ,ever again!!! WOW, I feel SO much better. I feel the REAL Change. I
Posted by: mark | Jan 30, 2009 3:39:03 PM
jt: So what are you guys doing about this?
PBO has created W T F on working families that VPJB will chair. PBO has demonstrated again that he is putting our working families at the top of his administration. PBO and VPJB will do everything to ensure our working families safe.
Posted by: two cats | Jan 30, 2009 3:30:47 PM
jt: So what are you guys doing about this?
PBO has created Whitehouse Task Force on working families that VPJB will chair. PBO has demonstrated again that he is putting our working families at the top of his administration. PBO and VPJB will do everything to ensure our working families safe.
Posted by: two cats | Jan 30, 2009 3:27:36 PM
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