Is Bush screwing up this Mad Cow problem like everything else he does?

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0312/23/ldt.00.html

<snip>And joining me now with more on the phone from Madison, Wisconsin, is John Stauber. He's the co-author of "Mad Cow USA: Could the Nightmare Happen Here?"

John, in your judgment tonight, how serious is this announcement by the Agriculture Department? And how likely is it, based on the early information we have, the possibility that disease could spread in this country?

JOHN STAUBER, CO-AUTHOR, "MAD COW USA": Well, this is extremely serious.

And I heard part of Secretary Veneman's news conference. And I think she's really underplaying the significance of this, probably in an attempt to allay concerns. But the public should be very concerned about this. And the real problem here is that, here in the United States, we have not taken the measures that we need to take to deal with this disease, the sorts of measures that were taken in Britain and Europe many years ago.

STAUBER: So, here in the United States, we are so far behind on dealing with this issue that we're still weaning calves on cattle blood protein. When Secretary Veneman assures us that everything is being done that can be done to deal with this problem, she's being extremely disingenuous. And I would remind viewers that her background is as a cattle industry lobbyist.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/24/science/24INSP.html

Inspections for Mad Cow Lag Those Done Abroad

<snip>Also, said Sheldon Rampton, Mr. Stauber's co-author, questions have been raised about how effective the F.D.A. bans on feeding across species are.

If an animal becomes infected, the incubation period of the disease is three to eight years, so the detection of one animal with the disease suggests that others may have been infected by the same source but have not yet been found.

Mr. Stauber said an F.D.A. memorandum in 1997 predicted that if a single case of encephalopathy was found in the United States and a total ban on all feeding of animal protein to animals was immediately enacted, it was still possible that as many as 299,000 infected cows would be found over the next 11 years.

In the past, the hooves and horns were used for gelatins and bone and blood meal as fertilizer and the fat became soap. But with the invention of chemical soaps and fertilizers in the 1960's, other uses had to be found for the waste, and the animal protein market developed as a cheap way to bulk up animals.

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[Skittles]

1. Ms. Veneman was a lobbyist for the cattle industry

well, that about says it all about Bush Inc, doesn't it?

[Vitruvius]

2. We had more-than-adequate warning from the problems in England and Europe,

everybody knew we'd have mad cow disease here (if we didn't have it already without knowing it, due to our lax inspection processes), everybody knew what needed to be done, and the Bu$h administration did nothing.

Fouling up is what the Bu$h administration does -- that plus lying and graft-for-the-rich.

[TreasonousBastard]

4. 'tain't only Bush...

this goes back many years, and can also be blamed on you-know-who.

The food industry has been fighting inspections of any sort for years, and this is potentially much worse than poison hamburger or chicken.

The question isn't whose fault it is, but just what the hell are they going to do about it now.

Immediately changing the feed is an absolute priority, but then what about all of the other already infected cattle?

I see a few Brits are already on the way over, and maybe we'll listen to them. And the French, Germans, and Canadians who have dealt with this.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

5. Yes, and we took the proper precautions

this was way beyond (and before) Bush.

[cosmicdot]

3. this White House LIH(OP) ... again

Stauber's statement preface of ... "So, here in the United States, we are so far behind ... " is so true about so many things important to humans, society, culture, and, of course, health concerns ...

[MadHound]

6. This is a disaster that has been coming down the pike for years

The USDA has been woefully underfunded, understaffed and defanged for over twenty years, with nobody wanting to correct the problems. Bush will also handle this ineptly as usual, putting the priorities of the giant agriculture corporations before the safety of the public. Once again, it will be you and I who have to fend for ourselves.

A strong recommendation for all of the meat-eaters out there. Do not buy your beef in a regular grocery store if you can at all help it. Instead seek out a small local farmer who does free range beef,without the added hormones and supplements. Check with this farmer closely about what he feeds his cattle and how he weans them. It may or may not cost you more, but the peace of mind and the taste of the meat are well worth it. Besides you will be helping out family farms instead of Con Agra, and Lord knows, the family farmer needs help. Check your local farm co-ops, farmers market or health food store to help you on your search.

My wife and I switched over about three years ago and haven't regretted the move at all. The farmer we get our beef from is actually quite competitive with grocery store prices, and if you purchase a side of beef, the bulk discount is quite cheap(catch is that you need a large freezer to store all of that meat).

Whatever you do, don't rely on the government to control the problem. They are horribly underprepared for this kind of threat, and for political reasons could try to downplay the problem.