Peanut butter deaths a result of the Republican "small government".

[Kablooie]

I keep hearing that there weren't enough inspectors to check on the plant.

Isn't this because the GOP wants all government services to be absolutely minimal or nonexistant?

[Captain Hilts]

1. BINGO!

[TechBear_Seattle]

2. Right in one

The Republicans have, for decades, been saying that food production factories can regulate and inspect themselves. The only surprise is that it has taken this long for things to get bad enough to attract notice. Even the E. coli outbreak in the Pacific Northwest a few years ago merited a few "let the industry handle this" comments.

[Kablooie]

5. That's like saying we don't need police. We can trust people to police themselves.

[DBoon]

9. or only people who can afford private security guards

deserve protection

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. That and they hate to interfere in businesses as they can self-regulate. Be sure to

mention this anytime the peanut discussion comes up with any RWers you know.

[Howzit]

4. Mostly because food companies aren't required to report lab findings

that show excessive bacteria to FDA. Larger govt. won't help - the rules need to be changed.

The perps in this case must be made to eat their own product - all of it, then they should be charged with manslaughter.

Perhaps the labs should have to report findings the way smog check stations inform the DMV?

[WinkyDink]

7. With hope, the eating will preclude the charging, IYCMDrift.

[Kablooie]

11. That's part of the same thing. GOP doens't want government to be intrusive to business.

[WinkyDink]

6. PB, pet-food, spinach, tomatoes, beef. Yeah, I don't trust our beef.

[Tempest]

8. Self regulation, another failed Repug policy

If I were a family member of one of the dead, I'd file suit against Bush and the GOP.

I'd make them defend themselves in court.

[Howzit]

12. Those bastiges!

Imagine the nerve of the Republicans to re-write the law that Democrats put in place to prevent this sort of thing; or had the Dems simply neglected this when they were in charge before too?

[Vinca]

10. Exactly right. That's why I don't get too excited over new drugs

that are introduced. Right off the bat you have to figure there wasn't honest testing because our FDA is dishonest at worst and inefficient at best.