Media Matters Action says Whole Foods' CEO is spreading misinformation about climate change

I wrote earlier about how Whole Foods' CEO, the man who previously called health care reform "socialism," is now on a tear about climate change. Media Matters Action debunks his latest inanity. And be sure to visit our action center and send your own email to Whole Foods telling them what you think about their CEO spreading right-wing disinformation. Read More......

On dangerous chemicals, federal law lets companies protect their competitiveness over your safety

Today's Washington Post shines a spotlight on the current state of laws protecting us from dangerous chemicals. Guess what? Not so good. And, the chemical industry has the law on its side -- for now. Of course, the chemical industry pushes the limits of the law allowing secrecy and, no doubt, the Bush administration never pushed back:

Although a number of the roughly 17,000 secret chemicals may be harmless, manufacturers have reported in mandatory notices to the government that many pose a "substantial risk" to public health or the environment. In March, for example, more than half of the 65 "substantial risk" reports filed with the Environmental Protection Agency involved secret chemicals.

"You have thousands of chemicals that potentially present risks to health and the environment," said Richard Wiles, senior vice president of the Environmental Working Group, an advocacy organization that documented the extent of the secret chemicals through public-records requests from the EPA. "It's impossible to run an effective regulatory program when so many of these chemicals are secret."

Of the secret chemicals, 151 are made in quantities of more than 1 million tons a year and 10 are used specifically in children's products, according to the EPA.

The article reports that the Obama administration wants to change the federal law in this area. There has been some progress:

A week after he arrived at the agency in July, Steve Owens, assistant administrator for the EPA's Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances, ended confidentiality protection for 530 chemicals. In those cases, manufacturers had claimed secrecy for chemicals they had promoted by name on their Web sites or detailed in trade journals.

"People who were submitting information to the EPA saw that you can claim that virtually anything is confidential and get away with it," Owens said.

So, the EPA wasn't really protecting the environment. Right now, there are dangerous, toxic chemicals in circulation. The companies know it. Some people at EPA know it. But, the rest of us don't. And, the chemical makers want to keep it that way. (Let's just hope the chemical industry doesn't get to cut a sweetheart deal with top Obama staffers like the drug industry did. Keep Jim Messina away from the chemical industry lobbyists, please.) Read More......

Rep. Alan Grayson: I'm wondering who's doing the introduction to Cheney's new book, maybe it's Satan

My God he's good. Read More......

Top House liberal slams plan to skip health care reform bill conference

In other words, it's appearing increasingly likely that the House-Senate conference, the meeting that was supposed to "save" the public option, now isn't going to happen at all. The top liberal in the House has expressed his "concern" that the conference is fading fast. The thing is, "concern" doesn't really cut it in this town. As Joe Lieberman and Ben Nelson have shown all too clearly, you get what you want by raising hell and by being wiling to walk away from the table. Nobody fears someone who is "concerned." Read More......

TeaParty.org owner once used n-word

Somebody's going to need a hearty teabagging. Read More......

Latinos play hard ball on health care reform

Barney, Tammy and Jared, this is how the game is played. You don't get anything in this town unless you are feared. The Latinos know it. Does anyone else on the left? Read More......

Rush Limbaugh loved his unionized hospital and socialized medicine in Hawaii

As SEIU notes, Rush Limbaugh used his hospital stay in Hawaii as an example of why the US does NOT need health care reform. Only problem, Hawaii has already had health care reform, and has taken many of the "socialized" steps that Limbaugh claims to oppose, but that he enjoyed immensely last week. Read More......

Whole Foods CEO is big climate change denier, says we shouldn't expect more from Whole Foods than we expect from Safeway

TAKE ACTION: Tell Whole Foods to stop denying climate change, via our online action center.

You may recall that John Mackey, the founder and CEO (and recently the chair of the board, but he resigned that position) of Whole Foods decided to write an op ed in the Wall Street Journal decrying President Obama's health care reform ideas as "socialism." Now we find out that Mackey also thinks Climate Change is all bunk.

One of the books on the list was “Heaven and Earth: Global Warming—the Missing Science,” a skeptical take on climate change. Mackey told me that he agrees with the book’s assertion that, as he put it, “no scientific consensus exists” regarding the causes of climate change; he added, with a candor you could call bold or reckless, that it would be a pity to allow “hysteria about global warming” to cause us “to raise taxes and increase regulation, and in turn lower our standard of living and lead to an increase in poverty.” One would imagine that, on this score, many of his customers, to say nothing of most climate scientists, might disagree. He also said, “Historically, prosperity tends to correlate to warmer temperatures.”

Oh, and for those of you who were disappointed that Whole Foods became an anti- health care reform activist, or that its founder is pushing anti- climate change malarky, Mackey has one word for you: Safeway. You see, according to Whole Foods, they're no different than Safeway. You shouldn't perceive them as any different, or more wholesome, or green, or progressive, or nice than Safeway. They're the exact same thing - a cut throat business out for money, that's it. So please stop ascribing something more worthy and noble to the existence of Whole Foods.

“I was so viciously attacked for two reasons,” Mackey told me. “One is that people had an idea in their minds about the way Whole Foods was. So when I articulated a capitalistic interpretation of what needed to be done in health care, that was disappointing to some people.” He begrudges the extent to which people have projected onto Whole Foods an unrealistic and idealistic vision of the company. “The C.E.O. of Safeway, Steven Burd, wrote an op-ed piece in June advocating, basically, market solutions to the health-care problem, and nobody gave a shit,” he said.

Oh, and by the way, note Mackey's use of the term "capitalist" to describe his take on health care reform. Do you get it? He's a capitalist, you're not. And who aren't capitalists? SOCIALISTS. Oh, and maybe the reason people are confused about what values Whole Foods holds is because you sure try to come off as a big ole crunchy progressive on your own Web site.

Please join us in sending a note to Whole Foods via our online action center, and telling them to stop denying climate change - and more generally, stop pushing right-wing propaganda. (Hat tip, FDL) Read More......

Why the underwear bomber should be tried in civilian courts

A reader writes:

Let us consider the likely outcome of the civilian trial. There is no disputing the fact that he was carrying the explosives on the plane or that he was aware that he was carrying them or that he attempted to ignite them. He was arrested immediately in circumstances that give no possibility of a mistaken identity defense. A guilty plea is highly likely, a guilty verdict all but certain. Given the known facts there is no The almost certain outcome of a civilian trial therefore is a guilty verdict and a sentence of lifetime imprisonment without parole.

Compare that to the consequences of attempting to use the Bush administration's military tribunals. Here a guilty verdict is not certain, not because there is any doubt as to his guilt but because there is considerable doubt as to the constitutionality of the process, a doubt that will continue as long as there are any prisoners left in custody who were tried by military tribunal. Contrary to the claims of the Republicans, there is absolutely no reason to be sure that their Rube Goldberg trial procedure will withstand constitutional scrutiny in the future. Which means that there is a very real probability that at some date in the future, all the verdicts of the military tribunals will become void. While the prospects for a civilian trial now are pretty good, the prospects for a civilian trial following a failed military tribunal are much less good.

Now consider the effect that raising the possibility of a military tribunal has. At the moment the crotchbomber has an expectation of a civilian trial, a guilty verdict and an ignominious life sentence in club fed. He has every incentive to talk. But if DeMint has his way then there is a very real possibility that he could hope to achieve political prisoner status. Stupid talk from the likes of DeMint is not just stupid, it actively damages US national security.

Good point. If he goes to Gitmo he could end up doing "art therapy" in Saudi Arabia. On the other hand, if he goes to federal prison, he's going to experience a uniquely American twist on the 70 virgins concept. Read More......

Party-switcher Griffith's staff quits

No one likes Parker Griffith these days. Democrats loathe the party-switcher. Lots of Republicans in Alabama have been dissing him. And, today, we learn his staff quit:

Rep. Parker Griffith's (Ala.) staff has resigned en masse after his recent decision to switch parties and become a Republican.

In a sternly worded statement, Griffith Chief of Staff Sharon Wheeler announced the exit of herself, along with legislative director Megan Swearingen, senior legislative assistant Brian Greer, legislative assistant Will Crain, press secretary Sean Magers, legislative correspondent Arinze Ifekauche, legislative correspondent Chase Chesser, staff assistant Mary Lou Hughston, congressional fellows Anjali Shah Kastorf and Leslee Oden and intern Andrew Menefee.

Griffith's political consulting team has already parted ways with him since he announced over the holiday break that he would switch parties.

There are probably lots of job-seeking Republicans ready to fill the now-vacant slots. But, long-term job prospects might not be so good. Griffiths could have a serious problem trying to win the GOP nomination in the June 1st primary. Read More......

Krugman: Don't repeat the mistake of 1937

Paul Krugman provides a history lesson today in the hopes that we don't repeat history. The Great Depression wasn't over in 1937 when policy leaders thought it was. Big mistake. The Great Recession won't be over in 2010 and policy leaders shouldn't repeat that 1937 mistake:

Here’s what’s coming in economic news: The next employment report could show the economy adding jobs for the first time in two years. The next G.D.P. report is likely to show solid growth in late 2009. There will be lots of bullish commentary — and the calls we’re already hearing for an end to stimulus, for reversing the steps the government and the Federal Reserve took to prop up the economy, will grow even louder.

But if those calls are heeded, we’ll be repeating the great mistake of 1937, when the Fed and the Roosevelt administration decided that the Great Depression was over, that it was time for the economy to throw away its crutches. Spending was cut back, monetary policy was tightened — and the economy promptly plunged back into the depths.

This shouldn’t be happening. Both Ben Bernanke, the Fed chairman, and Christina Romer, who heads President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers, are scholars of the Great Depression. Ms. Romer has warned explicitly against re-enacting the events of 1937. But those who remember the past sometimes repeat it anyway.

Krugman is right, or course, that this shouldn't be happening. But sometimes the smartest people in the world (or those who think they are, which is the case of Team Obama) don't heed the lessons of history. Read More......

Lieberman, DeMint lead attack on Obama's decision to try Northwest bomb suspect in U.S. Courts

Two of the Obama administration's leading critics were on the Sunday shows attacking the decision to try the airline bombing suspect in federal court:

Much of the criticism Sunday, however, centered on the decision to try him in civilian court rather than hold him as a military prisoner. "If we had treated this Christmas Day bomber as a terrorist, he would have immediately been interrogated military-style, rather than given the rights of an American and lawyers," Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) said on CNN. "We probably lost valuable information."

Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said it was a "very serious mistake" to send Abdulmutallab to federal court.

"He was trained, equipped and directed by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula," Lieberman said on ABC. "That was an act of war. He should be treated as a prisoner of war, held in a military brig, questioned now, and should have been ever since apprehended for intelligence that could help us stop the next attack or get people in Yemen."

DeMint and Lieberman seem to think our government would be torturing Abdulmutallab -- and both probably still believe in the power of waterboarding.

But, notice how Lieberman never fails to show his true colors. Good thing Obama helped him keep that chairmanship of the Homeland Security Committee. It gives Lieberman added authority when he attacks Obama's leadership. Lieberman knows there are no repercussions for challenging Obama. In fact, it seems that the more he does it, the more power he has. Read More......

Monday Morning Open Thread

Good morning.

Back at it today. The holidays are over.

The President returns to Washington from Hawaii later today. He's in for a rough transition weather wise. It's freezing here in D.C. -- as it is in much of the country. Yesterday was one of the coldest days I've experienced in a long time.

The House and Senate both convene tomorrow -- but won't be doing "real" work. The Senate is holding a "pro forma" session and won't be actually operational until January 20th.

In the meantime, we expect House and Senate leaders to be working out the details of the final health care bill. We'll be hearing a lot about that over the next couple weeks. The longer that process drags out, the less likely it is that we'll see anything else of significance pass in 2010.

So, let's get it started.... Read More......

Additional security checks for some travelers to US

Not much of a surprise here and one would imagine this also will include extra checks for people who visited countries on the list. The Guardian:

The US transportation security administration announced that everyone flying into the US from or through these countries would go through "enhanced screening" at airports.

The list includes Nigeria, home of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the failed suicide bomber who tried to blow up a Detroit-bound passenger plane using an explosive device hidden in his underpants. It also includes Yemen, where it is claimed he was trained.

The other "countries of interest" are Afghanistan, Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Somalia, and four countries the US regards as state sponsors of terrorism: Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Syria.

Read More......