The Bush administration keeps talking about keeping us safe. Meantime, they ignore drowning black people in New Orleans, they try to sell our ports to the UAE, and now they refuse to let meat packers adequately test for mad cow disease.
Bush has no conscience.
And I think I'll remain a vegetarian.
From the Associated Press via the Star-Telegram:
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A Kansas meatpacker sued the government on Thursday for refusing to let the company test for mad cow disease in every animal it slaughters.
Creekstone Farms Premium Beef says it has Japanese customers who want comprehensive testing. The Agriculture Department threatened criminal prosecution if Creekstone did the tests, according to the company's lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Washington.
"We're not in any way saying that U.S. beef isn't safe; we believe it's the safest beef supply in the world, but that's not the issue," chief executive John Stewart said at a news conference.
"We're talking about consumers, and consumers want the product tested," Stewart said.
Testing for mad cow disease in the United States is controlled by the department, which tests about 1 percent of the 35 million cattle, or about 350,000, that are slaughtered each year. The department is planning to reduce that level of testing.
Stewart said he was surprised at the plan to scale back testing. "Given the concerns internationally, I'm not so sure that's the right thing to do."
Private companies certified by the department make screening tests used to detect mad cow disease. The department says it has sole authority over the sale and use of the tests.
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