Bush Officials Face Congress Over Bird Flu, Mad Cow

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1896&ncid=1896&e=4&u=/nm/20040224/us_nm/birdflu_usa_dc_23

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As the world's appetite for U.S. meat wanes after the recent discovery of two deadly animal diseases, Bush administration officials were expected to tell Congress on Tuesday they had mad cow disease under control and were working to do the same for the bird flu virus.

Facing a potential "meat glut" in the United States, administration
officials are scrambling to convince trading partners to reopen their markets to U.S. beef and poultry.

Top federal food safety and public health officials were scheduled to testify before the Senate Appropriations Committee.

The last time a highly pathogenic strain of bird flu was found in the United States was in 1984. More than 17 million birds were killed at a cost of nearly $65 million, the USDA said.

Japan, South Korea (news - web sites) and China are among about a dozen countries that have placed blanket bans on all U.S. poultry due to bird flu.

Federal and state officials are trying to convince those countries to follow Russia, the top U.S. poultry buyer, Mexico Whoops LBN 2/24/04 and others in prohibiting products only from affected states.

and demand answers from the Agricultural agency.

Can we blame, Bush for not giving them the necessary funds, blame the agency for not listening to top scientists warnings, poor import inspections on animals (shouldn't be allowed period), feed still being sold to farmers with animal byproducts (not enforced), biological warfare lab allowing these dangerous inventions from getting loose, globalization trade that brings in diseased animals, plants, strange bugs, etc.?

It seems to me in the name of biological warfare we have forgotten about oversight that they don't get into the food, water, and animal species (even humans). We should ban all biological warfare research and dispose of the dangerous samples in those laboratories before they kill us all.

An explosion in Russia already killed and contaimined a huge area with a biological warfare strain of Small Pox.

I read about this type of biological warfare and the missing oversight. I can't find the link. When I do, I will post it because it is frightening.

We should return to pre-Reagan make a profit above all else. Profit above all else is short sighted because we lose more in the end.

Incompetent government is all I can see at this point. Bush holding investigations of his own leaders is against the Constitution. Congress investigates the Executive branch.

What's funny is that it never occurred to them that they wouldn't be able to get away with it.

they have to do more than stating "problem solved" - and attempting to armtwist other countries' governments.

All problems are PR problems -- it's how they view the world.

right?

they appropriately believe that they can bulldoze us - so no changes are needed (just the PR approach)... However their old favorite claim of letting the market place, rather than regulation, dictate changes (which their "bulldozing technique" demonstrates that they don't even believe) - might actually be forced upon them - if the sellers find themselves unable to do business with foreign countries.

in order to assure these nations that the product is now safe. Notice that we have had almost no mention of this or the chicken here in our media....all is well continue to consume.

in full alarmist tone - whispered to the media

We cant talk about that... after the madcow scare... the public wouldn't be able to withstand this story... they need to be protected! :eyes:

Which begs the question-What the hell were they before? and Can't you see that that is not an "improvement" just proof that they were LYING TO YOU?

now, of course, I have to admit - that I have never been quite taken with the chicken mcnugget - and until the past year... never had one (no aversion - more a burger than a little pieces of dippin' chickin' sorta person)... So hadn't noticed that there was a change in marketing per the mcnugget delicacy.... "white meat chicken"... is that sort of like the pork industry's "pork.. the other white meat"?

ought to make the farmers and ranchers real happy with Bush. Where is that drip, drip, drip dude? I do hear it now.

Of course, that works with the largely cowed Imperial Senate, but it cannot work with the Free Nations of the World, who despise Imperial Amerika's sinking into Lying Totalitarianism.

Look for the Free World to take more vigorous steps against the Empire.

Or deregulation until the cows come home?