Harvesting political hay on the cheap

The blowhards in the Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate are taking full advantage of the Hallmark meat packing case to rake up a big pile of political hay, to be dispersed as this fall's presidential election draws near.

California's bookend pair of far left senators, Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein, have led the charge to stomp down hard on meat packing regulation, at the same time throwing up the ugly spector of innocent school children's health being endangered by crass corporate profiteers. They're joined by other great, knowledgeable experts on meat packing, like disgraced Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens and octogenarian Sen. Daniel Akaka of Hawaii. Both need to get the press glare off their own foibles, so maybe clean meat can be their tickets to political restoration.

Where's a great farm state senator, who might actually know something he's talking about, or at least have a constituent who does? I guess we shouldn't spoil the fun, by bringing facts, reason and common sense to the meat packing regulation debate. (Actually, I totally agree with a friend who says "common sense really isn't so common after all).

What is amazing is the total lack of anyone in either the meatpacking industry, or a farm state senator, trying to restore balance to the debate. Admittedly, the president of Hallmark shot himself in the foot at his hearing, nervously admitting that maybe a couple downer cows did make it through his kill line, after he was shown the specious HSUS video. Why aren't these people airing the charges of fake video, to force the vegetarians and animal rightists to defend what they did?

They're being given a free ride, to spew their anti-meat-animal line unchallenged. He who fails to defend himself, gets trampled. The meat packing industry should take note, and at least launch a defense. The failure to stand up for themselves gives the public totally the wrong impression. Even if the facts aren't totally on your side, if there's controversy, the public sloughs it off rather just accepting a slam dunk condemnation from the radical fringe, as they are now.

There's a lot of us who would like to stand up and help you, meat packers, but first you've got to help yourselves.