He's Back! Former VP at Monsanto To Advise FDA Commissioner on Food Safety

Michael R. Taylor, the former Vice President for Public Policy at Monsanto has returned through Washington's revolving doors and will now advise FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg on food safety.

We learn of this discouraging connection on the same day the White House announced its new commitment to upgrading the country's food safety system.

Much hope had been held out for a change in FDA perspective due to Commissioner Hamburg's lack of industry ties. Her career has consisted of public health research and policy positions. Prior to her appointment as FDA commissioner, she worked as the New York City health commissioner. Unfortunately, it appears that with the addition of Taylor, the FDA has remedied that problem.

It seems Taylor is just the man you'd want on the job, if you're concerned about unwanted industry regulation and corporate representation of toxic hormones in your dairy. But, examining bad industry practices that lead to salmonella and E. coli tainted foods? Not so sure about that.

According to a release Tuesday on the agency's website, Taylor will now serve as senior advisor to the FDA head. In the announcement, Hamburg, said of Taylor:

"I am pleased to welcome Mike Taylor back to the FDA," Commissioner of Food and Drugs Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D., said in announcing Taylor's appointment. "His expertise and leadership on food safety issues will help the agency to develop and implement the prevention based strategy we need to ensure the safety of the food we eat."

Taylor's "long and distinguished career" is noted therein without mention of his 7 years of work as an attorney for Monsanto, the giant agricultural biotech corporation.

A few months ago, I posted a story on The Huffington Post highlighting the insidious way rBGH (the bovine growth hormone) made it into our country's food supply, with the help of Michael R. Taylor. I wrote about the dangerous effects of the addition of rBGH to our dairy supply:

In humans, studies indicate milk from cows treated with rBGH may contain elevated levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IFG-1), which can increase the risk of breast cancer and other types of cancer.

Here is a portion of what I detailed about Taylor's connections in that story:

"An excerpt from a 1998 article in The Ecologist magazine details Taylor's journey and its significance:

"In March 1994, Taylor was publicly exposed as a former lawyer for the Monsanto corporation for seven years. While working for Monsanto, Taylor had prepared a memo for the company as to whether or not it would be constitutional for states to erect labeling laws concerning rBGH dairy products. In other words. Taylor helped Monsanto figure out whether or not the corporation could sue states or companies that wanted to tell the public that their products were free of Monsanto's drug."

So, just what will Taylor's duties be?

As Senior Advisor to the FDA Commissioner, he will be expected to:

* Assess current food program challenges and opportunities
* Identify capacity needs and regulatory priorities
* Develop plans for allocating fiscal year 2010 resources
* Develop the FDA's budget request for fiscal year 2011
* Plan implementation of new food safety legislation.

See this page to read more on Taylor's industry and political connections.

-Christine

"This Time Must Be Different"

The weather foretold it in Chicago. Rare is it to feel the warmth of southerly winds on an early November night in this city. Rarer still was the occasion of welcoming a president who means so much to the people he has set out to serve.

The gates were said to open at 8:30 p.m., but organizers let the crowd of ticket holders in early. Looking around at the faces of those men and women, some with children already sleepy, making their way down to Grant Park's Hutchinson Field, one could spy a cautious kind of hope. A spark fired within. But, the full blown excitement was yet to be uncorked.

On this election night, merchants took full advantage to sell all and any Barack Obama merchandise, from the rhinestone studded to the more traditional. Most favored were items bearing "President Barack Obama."

Chicago, the city that has defiantly cheered its beloved and beleaguered sports teams to victory and faced an unequal share of bitter defeat couldn't help but feel minor trepidation about an Obama win. "We'll believe it when we see it" may easily have been overheard throughout. Though some wild optimists among us with more healthy levels of skepticism knew the best was saved for last.

Down past the three checkpoints, and out on the field cheers erupted from the crowd, most of whom had already stood for nearly hours by then. Returns were announced on the two giant screens erected in the field. Shoulder to shoulder, people turned to their neighbor to chat them up with nervous laughter in an effort to take their minds off the tension.

The many young people managed the wait in the company of their friends and a box of Connie's pizza. The older ones in attendance: they wouldn't dare think of tiring out now. They had waited this long. Most notable of all roars followed Obama's win of Ohio. That felt good. This was the one we had never gotten over. For good reason.

Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan and Pennsylvania already occupied the list of electoral votes by the time Ohio joined. When Virginia jumped into the group, it was a done deal. We knew no one could or would steal it from us now. All who had held their breaths were relieved.

Shortly thereafter, the announcement was broadcast and the wildest and most joyous pandemonium began. The words "Barack Obama Elected 44th President" ran along the bottom of the jumbotron. Several older ladies clasped their hands in prayer and relief.  Shouts of "Yes! Yes! Yes!" peppered in between the raucous screams and hollers. Over 6 minutes of continuous cheers ensued as the television pundits and analysts weighed in onscreen.

When after prayer, The Pledge of Allegiance and the national anthem was sung, Obama took the stage with the rest of the new First family, he quickly reaffirmed the thoughts of the hundreds of thousands who came to celebrate with him in Chicago. The victory belonged to us. This "victory of ideals" proved to be far more important to the spirit of unity than any issue driven agenda.

As Obama recounted the trials of the numerous volunteers and voters the election brought forth and the decades in the life of 106 year old voter, Ann Nixon Cooper, whose life had seen America's darkest times and most unstoppable determination, tears streamed over the good fortune of our nation's  newest turn of events.

Sent out into the night, a new era waiting to begin, the procession of people poured forth onto Michigan Avenue jubilant. Many fell silent, smiling, arms linked with their friends and family, strains of music from Grant Park filling the air. The crowd stretched all the way down to Roosevelt Road on the south and as far as could be seen to the north.

Soon horns blared, loud roars of "Obama!" "Obama!" erupted time and again. Cameras clicked and Chicago lit with flashbulbs as Americans captured their own moment in history on this one for the history books made in the city of Chicago.

-Christine

Republicans for Obama: "Vote Our Party or Vote Your Conscience"

With less than a week until election day, "Republicans for Obama" sent out this volunteer created video.

Keep Religion Private and Out of the White House

Presidents are not elected to serve God. They’re elected to serve the people. Religious figurative servitude is strictly a personal choice and something that should never enter into a political campaign.

This election isn’t about religion, spiritual faith or messianic hopes. It’s about what will be the outcome of the anger and suffering Americans have been faced with at the hands of Bush/Cheney.

It’s about the fact that religious conservatives like Palin and Bush consistently hide behind their faith in times of political and personal crisis refusing to admit their wrongdoings and mistakes, instead chalking it up to a minor setback in their path to a Christian ideal.

As evidenced for the past 8 years, the Bush administration will stop at nothing to wrest control of democracy from the people of the U.S. Election tampering, torture tactics, disregard for the supreme law of the land the Constitution, spying on ordinary citizens through the guise of homeland security, squandering of our land and natural resources, control of the press, control of equal educational opportunity in the name of reform, police state tactics against journalists, censorship, intimidation, propaganda against immigrants. None of these are beyond the agenda of a rightwing administration that aligns itself with the same ideals as Bush/Cheney.

The real underlying omen in this election is the possibility that one day under an administration as Bushlike as the McCain/Palin one, anyone of us ordinary women, men, mothers, fathers, seniors, students even children could become a target based on our educational background, racial makeup, health condition, public expression, financial situation, spiritualism/religion, literary tastes, dissenting opinion, or sexual preferences.

In an oppressive intolerant administration based on a single religious viewpoint , any number of very subtle preferences or traits, however personal could easily be viewed as disqualifying you as a citizen and undeserving of rights under the law depending on those controlling the law of the land.

Let’s cut through the “popularity contest” media coverage of the election and be serious. True, the presidency isn’t the be all and end all of political action. But an intelligent, well respected president leads by example in his or her national leadership, not by restriction of freedom and censorship of political, spiritual or intellectual beliefs.

-Christine Modern English

Elizabeth Edwards on The Colbert Report

Elizabeth talks about healthcare and the free market system, poverty and that jet ski that hasn't arrived yet!

-Christine Modern English

Obama Campaign Addresses NY Times Report on Al-Qaida Growth in Pakistan

Obama foreign policy adviser Susan Rice and former CIA officer Bruce Reidel launched a conference call today to address the failure of the Bush administration's approach toward Pakistan and the recently reported safe haven that exists in the country for Al Qaida.

The article on the existing Pakistan bases appeared today in the New York Times and tells of the rising number of Al Qaida operatives being trained in the region:

"Just as it had on the day before 9/11, Al Qaeda now has a band of terrorist camps from which to plan and train for attacks against Western targets, including the United States. Officials say the new camps are smaller than the ones the group used prior to 2001. However, despite dozens of American missile strikes in Pakistan since 2002, one retired C.I.A. officer estimated that the makeshift training compounds now have as many as 2,000 local and foreign militants, up from several hundred three years ago," the article states.

During the call, Rice and Reidel said Sen. Obama, as president would focus on a multi-layered economic approach that could possibly draw in help from NATO to defeat the Al Qaida presence in Pakistan.

Rice was clear to pinpoint John McCain's support of the Bush policies toward the region and called McCain's support "poor judgement."

"We have 5 times the troop levels we have in Afghanistan in Iraq, yet John McCain wants to keep our troops in Iraq indefinitely," said Rice.

She added that by demonstrating economic assistance to Pakistan and Afghanistan, the U.S. would be "in a better position to leverage comparable contributions from NATO."

"The heart of the terrorist threat has always been in Afganistan and Pakistan border," Reidel said.

However, there appeared some defense from Rice and Reidel on comments Obama made last summer on "actionable intelligence" and when and if he, as president would act to make a strike on Al Qaida targets in Pakistan with or without the permission of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

Rice called Obama's words "a new approach" and highlighted that he was the only candidate at the time to make such a statement on U.S. policy. Rice added that Obama's plan includes a commitment to an additional 2 combat brigades in Pakistan.

Rice and Reidel responded to a reporter's question on whether or not the NY Times article itself in their opinion constituted "actionable intelligence". Both disagreed.

"It's not the kind of intelligence that tells you where you can drop a bomb," responded Reidel. Rice responded to the question saying, "actionable intelligence is widely understood to mean time and place specific."

-Christine Modern English

Breaking news: CNN and the AP report Edwards to drop out of race

This is yet to be confirmed on the John Edwards web site, but according to a report by CNN, Edwards has told top advisers about his decision. It is expected he will announce this at a speech in New Orleans, Louisiana, at 1 p.m. ET today.

New Orleans is the same city in which Sen. Edwards declared his run to be the 2008 Democratic presidential nominee.

The campaign web site said he was to deliver an address on poverty and work on a Habitat for Humanity project in New Orleans on Wednesday.