HorsesAss.Org

Del Monte Foods has confirmed that the melamine-tainted wheat gluten used in several of its recalled pet food products was supplied as a “food grade” additive, raising the likelihood that contaminated wheat gluten might have entered the human food supply.

“Yes, it is food grade,” Del Monte spokesperson Melissa Murphy-Brown wrote in reply to an e-mail query. Del Monte issued a voluntary recall Saturday for several products under the Gravy Train, Jerky Treats, Pounce, Ol’ Roy, Dollar General and Happy Trails brands.

Wheat gluten is sold in both “food grade” and “feed grade” varieties. Either may be used in pet food, but only “food grade” gluten may be used in the manufacture of products meant for human consumption. Published reports have thus far focused on tainted pet food, but if the gluten in question entered the human food supply through a major food products supplier and processor, it could potentially contaminate thousands of products and hundreds of millions of units nationwide.

Stephen F. Sundlof, director of the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine said the FDA is not aware of any contaminated gluten that went into human food but said he could not confirm this “with 100 percent certainty.” Wheat gluten is a common food additive used as a thickener, dough conditioner, and meat substitute. It is widely used as an additive in commercial bakery items and special purpose flours.

The FDA announced today that it has traced the contaminated wheat gluten to a single processor, Xuzhou Anying Biological Technology of Peixian, China, but has not released the name of the U.S. distributor who supplied the product to Del Monte, Menu Foods, Nestle Purina, and Hills Nutritional. In all, more than 70 brands and over 60 million cans and pouches of dog and cat food are now part of this massive recall, as well as at least one brand of dry cat food.

Public statements have indicated that the contaminated gluten was distributed by a single U.S. company, but since the FDA refuses to name the supplier, it is not yet known if this company also supplies human food manufacturers. It is also not yet known if Xuzhou Anying sells direct to food manufacturers in the U.S. or abroad.

While cats seem particularly susceptible to the effects of melamine poisoning, there is little research on the substance’s human toxicity. Unless and until the FDA determines otherwise, one cannot help but wonder if our sick and dying cats are merely the canary in the coal mine alerting us to a broader contamination of the human food supply.

In a surprise announcement on Saturday evening, Congressman Dave Reichert declared that he has switched political parties. “The time is right for me to switch to the Democrat Par…I mean, the Democratic Party,” said Riechert who represents Washington’s 8th congressional district. “This is a move I’ve considered seriously since early last November, when I suddenly realized my independent-minded values were more in line with those of the Democrats. As my critics have pointed out, I’ve increasingly become indecisive, and that is a reflection of the inner conflict.”

When asked why he waited nearly six months to make the change, Reichert responded, “I was waiting for the right time. Today is Joel Connelly’s birthday, and I guess I saved it as a birthday surprise for him.” Also, my investigations of global warming are now complete. I’m convinced that Al Gore is right—we really do need to be manufacturing and dropping giant ice cubes into the ocean.”

Reichert’s former spokesperson Kimberly Cadena resigned last week fueling speculation that the Congressman might be considering a jump to the Democratic party. Reichert announced that Cadena will be replaced by Sandeep Kaushik, currently the part-time Deputy Communications Director for King County Executive Ron Sims.

When asked about the reaction of his former Republican colleagues Reichert replied, “Let me make one thing perfectly clear. I’ve stared down the barrel of a loaded pistol and saw my name inscribed on the tip of the bullet…you can believe I can stare into the eyes of any disgruntled Republican colleague without flinching.”

Reichert told reporters that his first priority as a new Democrat will be to “figure out how they want me to vote.” Reichert also expected he might be called upon to personally provide security for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-08). “I moonlighted a bit as a Republican in protecting her footwear. Now, if she wants me to, I’ll be acting more as a personal sheriff for the Speaker. And let me be clear, here, that school bus drivers are on notice—you respect the Speaker because this sheriff is watching.”

Rep. Pelosi was not available for comment.

Coming up tonight on “The David Goldstein Show”, 7PM to 10PM on Newsradio 710-KIRO:

7PM: Is our food supply safe?
The FDA now blames melamine, a chemical found in plastic, as the poison that has tainted wheat gluten in dozens of brands of dog and cat food. But could this poisoned gluten also have entered the human food supply?

8PM: TBA

9PM: TBA

Tune in tonight (or listen to the live stream) and give me a call: 1-877-710-KIRO (5476).

Wow… Rep. Richard DeBolt is really campaigning for that Jefferson Award. First he nominates himself, and now he’s running this flattering campaign commercial:

Looks like DeBolt is a shoe in.

I’m filling in again tonight for Frank Shiers from 9PM to 1AM on Newsradio 710-KIRO, and joining me at the top of the first hour is former Stranger writer and current Ron Sims and Washington State Budget & Policy Center press flak Sandeep Kaushik.

We’ll be talking about the new King County parks levies, state Sen. Cheryl Pflug’s (R-Maple Valley) new proposal to rob Sound Transit to build more roads, and probably a bunch of other stuff. Later on, Will might join me. Maybe.

Give us a call at 1-877-710-KIRO (5476).

Oh shit: “Mayor proposes tougher fines for owners of blighted property.”

The proposed legislation, Nickels said, is “important work that gets to the heart of keeping our neighborhoods safe and livable.” The mayor’s proposal, which requires City Council approval, would amend city codes to punish repeat offenders who allow their homes to become blighted, turn their open spaces into junkyards or let bushes and weeds take over sidewalks.

Damn it. Next thing you know, Animal Control will raid my house to remove the hundreds of dust bunnies I’ve been inhumanely breeding.

Rev. Jesse Jackson today denounced the Congressional Black Caucus Institute’s planned presidential debate partnership with FOX, and called for candidates to boycott the debate.

“I am disappointed by the Congressional Black Caucus Institute’s partnership with FOX, and strongly encourage them to reverse that decision. Why would presidential candidates, or an organization that is supposed to advocate for Black Americans, ever give a stamp of legitimacy to a network that continually marginalizes Black leaders and the Black community? FOX moderating a presidential debate on issues of importance to Black Americans is literally letting the Fox guard the henhouse – FOX should be rejected.”

In a press release issued by ColorOfChange.org, Jackson and other Black leaders launched a petition campaign, accusing FOX of “smearing” the Black community.

“The CBC cannot claim to represent Black Americans and at the same time legitimize a network that calls Black churches a cult, implies that Senator Barack Obama is a terrorist, and uses the solemn occasion of Coretta Scott King’s funeral to call Black leaders ‘racist,’” said James Rucker, head of ColorOfChange.org. “The CBC Institute’s decision is shamefully out of step with most Black voters — and now Black voters will hold our leaders accountable and demand they end their partnership with Fox.

What kind of “smears” are they talking about? The folks at FoxAttacks.com provided the following clips:

I’m filling in again tonight for Frank Shiers from 9PM to 1AM on Newsradio 710-KIRO, and joining me at the top of the first hour Washington state Attorney General Rob McKenna.

We’re going to get an update on some important environmental litigation, including I-297 (Hanford Cleanup Priority Act) and the Roadless Rule, as well as talk about the AG’s initiatives on meth and identity theft. But first I’m going to ask him about the U.S. attorney scandal and the tenure of ousted USA John McKay.

Got questions for our state’s highest ranking Republican? Give us a call at 1-877-710-KIRO (5476).

Are those good ol’ boys down in Georgia more progressive than WA’s Democratic House majority, at least when it comes to protecting consumers from unscrupulous lenders?

State lawmakers decided Tuesday that Georgia does not need payday lending.

A hard-fought battle to legalize the short-term, high-interest loans ended when the state House voted 82-77 for the measure. The bill needed 91 favorable votes — a majority of the House membership — to move on to the Senate.

[…] The vote was a victory for consumer advocates, who had strongly opposed the measure.

The defeat “is going to save Georgians hundreds of millions of dollars a year in high interest rates and fees,” said Danny Orrock, legislative coordinator for Georgia Watch, a statewide consumer organization.

The Georgia bill would have allowed payday lenders to charge $45 in fees on a two-week, $300 loan, which computes to an annual percentage rate of 391 percent. You know, exactly the same usurious rate currently allowed in WA state. There was an effort this session to cap payday lending at a significantly lower rate, but Rep. Steve Kirby (D-29), refused to let it out of his House Insurance, Financial Services and Consumer Protection Committee.

Yup, nothing says “consumer protection” like sticking up for lenders who charge desperate borrowers 391-percent interest.

Yesterday the Seattle P-I published a list of nearly 100 reader-nominated candidates for this year’s Jefferson Awards, which supposedly honor service “by ordinary people who do extraordinary things.” It really does warm the heart to read through this list of volunteers and citizen activists, and learn how much some of our neighbors are contributing back to the community. But fortunately, green tea doesn’t permanently stain a computer monitor, because I did an actual spit-take when I stumbled across the following nominee:

RICHARD DeBOLT

CHEHALIS

As the communications and external relations manager for TransAlta in Centralia and the 20th District Republican representative for Lewis and Thurston counties, DeBolt’s legislative priority is to create an open and honest flow of communication between his constituents and government. He is a devoted champion of safer, more prosperous communities in the South Puget Sound area. His loyalty and caring attitude for his community while working to solve problems on a statewide basis make him the caring man he is today.

Hey, thanks for the nomination, Kevin.

Hmm. Compare that commissioned piece of ass-licking puffery with what The Olympian’s editorial board had to say about DeBolt last year, in the wake of the House Republican Caucus’s bogus sex offender postcard scam:

Rep. Richard DeBolt owes his legislative colleagues and his South Sound constituents an apology. His feeble attempt at rough-and-tumble politics has backfired, making him look foolish and disingenuous.

[…] His actions are bad for public discourse, and his reliance on falsehoods does not speak well of DeBolt’s character.

[…] Yes, the public is now aware how low Rep. Richard DeBolt and his political action committee will stoop to stretch the truth and sling a little mud at the opposing party.

Guess what? DeBolt never apologized. But he did have Kevin or some other unprincipled staffer write in to the P-I and nominate him for working “to create an open and honest flow of communication between his constituents and government.” (Dollars to doughnuts we read that manufactured quote in DeBolt’s campaign literature next year, attributed to the P-I.)

If you want to know what the Jefferson Awards are really all about, just take a look at the nomination of the only other name I immediately recognized on the list:

MARK BOYAR

SEATTLE

Boyar created Middle Fork Outdoor Recreation Coalition and began raising awareness about problems in the environment. He also encourages the construction of trails by public landowners while kindly pressuring private landowners to either sell or develop trails on their land. He also writes grants for the private landowners to help them receive a fair monetary trade for the land. He has been a strong and relentless advocate with a gentle touch and successful record.

I know Mark Boyar and how hard he works — and how often he lets others take credit for his remarkable accomplishments because quite frankly, that’s sometimes the most politically expedient way to get things done. So it particularly irks me to see DeBolt so selfishly pollute an awards process that might honor Mark for his quiet and selfless work to clean up our precious wilderness.

But I guess that’s the sort of conniving, amoral, political machination that makes DeBolt “the caring man he is today.”

Just to briefly follow up on my earlier post, I thought the chart above might clearly illustrate just how little grassroots support Tim Eyman enjoys these days. The chart is drawn from PDC data, and shows the number of individual contributions to Eyman’s initiative campaigns from 2000 through 2006.

As you can easily see, Timmy’s support has steadily declined since contributors first learned that he was secretly pocketing their money… and lying about it. (It is also interesting to note that of the seven initiatives charted, only one, I-900, remains on the books — and it has absolutely nothing to do with cutting taxes.)

No wonder Tim has been reduced to begging for food:

URGENT: Please help us raise funds. Can you arrange a lunch or dinner at your home or at a local restaurant with a few other potential donors attending? Great chance for us to meet, talk, answer questions, and explain the latest initiative and talk about ideas for future initiatives.

I’ll be filling in for Frank Shiers again tonight on 710-KIRO, from 9PM to 1AM. Tune in or, um… don’t tune in.

Yet another stupidly conceived, stupidly written Tim Eyman initiative was tossed out by the courts last year, I-747, which capped the revenue growth from regular local levies at 1-percent a year. And now I hear that House Dems are stupidly caucusing today to discuss the stupid idea of reinstating I-747.

Oy.

I’ll come back later with a more substantive post on the issues involved, but I just want to take a moment here to discuss the politics. I have been told by more than one legislator that there is a real concern that failing to reinstate I-747 would create the opportunity for Eyman to come back with an even more damaging initiative, thus reinvigorating his flagging career, and I just have to respectfully say that this is the most heads-up-your-ass, mind-numbingly backwards analysis that I have ever heard in my life.

If you are desperate to breathe new life into Eyman, go ahead and prove to the world that you fear him, by reinstating I-747. He’ll claim credit for your boneheaded, reactionary blunder, and the Capitol press corps will give it to him, because… well… he’ll deserve it. Hell… why not just abdicate your responsibilities entirely, boot Frank, and elect Tim as Speaker?

Or, of course, you could calmly explore the policy alternatives, impose a more reasonable cap of say, inflation-plus-population with a 4-percent max, and then address the growing regressivity burden by creatively passing a property tax homestead exemption or an income-sensitive circuit breaker.

And you know how Tim will respond? He’ll send out a couple of angry emails to a list whose most avid readers include a handful of email-weary journalists and some anti-Tim activists like me. Maybe Dave Ammons will quote him in an AP story. And that’s about it.

You see, in case you weren’t paying much attention, Eyman really hasn’t done much these past five years, his last tax-cutting initiative having passed way back in November of 2002. He has no organization to speak of, no grassroots, and apart from the deep pockets of Michael Dunmire, an anemic and ever-shrinking fund raising base that barely brings in enough cash to pay for mailing his many fund raising appeals.

The legislature has nothing to fear from Tim Eyman. He’s toothless. He’s a paper tiger.

No… I take that back. To call Tim Eyman a paper tiger would be to grossly overestimate his chance of delivering a political paper-cut. With his dwindling support and our shifting political climate, Tim is at most a toilet paper tiger… the soft, 3-ply, fluffy kind my grandmother buys, not that coarse, off-brand variety you find in the Capitol restrooms. Provoke Tim, and at most he might leave behind a political dingleberry or two. But come back with a killer initiative? Not likely.

So my advice to the House caucus is please… take your time and carefully evaluate all the implications of reinstating I-747 — the stupid political implications as well as the stupid policy ones. And please remember that Tim Eyman is a toilet paper tiger, so the last thing you want to do is feed him. No, you just want to wad him up, wipe your ass with him, and flush him down the toilet.

White House adviser Karl Rove will be the guest speaker at the King County Republicans annual Lincoln Day Dinner on April 14. (Does it strike anyone else as curiously ironic that the day they choose to celebrate the life of our most revered Republican president is the anniversary of his assassination?)

King County GOP Chairman Michael Young said he expects Rove’s remarks to focus on the future of the Republican Party, and — keeping with White House policy — be off-the-record, behind closed doors, and not under oath.

“In the past, when he’s come out to do these kinds of things, they’re very optimistic, forward-looking speeches for the most part,” Young said.

Following the KCGOP’s standard accounting procedures, proceeds from the event will be reported 300 days late, and without occupation or employer data.

Young says that Rove’s visit “shows a commitment of the national party to our state and our county.” Uh-huh. It also shows the close affinity the two criminal organizations the national and local parties have for one another. Karl Rove represents everything that has eroded the faith of the American public in the Bush administration and the Republican Party. And yet the KCGOP embraces Rove, and proudly welcomes him as the keynote speaker at their annual dinner.

That should tell local voters something very important about the political allegiances and philosophy of the King County Republicans.

Speaking of which, take a gander at this old clip of a very young Karl Rove from his early days as a dirty trickster for Richard Nixon’s infamous 1972 Committee to Re-elect the President. No wonder Rove refuses to to testify under oath — he learned a valuable lesson from his old boss, Jeb Magruder, who served seven months for his role in the Watergate break-in and subsequent coverup.