"We want to have safety," she said. "But we also want to have common sense."
Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), in her third term in the House of Representatives and a presidential candidate, might be surprised to find that the current food safety system in the United States has neither safety or common sense. But she would be one of the few who doesn't know this.
Bachmann actually called for LESS food regulation in a campaign stop in Des Moines, IA.
Salmonella, e.coli are hotter Google topics than they should be thanks to a large factory farm system that is so huge that the USDA can't keep up.
As we've noted recently, smaller food processors have been hit with needless regulation and harassment. But since we are talking about conservatives, they aren't as concerned about organic farmers but protecting the factory farm system.
You can't help but make comparisons to former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, not just because they are female, mothers, and prominent Republican politicians. Both Bachmann and Palin adopt an outsider's perspective that could be used for good instead of protecting large corporations.
Mothers are the ones who are more visible in fighting to protect their kids from unsafe food (sorry to seem sexist), but Palin and Bachmann aren't as concerned about the U.S. food system as these other mothers.
Unlike Palin, Bachmann had a chance to stand up for that food safety she says she wants, but voted against the food safety bill.
As we have stated numerous times, food safety shouldn't be a political issue. We should agree on bipartisan measures to ensure food safety. Since we don't, we should be aware of the same level of reality. Rep. Bachmann should do some more homework on what is coming out of factory farms.
photo credit: AP
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