"Bush has, as you know by now, a habit of making outrageous selections for any and all appointments, almost like he's playing a fraternity prank on the nation. Yesterday, Richard Stickler--the nominee for the Mine Safety and Health Administration, showed his cards during his senate confirmation hearings:
Mr. Stickler said he planned to study the regulations and make whatever changes he could. 'But generally I think the current laws are adequate,' he added.
Considering the plethora of recent disasters, that seems a little out of touch, but I shouldn't be surprised, given his qualifications:
In a 1997 letter to then-governor of Pennsylvania Tom Ridge, UMW Safety Director Joe Main noted that mines managed by Stickler showed a 'very poor compliance record' and cited government numbers demonstrating that one such operation, Eagle’s Nest in Boone county, West Virginia, reported injuries at double the national average, the Gazette reported.
Par for the course. Bush has proven blind to failure of any sort, so no surprises there."
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