THE SMOKESCREEN OF 'WAR'

The Bush administration handout of favors to big business at the expense of consumers, workers, motorists, medical patients and the elderly, among others, continues nearly unfettered as the so-called war on terror distracts American voters from domestic issues with tangible effects.

Writes The New York Times:

Allies and critics of the Bush administration agree that the Sept. 11 attacks, the war in Afghanistan and the war in Iraq have preoccupied the public, overshadowing an important element of the president's agenda: new regulatory initiatives. Health rules, environmental regulations, energy initiatives, worker-safety standards and product-safety disclosure policies have been modified in ways that often please business and industry leaders while dismaying interest groups representing consumers, workers, drivers, medical patients, the elderly and many others.

And most of it was done through regulation, not law - lowering the profile of the actions. The administration can write or revise regulations largely on its own, while Congress must pass laws. For that reason, most modern-day presidents have pursued much of their agendas through regulation. But administration officials acknowledge that Mr. Bush has been particularly aggressive in using this strategy.

All this hasn't escaped the notice of Rep. David Obey, Democrat of Wisconsin, who tells the Times:

"Most people are busy just trying to make a living. And with all the focus on Iraq and bin Laden, it gives the administration an opportunity to take a lot of loot out the back door without anybody noticing."

Yes, war is good for business, especially if one is in the business of subverting democracy and the good of the American public in the interest of boosting big business.