corrente

Still-fresh Gina Kolata seems to think that because FDA commisioner Mark McClellan (a) banned ephedra and (b) threatened people who import prescription drugs from Canada with prosecution, he's somehow made "bold" moves that signal a fresh, new activism.
The headline here from the World's Greatest Newspaper (not!):

"Many Surprised by Bold [sic] Moves at the F.DA"

Why are Bush moves always bold and never bold italic?

In fact, this move my McClellan is right out of the Republican playbook: a classic Follow the money maneuver, where THE PROCESS (back) puts $5 in your front pocket, by regulating a not-very-serious herbal remedy, then takes $10 out of your back pocket, by keeping the costs of life-saving and expensive prescription drugs artificially high.

More, McClellan carries Big Pharma's water on both issues, since you can imagine what the corporate types think about competing with herbal remedies.

Then get a load of this beauty:

"McClellan is so personable and comes across as a person of such great integrity that it's hard to find somebody who says something negative," said Wayne Pines, who was the agency's associate commissioner for public affairs under Dr. David A. Kessler, who is now a consultant to companies dealing with the F.D.A.

The same cannot be said of Dr. Kessler, who served under President Bill Clinton and the first President Bush and angered industry officials by halting the sale of silicone breast implants and seeking to regulate tobacco as a drug.

Great stuff, Gina! "Anger[ing] industry officials" somehow equates to "lack of integrity"!