Letting the door hit *us* on his way out

Not content with the devastating effects that deregulation has had on the economy, Bush is attempting to deregulate all kinds of other things in his last couple of months, weakening environmental and consumer protections.

According to the Office of Management and Budget's regulatory calendar, the commercial scallop-fishing industry came in two weeks ago to urge that proposed catch limits be eased, nearly bumping into National Mining Association officials making the case for easing rules meant to keep coal slurry waste out of Appalachian streams. A few days earlier, lawyers for kidney dialysis and biotechnology companies registered their complaints at the OMB about new Medicare reimbursement rules. Lobbyists for customs brokers complained about proposed counterterrorism rules that require the advance reporting of shipping data.

I hope that Congress stays awake long enough to block or modify some of these, or we'll spend most of the next four years just trying to get back to our current beleagured state...

(via Talking Points Memo)