C-SPAN2 starting tobacco coverage now

[boxhead]

i misssed all the brocast and tried to read the post here to see what i missed, so no more amedments or debateing just vote to send to pres. Obama?

 

[sheilalynn]

Looks like 2:30pm is when the vote happens...

 

[TropicalBob]

Sen. Richard Burr quoted from a book called ".... Out! How Philip Morris Burned Ted Kennedy, the FDA & the Anti-tobacco Movement". It's sold out on Amazon. But the blurb about it speaks volumes on what the Senate is about to do and hand to the President:

Handing tobacco regulation over to the FDA is an epic mistake, argues Patrick Basham in this timely, groundbreaking book. It is tantamount to giving the keys of the regulatory store to the nation's largest cigarette manufacturer, Philip Morris. The legislation's been cooked up out of public sight by Philip Morris, Sen. Ted Kennedy, Rep. Henry Waxman, and anti-tobacco lobbyists. Philip Morris outwitted this coalition of useful idiots at every turn. Philip Morris was ruthlessly successful in pursuing its interests, but the Useful Idiot Coalition consistently failed to further its own. Basham meticulously details how FDA regulation of tobacco serves Philip Morris corporate interest, not the public interest.

Why is it easy to believe that is true? Sadly, the result of this horribly flawed bill becoming law will be deeper profits for Philip Morris, no change or an increase in smoking's health toll, and no impact whatsoever on "kids" taking up cigarette smoking.

 

[Surf Monkey]

Lobbyists write legislation all the time. Not influence, but actually write the legislation itself. That seems to be exactly what happened in this case. Sadly, that's nothing new on the hill. Reuters had an excellent article (linked here somewhere) about how PM authored this bill as an anti-competitive play against RJR and others. Protecting children, promoting public health... all that stuff is just window dressing. The main goal of the bill seems to be to protect Philip Morris (rebranded Altria) from the innovations of other companies and to keep their lock on menthol sales.

 

[boxhead]

there voting now...where is everyone?....

 

[sheilalynn]

I was wondering the same thing boxhead! Thought for sure this would be up to a thousand posts by now

 

[sheilalynn]

79-17? WTF! How many Republicans switched their vote? And the clapping at the end was making me cringe...

 

[boxhead]

well what were the amendments? mccain burr change there vote too?

 

[nash076]

Lots of Repubs switched . . . because there's a Freedom of Information Act amendment in this bill that will keep the worst of the worst torture photos and records from being released.

 

[boxhead]

well the highest count was 44 that first day now 4...

 

[ladyraj]

Bill passed 79-17, FDA has juridiction over tobacco.

 

[cowgal]

Bill passed 79-17, FDA has juridiction over tobacco.

Unless Obama vetoes it, which he won't... :-(

 

[boxhead]

ah thats right, i remember now. well i still might be knocked down because of not letting BT say fda said we cant say the fda said...freedom of speach of something...

 

[OutWest]

ah thats right, i remember now. well i still might be knocked down because of not letting BT say fda said we cant say the fda said...freedom of speach of something...

yeah. That's the only remaining hope, that the bill be found illegal.

 

[OutWest]

Bill passed 79-17, FDA has juridiction over tobacco.

and the banning of safer products that this bill does is a crime against humanity, imho.

 

[TropicalBob]

Huh? It passed, by a huge margin, Obama is eager to sign it. What are you talking about? Let the courts get some Big Tobacco suits; this result stands.

First thing to expect: Pre-emptive product price hikes in anticipation of tobacco companies having to spend more to comply with this bill's provisions.

Next thing to expect: Even higher taxes as Congress deplores the deficit and finds yet another way to lower smoking rates, particularly those of the poor 1,000 children who will become addicted to cigarettes today. I fully expect more tobacco taxes to be amended to the Healthcare Reform Bill due to be argued next.

My worry is the "fine print." Panic is still a ways away, but we all need to see the final fine print for snus, disssolvables and e-cig impacts. Burr said, in effect, we're all banned down the road!

 

[denec]

Unless Obama vetoes it, which he won't... :-(

too bad ron paul was not president

 

[Kate51]

It's a little odd to be blaming the last election for things that happened two years ago, isn't it?

Personally, I think things are moving in the right direction for the first time in nearly 20 years.

You are very right, about blaming things from the past on today's problems, unfortunately what I was referring to is the tenor or mood of things happening since January. Highest debt load ever incurred by a government on it's people in History should give us a little pause. It will take a lot more than 20 years to get back to what it was like 20 years ago.

 

[boxhead]

and 11% will quit as soon as this bill passes, how do they know this? well i did order some more e-juice this mornig early...

 

[OutWest]

and 11% will quit as soon as this bill passes, how do they know this? well i did order some more e-juice this mornig early...

and numerous teens will start because it's FDA approved, and thus must be relatively safe.