US - NYT Uses Coal Tragedy to Attack Bush

The miners families, all miners and the public should be outraged by the New York Times use of the recent mine tragedy to attack President Bush.

Political figures from both parties have long defended and profited from ties to the coal industry. Whether or not that was a factor in the Sago mine’s history, the Bush administration’s cramming of important posts in the Department of the Interior with biased operatives from the coal, oil and gas industry is not reassuring about general safety in the mines. Steven Griles, a mining lobbyist before being appointed deputy secretary of the interior, devoted four years to rolling back mine regulations and then went back to lobbying for the industry.

But as Bissyblog points out:

Contrary to what The Times would have you believe, the trend has been favorable (”reassuring,” if you will) for many years, especially the past four, where there has been a near-50% drop in fatalities. In fact, these results support the contention that staffing Interior with people who actually know their industry has led to greater safety.

There is no depth the New York Times won't sink to in their attacks on President Bush. But using the deaths of 12 miners has got to be a new low.
Be sure to read the updates at the end of Bizzyblog's post which contain a lot more information.
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