The nation’s No. 2 poultry producer, Pilgrim's Pride, issued a record-breaking recall of 27 million pounds of meat in 2002 after one of its plants was fingered as the source of a listeria outbreak that killed eight people, caused three miscarriages and hospitalized dozens of victims. A federal meat inspector says that, eight months before the tragedy, superiors overruled inspector suggestions to close the plant--which had ducts that dripped onto processing tables, as well as mold and algae growing on its walls and ceiling. The inspector says that the USDA failed to close the plant until six weeks after the deadly outbreak. Inspectors also complained that Pilgrim's often cleaned up the plant prior to inspections because the USDA gave it a week's notice before it showed up. The complaints indict a 1997 USDA move to grant meat producers greater responsibility for ensuring the safety of their own products. The Consumers Federation of America said the Bush administration bears responsibility for this infected-meat tragedy for failing to adopt listeria inspection rules that President Bill Clinton proposed shortly before leaving office. Meatpacking is one of the most dangerous jobs because cutters work quickly in close quarters with sharp knives. Pilgrim's founder Lonnie 'Bo' Pilgrim doled out $10,000 checks on the Texas Senate floor in 1989 to help persuade legislators to gut state workers' compensation laws. Pilgrim helpfully left the “payee” line of the checks blank for lawmakers to fill in themselves, excesses that prompted the next legislative session to pass ethics reforms.

What? Texas lawmakers are no longer allowed to accept bribes?

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"George W. Bush surrounds himself with smart people the way a hole surrounds itself with a donut." —Dennis Miller

Yes, sorry. And U.S. Senators are no longer allowed to have 100 dead people vote them into office either. But I'm sure you won't mention that since the Senator in question wasn't a republican. And yes, I'm sure in your vast, unbiased research, Texas was the only state to ever do such things as these.

Texas should be immediately stricken from the union, and the vast amount of cash that flows from our taxpayers should be taken from the fed's hands and put back into Texas. Yes I'm sure you would love that until you realized you be much worse off than you were before.

Oh my, did I hurt your feelings? Oh, I am so sorry.

Seriously, I was pointing out the most blatant example of corruption I have ever come across. If I were to mention all the corruption evident within the states and federal government, I would still be writing a year from now. After all, I think NJ has the newest example of corruption and the governor isn't a Republican.

I bash both parties and if you have not realized that yet, then you should open your eyes.

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"George W. Bush surrounds himself with smart people the way a hole surrounds itself with a donut." —Dennis Miller

That keeping political score is an exercise in futility?

Once you wade through the rhetoric, you'll see that both parties are full of self-serving, corrupt, maggots.

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Proudly a "South Park Republican"

Exactly. And we deserve better.

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"George W. Bush surrounds himself with smart people the way a hole surrounds itself with a donut." —Dennis Miller

Hey pretzel boy! Thats the best you can do to tarnish the image of The Great State of Texas, a dirty chicken plant and blank checks to legislatures? These items aren't even current, but it means Texas is in the twilight zone?

Allow me to list some items in defense of Texas:
1. Medicine- M. D. Anderson The leading Cancer research center in the nation.
2. Aerospace- NASA and the multitude of Aerospace firms surrounding it.
3. Computers- The Austin area is second to the silicon valley in software Companies.
4. Education- Rice University, University of Texas system, & Texas A & M for starters.
5 Economy- Once reliant on oil and gas now one of the most diversified in the US.


I eagerly await your response........pretzel boy.

which really IS the twilight zone.

In comparison, Texas seems halfway normal (and yes, I've spent considerable time in both places).

Catz

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I'll get nicer when you get smarter.

I use the pretzel because it is the symbol of power for our President. It is homage. Zeus had the lightning bolt, Odin had the spear, and our war president has the pretzel. May it ever be a symbol of his great power.

On a side note, I get a kick out of how crazy Texans get when someone attacks their state. It is great fun.

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"George W. Bush surrounds himself with smart people the way a hole surrounds itself with a donut." —Dennis Miller

I don't live in Texas (I live on the LEFT coast, California... land of fruits and nuts!) I like Texas!! And it plays a VERY important part in technology, history and the American culture and folklore. Besides, the people of Texas are some of the nicest folk in the country! I know. I've been there many times. You want to talk about Twilight Zone... then look to the Peoples Republic of Bezerkely and the fruits running the city government in 'Frisco, where the Hammer and Sickle should be flying... not Texas!