Tobacco products are consumed daily, by millions of Americans directly, by millions more indirectly.

Tobacco is an international industry whose production and sale in the United States generates billions in revenue.

Tobacco’s constituent substances include nicotine, a toxic and ravenously addictive drug.

Its lobbyists at the federal and state level are among the most ruthless and highly-paid, in a ruthless, highly-paid profession.

Tobacco use causes state and federal governments, private employers, health insurers, hospices, funeral associations and lawyers to incur billions in direct costs, billions in indirect costs, each year.

This bill’s sponsors should anticipate the scalpel the Roberts court will take to its legislation. His court just declared that FDA “approval” of a “medical device” forecloses a citizen’s right to sue for injuries caused by such a device, even if the danger was predictable but not reported to the FDA, even if the regulator doesn’t regulate or follow the effectiveness of its prior regulation. No matter how well the manufacturer manufactures.

Congress should use this legislation to override the Roberts court’s Stay Out of Court Free Card for an entire industry. It should include language protecting access to the courts for those harmed by tobacco’s addictive dangers, including private persons and governments. They should do it well. Because any protective language they legislate, the Roberts court will do its best to gut.

Influence is a subtle thing sometimes, other times it is raging. I can only speak for myself that my political issue fluency has climbed remarkably since I started lurking at The Lake, and it is a very good feeling to go forth onto the mean streets armed with the truth, and not just my opinion.

I used to try to cross-post some of this to the wingnut-o-sphere, but hit the moderator’s wall every time. Trying to reason with them is like arguing with the wrong end of an elephant.

All you get back is big piles of manure.

But out on the street, in the shops and bewtween friends, the knowledge information and attitude we pick up here at FDL is disseminated one argument at a time.

So never doubt the influence of a blog like this, the truth here is like cream floating to the top.

Would that be a “Lucky Strike?”

I figured, WTF, go along to get along, in the bigger picture it ain’t gonna matter. So, I swallowed my concerns and caucused for Hill. Hey, it got me some extra bootie.

Clark Holt gave a general sky-is-blue response that there are some good things and some not so good things on blog sites. He was specific on blogs often being “mean spirited”. OK. I admit I am guilty of some of that but 99% of comments are not.

Wow 333 scandals! It seems like Bush has finally found his place in history!