A Justice Department decision to seek $10 billion for a stop-smoking program in its suit against the country’s leading tobacco companies, instead of the $130 billion suggested by one of its expert witnesses, set off a firestorm on Wednesday.
Several Democratic lawmakers with a longtime interest in smoking and health issues attacked the department for what they said was a politically motivated decision, as did public health groups.
Judge Gladys Kessler of Federal District Court, who is presiding in the trial here against the companies, took note of the sudden change, telling the court on Wednesday, “Perhaps it suggests that additional influences have been brought to bear on what the government’s case is.”
The states-rights administration that fought tirelessly to ban state-sanctioned medical marijuana has a different perspective on tobacco. They caved on the Microsoft antitrust case, too.
One thing you can say for sure about the Bush Administration: they sure ain’t working for us.
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