David Michaels, a left-wing ideologue who supports junk science and seeks to restrict gun possession, has been approved by the Senate Health Committee to head the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Only two Senators -- both Republicans -- voted against Michaels, who was nominated by President Obama.
The vote occurred with no discussion, and no hearing was even held on his nomination, although hearings have consistently been held on nominees in the past, even for far less controversial picks.
Gun-law expert David Kopel explains how Michaels wants to ban guns in and near workplaces, and could use his position at OSHA to do so, if the political climate shifts in favor of gun control. (Some businessmen in high-crime areas possess guns to protect themselves against armed robbers, and even strict local gun-control laws have generally contained exceptions to allow such businesses to defend themselves).
As the Washington Times noted, "Mr. Michaels also is an anti-gun zealot who has described 'gun violence' as an issue of 'public health' that 'invariably demands more and stronger regulation, not less.' As Walter Olson of the Manhattan Institute explained, by way of warning, on Aug. 15: 'That's by no means irrelevant to the agenda of an agency like OSHA, because once you start viewing private gun ownership as a public health menace, it begins to seem logical to use the powers of government to urge or even require employers to forbid workers from possessing guns on company premises, up to and including parking lots, ostensibly for the protection of co-workers. In addition, OSHA has authority to regulate the working conditions of various job categories associated with firearms use (security guards, hunting guides, etc.) and could in that capacity do much to bring grief to Second Amendment values.'"
Michaels wants to reverse the Supreme Court’s Daubert decision limiting the use of junk science.
As I noted in the New York Times, Michaels' appointment could "dramatically alter OSHA's approach to ensuring workplace safety." Michaels has been called "one the nation's foremost proponents of allowing junk science to be used in jackpot-justice lawsuits."
Many business groups raised concerns about his nomination and extreme views.
Iain Murray notes that Michaels seeks to ban useful products from the workplace based on imaginary risks. One newspaper calls Michaels "virulently anti-business."
Comments
David Michaels is a dangerous left-wing extremist.
Yes, David Michaels is a left-wing extremist.
His hostility to science is part of a larger liberal war on science, which many in the Obama Administration are itching to wage, as articles by Christina Hoff Sommers, Stuart Taylor, and Diana Furchtgott-Roth have pointed out.
To the ideologue or fanatical true believer, science is an obstacle to utopia and ideological purity.
Liberal activists are as bad as the Stalinist icon Lysenko. He was ignorant of genetics; they similarly hate scientific advances like genetic engineering that can help feed the world's poor.
Sadly, the Democratic War on Science is just beginning.
Sens. Tom Coburn (R-OK) and Richard Burr (R-NC) were the two "no" votes.
The reason there were so few no votes on the Committee, despite Michaels’ extreme views, was because of legislative logrolling. As the WSJ predicted, some GOP committee members voted to approve liberals like Michaels, in response to Obama’s nomination of an aide to a GOP committee member, to sit on the board of the supposedly-bipartisan NLRB. Obama could conceivably have made the NLRB even more partisan and liberal than it is by nominating a liberal RINO instead of that aide. That might have invited a filibuster, but there are only 40 GOP Senators, and it often takes 41 votes to successfully filibuster a nomination.
I agree with Dave. David Michaels is a left-wing extremist, and Exhibit A in the liberal war on science.
I know David Michaels personally and he is definitely not an extremist. What about Dubya's war on science? Try taking a look at what did or didn't do during his 8 years in office. Most of you only wish you had the brains and integrity that David Michaels has, as well as his sanity. You are all nuts!
David Michaels is an extreme left-wing kook with a contempt for the scientific method and the Constitution.
Beth, Bush has been out of office since Jan, but like the true liberal Obamabot you are, you still blame him for all that's wrong. Go drink your Koolaid. Moron!
Let him come to Texas. We will throw him a parade..
LOL...
When freedom loving Americans are surrounded by dangerous left-wing extremist ; fix bayonets and charge in all directions.
Come on down to Tennessee. We'll take you squirrel hunting up in the hills.
gents and ladies- what has got me concerned is most any nut/morone/jerk can get appointed to a high viz. job in the government,come up with weird and personal agendas and get them implimented with out our consent.was this knuckle head we are referring to ever in or attended a community town hall meeting to disscuss his plan of action in ref. to gun control. or will he do exactly as he pleases and we get force fed new policies if we like it or not. think about it, hard!
California will be the wild west in just a few years due to Liberal spending policies, then the USA won't be able to get a loan from Mexico, China, or even Iraq. When Kalifornia goes, the rest will follow. These left wingers will be on there own then, begging us for protection. ONLY VOTE FOR CONSERVATIVES< SAVE OUR SHIP!
It’s about time that someone like David Michaels has been put in charge of protecting workers from hazards on the job. (“Senate approves new OSHA head,” Nov. 18) Health hazards at work are responsible for 50,000 deaths each year – and almost all of them are preventable. Big business has been getting their way for too long, and working families have been paying a horrible price because regulations have been watered-down regulations and cowards were put in charge of enforcement. If David Michaels makes some CEO’s nervous, then that’s OK with me and the rest of working Americans who deserve strong protection on the job.
David Michaels is an extreme left-wing kook with a contempt for the scientific method and the Constitution.
Judie and Beth: you are both left-wingnut lunatics. Why don't you migrate to Canada with the rest of your kind. Michaels is in need of psychiatric help -now!
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