Rand Paul: Think about the poor mine owners, too

Rand Paul, the Tea Party senator from Kentucky, believes there should be a better balance between the costs to mine owners and the real threat of illness and death to the folks who labor in the mines. Paul told a Senate hearing that current mine regulations are actually reducing black lung disease, so there's no need for further burdens on the owners. "There

is a point or a balancing act between when regulation becomes burdensome enough that our energy production is stifled. We have to assess the costs of regulation and whether they save lives." (The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health contradicted Paul, saying that in some areas black lung disease is on the rise.)

Paul is a confirmed apologist for the owners and has spoken out against federal regulations for the industry. After 29 miners were killed in the West Virginia mine disaster, he defended the owner, saying::

"I want to be compassionate, and I'm sorry for what happened, but I wonder: Was it just an accident?".

Having grown up in coal mining country, I do not find the senator persuasive on any count. Indeed, I have revived my Grumpy Abe Linguistic Lunacy (GALL) award for his glib indifference to the welfare of the miners. And we thought Paul's predecessor, Jim Bunning, was nuts!