Tell me it's just a dream—the FDA, our marvelous government watchdog, has issued a new rule that members of drug approval advisory boards can't rule on drugs from companies that pay them more than $50,000. 

Up to now, apparently, there were no limits.  According to The New York Times 10 of the 32 advisors who voted in 2005 to allow the painkiller Bextra to remain on the market and the painkiller Vioxx to return despite huge safety problems had taken money from the drug companies.  At the end of the day these recommendations (thank GOD!) weren't followed, but the votes of these advisory committees can have tremendous influence.

Of course, if you read into the fine, fine print of this new regulation you'll discover the FDA can waive this obvious conflict of interest in individual situations if it wants to.  I suspect that it will indeed do this.  You see, it is all a ploy--the FDA is only trying to head off new legislation by the Democratically controlled congress which will be much more stringent. 

While the agency has long been defensive about its process for selecting expert advisers, under the Bush regime, things have evolved from the realms of dubious ethics to outright banditry.  Under Bush,  our government's primary purpose has been transformed from serving the will of the people to boosting the prosperity of the industrial elite--and I'm not even paranoid!

FDA expert advisors shouldn't be allowed to accept one thin dime, much less $50,000, from the companies they rule on.  Is this not obvious, dear readers?