Further proof that our nation's "leaders" are running amuck

I think we're back online... which is great, because I have some seriously pent-up ranting energy. Let's start with this:

Labor Dept. Is Rebuked Over Pact With Wal-Mart
(The New York Times, Nov. 1, 2005)

The upshot: Wal-Mart made a "deal" with the US Labor Department: Wal-Mart breaks the law, and the Feds give them two weeks' notice before coming to investigate AND ten days AFTER finding violations to impose fines and citations. Oh, and Wal-Mart lawyers write up the deal, the Feds wave it through, and no one has done anything wrong whatsoever because that's the Republican Way.

The Labor Department's inspector general does have a problem with this: his report (according to the NYT article) "criticized department officials for letting Wal-Mart lawyers write substantial parts of the settlement and for leaving the department's own legal division out of the settlement process."

"The report said that in granting Wal-Mart the 15-day notice, the Wage and Hour Division violated its own handbook. It added that agreeing to let Wal-Mart jointly develop news releases about the settlement with the department violated Labor Department policies."

I know, our "leaders" long ago erased the line between corporate and civil control of our nation... but they at least tried to hide that fact. Now they don't even seem to give a shit what anyone else thinks -- either they're arrogant beyond (our humble) belief, or they believe they're right. The Right, right? Gah.