Its primary focus in the ads was on taxes. Of course, the ads just had ‘tax increases’ as if the taxes would affect all Americans, not the $1.10 a pack increase that would affect only smokers.

The ads left alone the $7 billion a year penalties on the industry if youth smoking did not drop enough to meet targets. (In regards to this, one must wonder - just what would have been an acceptable level of teen addiction.)

Likewise, the ads also left alone the facts that the Food and Drug Administration would have additional power to regulate nicotine, that the tobacco companies would be forced to make public their research, and the industry’s advertising to minors would have been restricted.

The industry actually tried to cause people to think it was concerned about the public’s welfare by voicing its concerns over taxes. And, the ads continue though not in the blitz fashion just prior to the bill being killed by the good old boys in the Republican party.

Here is an industry whose product is directly related to between 450,000 and 600,000 American deaths per year trying to voice its concerns over damage to the public!!! What a bunch of crappola!

To make sure of its voice being heard, the industry hired more than 200 Washington lobbyists and spent $35 million last year, not including $30 million it has given to lawmakers and their party organizations. Two thirds of the money went to Republicans. The industry's voice, however false, was heard and the general consensus is that the industry won.

Gingrich, well-known for getting on any band-wagon that meets his needs, stated that “Our goal (meaning his party) is to reduce teen smoking, not increase taxes”.

That was also the sentiment expressed by others in his party. After all, saying that one is behind saving taxes is almost always a safe sentiment. And it is very easy for a politician to say anything, whether he believes it in fact or not.

Anyway, sounds really good, doesn’t it? We have the tobacco industry fighting against increased taxes and we have Gingrich, speaking for the House, expressing a goal of not increasing taxes.

Now I have a question with all this alleged concern about the public going on?

Just where the hell were the industry, the Republican Party, and others in the past 70 years when tax after tax has been placed on tobacco amounting to $5.6 billion yearly in total taxes by 1994? Where were the ads and statements by leaders when taxes were imposed on tobacco time after time?

So, you see, Folks, their concerns now are as false as the claims of old that tobacco isn’t harmful.