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The story in the original article is another example of a disturbing trend I've been seeing over the past 30 years: an overall increase in the amount of legal wrangling that has come into the body politic and into our lives. With medicine, it's those lawyers who never went to doctor school dictating what tests a patient must have, regardless of whether it's medically sound to do the test, or it's a malpractice lawsuit for the doctor who took on a risky patient in the first place.. With engineering, it's a massive increase in the liability for someone to use a product properly and intelligently. (Think stepladders, manure, and broken legs by farmers who know shit better than any of us.)

How telling is this trend? Look at the number of laws that exempt our elected officials and bureaucrats from following them. If it's good enough for Joe Six Pack, it's good enough for Congressman Handout. But, no.

Do I oppose the testing of plumbing fixtures? No, I don't. I oppose the testing of plumbing fixtures by my government. The Consumers Union and organizations like them are perfectly capable of doing the tests and using publicity to influence buyers to "buy the right stuff." We don't need a regulatory agency doing this. Besides, the pensions paid by the consumer testing groups is far, far less than those paid to government workers. Not to mention that the private testing companies can do it quicker, and there are no high-priced lawyers and enforcers going after the companies who don't meet certain guidelines.

Do I oppose all inspection of products? No. But the inspections need to focus on hazards in products that can kill or seriously maim -- think lawn mowers and baby cribs. Keeping toes from being chopped off is far more important than trying to reduce water consumption in showers by 10 percent -- and remember, we are talking about using a gun to enforce these petty things. (Government action by regulatory action, remember, is always backed up with a gun, whether pulled or not -- that's what Federal Marshals carry.)

So, consider: Obama is figuratively holding a gun to the head of American business...