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President Bush Blamed for Mine Disaster

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Less than 24-hours after 12 of the 13 workers trapped by a West Virginia mine explosion were found dead, critics were already politicizing the disaster, with at least one mine safety expert blaming President Bush.

"This mine should have been closed," former director of the National Mine Safety and Health Academy, Jack Spadaro, told Fox News Channel's "Hannity & Colmes" Wednesday night.

"There were too many serious [safety] violations and the record is very clear," he added.

Asked why the allegedly unsafe mine continued to operate, Spadaro contended:

"I think it's because of the current Bush administration's policies toward mine operators and their reluctance to take the strong enforcement action that's sometimes necessary."

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  Spadaro insisted that "there has been a significant change since the Bush administration took over the enforcement of mine safety."

He said that the White House's lax approach to mine safety had made mine operators "reluctant to follow the law."

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