CNN's Attack of the 'Killer Stoves'

April 6th, 2007 12:29 PM

     “There is a danger lurking in millions of kitchens,” warned CNN anchor Kiran Chetry on the April 6 “American Morning.”


      Chetry was teasing reporter Greg Hunter’s story on the need for even more government regulation, this time for stove safety.


     “Manufacturers and the government recommend all stoves be bolted down, but it’s not mandatory,” said Hunter.


     Hunter quoted Joan Claybrook of the left-wing, Nader-founded group Public Citizen, but only identified her as a “consumer advocate.”


     “I’m here today to talk about killer stoves,” Claybrook said at a press conference. The organization runs a Web site called KillerStoves.com.


     In a CNN interview, Claybrook admitted not knowing how many people have actually been injured by stoves tipping over, but attributed 26 deaths and “almost a hundred injuries.”


     In light of those tragedies, Public Citizen and CNN’s Hunter could seek to promote public awareness. Instead, they promoted more nanny-state intervention.


     As the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers told CNN, “Manufacturers provide with every new range an effective and reliable anti-tip device that can be easily installed. It is up to the installer and the consumer to act.”