A chance to revitalize FDA

Dallas Morning News: Ever since the high-profile David Kessler left the Food and Drug Administration in 1997, the crucial review agency has changed leaders like Jerry Jones once went through head coaches.
The latest change came Friday when FDA Commissioner Lester Crawford unexpectedly handed in his resignation. He had been interim head for a year before the Senate confirmed him as FDA chief this summer.
Normally, most Americans don't pay attention to Washington's inside baseball. But this agency hits us where we live. Who among us doesn't value safe food and medicines? Or worry about bioterrorism?
For that reason, President Bush can reassure us all by appointing a leader who can stabilize the agency, which oversees about a quarter of the U.S. economy.
First up is getting the bureaucracy and upper management to work together. Dr. Kessler wasn't perfect at this, but he listened to staffers on occasion. The result was improvements like making sure food labeled as fresh was, well, fresh.
Mismatches
These days, the agency can have mismatches between areas of expertise and assignments. For instance, a problem recently developed after a veterinarian was placed in charge of an FDA office dealing with women's health issues.
He's gone, fortunately, but the mismatch speaks to the problem.
The FDA also needs greater teamwork to ensure that experts sign off on its policies. Specialists in a field aren't always the ones approving final recommendations. That can lead to debates over whether politics or ideology controls a decision.
Chances are, you're not thinking about politics or philosophy when you buy a steak or swallow a pill. You probably want to know sound science had something to do with approving those products. A leader who's committed to that standard, and who knows how to rally an agency, can make a difference in Americans' lives.