In one of his first moves as president, George W. Bush issued a memorandum temporarily prohibiting agencies from publishing new rules in the Federal Register, effectively blocking last-minute regulatory actions by the Clinton administration. Among the blocked regulations include restrictions on runoff from animal feeding operations, more than 800 pages of new guidelines for managed care programs under Medicare, and a requirement for producers of hot dogs and other ready-to-eat meats to conduct periodic testing for listeria bacteria, which sickened 100 people and killed 21 others during an outbreak several years ago. Also part of the memorandum, Bush ordered a 60-day stay of rules that were published in the Federal Register toward the end of the Clinton administration, but have not yet taken effect. This includes many important protections for public health, safety, and the environment, including ergonomics standards, diesel fuel regulations, and a ban on new roads in millions of acres of national forests. Final rules such as these cannot simply be wiped away with the stroke of a pen. The agencies that issued the rules would have to undertake a brand new rulemaking - going through all the hoops and hurdles the law requires - to take them off the books. This is a difficult task, and one that Bush - given his questionable political standing - should not take lightly. Yet it seems to be the direction he is heading. Older regulations are actively under review by the incoming administration, and many may be rescinded, Bush aides told the AP. It is interesting to note that the Bush administration is approaching its review of public protections with a bias toward rescinding. This is not surprising given the heavy representation of business lobbyists on the Bush transition team. But it is exactly the wrong approach - and it prejudges the process. In areas where public health is endangered, lives are at stake, and the environment is at risk, Bush should ask what more can be done. Instead, it seems he is asking his friends in the business lobby, who contributed heavily to his campaign, what he can do for them.