The “Center for Consumer Freedom” has a hysterical (in both senses of the word) article about the looming threat posed by “radical animal rights activist” Cass Sunstein in his new capacity as President Obama’s “regulatory czar” in the Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.

I knew but had forgotten that Sunstein had written some stuff in the area of animal rights. Here’s a paper on the topic that Sunstein wrote. He also co-edited, with philosopher Martha Nussbaum, a good anthology on the topic. Sunstein’s views are to the “left” of the public: he favors more stringent regulation of the use of animals in science, agriculture, and entertainment and has suggested that animals might have standing to sue (with humans as their representatives, of course). But none of this is particularly radical if you consider that most of the reforms Sunstein is talking about are nothing more than straightforward implications of views that most of us claim to hold (e.g., that animals shouldn’t be made to suffer unnecessarily or for trivial reasons). In fact, if existing standards for cruel treatment were applied to animals used in those industries, there would have to be significant changes. But for groups like CCF, any regulation of industry is to be opposed.

I don’t know enough about OIRA to know how important or influential Sunstein will be in his new position. But I doubt he’ll make animal rights a huge priority, though I’d be delighted if he did. See here for more.