The Bush administration has deliberately and systematically distorted scientific fact in the service of policy goals on the environment, health, biomedical research and nuclear weaponry at home and abroad, a group of about 60 influential scientists, including 20 Nobel laureates, said in a statement issued today.
The sweeping charges were later discussed in a conference call with some of the scientists that was organized by the Union of Concerned Scientists, an independent organization that focuses on technical issues and has often taken stands at odds with administration policy. The organization also issued a 37-page report today that it said detailed the accusations.
Together, the two documents accuse the administration of repeatedly censoring and suppressing reports by its own scientists, stacking advisory committees with unqualified political appointees, disbanding government panels that provide unwanted advice, and refusing to seek any independent scientific expertise in some cases.
"Other administrations have, on occasion, engaged in such practices, but not so systematically nor on so wide a front," the statement from the scientists said, adding that they believed the administration had "misrepresented scientific knowledge and misled the public about the implications of its policies."
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President Bush is taking flak from all corners. Along with this report today, the WH backed away from their glowing jobs forecast and a new CNN/USA Today poll showed either Kerry or Edwards ahead of Bush by double digits. Stack all this up with OBL still on the lamb, the lack of WMDs in Iraq, and consumer confidence coming in way low although the economy is supposedly rebounding and predicting that Bush will be a one-term president doesn't seem that far-fetched, all with-out even mentioning the minor Guard service questions.