Bush Says Earth Is Flat!

Well, no. But the man who thinks creationism is a valid scientific theory and that the jury is still out on evolution continues his assault on science. In the second in a series of articles about this, the Washington Post details dead-of-night regulatory changes that politicize oversight on scientific findings and thus endanger public safety. How? Bush made it easier for big business to fight regulatory changes that could cost them money by attacking valid scientific findings. The major example here? A pesticide that "castrates" frogs according to numerous independent studies (including one funded by the industry itself that they suppressed). Lengthy and filled with interesting detail, the article has this neat summary of Bush's attacks on good science:

"Environmental and consumer groups say the Data Quality Act fits into a larger Bush administration agenda. In the past six months, more than 4,000 scientists, including dozens of Nobel laureates and 11 winners of the National Medal of Science, have signed statements accusing the administration of politicizing science.

"The White House's heavy editing of a key global-warming report, its efforts to emphasize abstinence rather than condoms in the war against AIDS and its alleged stacking of scientific advisory committees have drawn particular ire. But many scientists and public advocates believe that far more is at stake with the Data Quality Act.

"From their perspective, the act is shifting the authority over the nation's science into the politicized environment of the OMB -- a change, they say, that will favor big business."