Bush vs. Science: Is the White House Credible?
At first it seemed like another broadside from frequent White House critic Representative Henry Waxman, a liberal Democrat from Los Angeles. Early this August, at his request, the minority staff of the House Committee on Government Reform issued a 40-page report charging the Bush administration with misusing science to advance a conservative agenda. The study described “misleading statements by the President, inaccurate responses to Congress, altered web sites, suppressed agency reports, erroneous international communications and the gagging of scientists.”
Among Waxman’s charges:
APPOINTMENTS. The administration named “unqualified persons” with political agendas or industry ties to key policy posts or advisory committees, and it opposed qualified experts if they appeared to be anti-industry.
INFORMATION. Government agencies distorted or eliminated numerous postings on federal Web sites—especially those dealing with birth control, sexually transmitted diseases, and abortion. They also suppressed or distorted reports to Congress ...
