Under Pressure

Former U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona testified at a House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing to advocate that his former post be made more independent and less subject to political influence. Apparently (try to contain your shock here), the current Bush administration exerted a lot of political influence over what the Surgeon General('s office) could say or not say. To the point where the President had to be mentioned at least three times per page of any speech. Bleh.

Now, one of the great things about science is that there is a scientific community. Any results you get and any conclusions you form in the course of your work gets published and the whole community can poke and prod and validate or dismiss your claims. And because of all of this, there is a certain weight and deferential acceptance that comes with scientific findings for society at-large. It seems to have worked relatively well.

But now, how can we put our confidence in "scientific conclusions" if what we are told has been altered, omitted or just plain made up by political forces? Apparently this kind of influence has always been wafting around the Surgeon General's Office (Clinton fired Dr. Jocelyn Elders), but not to the degree that the Bush administration has taken it (see ma, we're number one in something!) Bleh.

Dr. Carmona said he was not allowed to say that comprehensive sex education was the most effective route, because the Executive Office was pushing abstinence-based education only. He also was not able to attend or speak at events for children with disabilities, because that was a cause for the other political party (i.e., Special Olympics is a Kennedy project).

Yet, the statement from the White House says that they are not allowing politics to influence science (hello, global warming) and that if Dr. Carmona did not feel he could express himself while in office, it is his own chicken-clucking fault. Okay, so they did not use the term "chicken-clucking," but you get the flavor of the statement. Bleh.

Seriously, what is up with this myopic vision by the White House. Are they so insular, so brainwashed by their own propoganda that they truly feel the Emperor is super fly in his fancy threads? How often, how loudly must we yell, "HE'S NAKED!" before someone hears and does something about it? Or should the rest of us just be glad that there is a term-limit on the office of President? Double bleh.