Hear ye, all scientists. Dont confuse the brain of the decider with facts he can't understand, especially if it concerns the Environment, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Engineering and especially Phylology. It is hard enough for him to pronounce words like NUKUAR and simily.

George Will once famously advised people who disliked any particular U.S. President to remember that very little long-term damage could be done in four years, given the governmental inertia that makes major change difficult.

Wow, was HE wrong! He obviously never conceived of anyone as ignorant, stubborn and dangerous as Dubya occupying the White House, or anyone as compliant as recent GOP Congresses. This pretender occupying the position once held by giants like FDR and Lincoln is utterly nauseating. The damage to people all over the world, and to the world itself, from the deceptive, dishonest and politically motivated policies of this administration ought to sicken everyone.

The USGS--not "the Bush administration"--has been working on this new internal policy for two years. Compared to most agencies, the USGS has been a gentlemen's club since its founding in 1879. Until science became "politics by other means," the research carried out by the government's geologists was almost never controversial. It is telling that a long-overdue bureaucratic procedure to keep agency leaders from being blindsided by today's manufactured controversies is itself being blown up in the press. Did it ever occur to anyone that the USGS is protecting itself from the White House?

Nobody can win in today's poisonous atmosphere. I look forward to the post-Bush era, assuming we can recover from the damage. Disclaimer: I have served in the USGS and talk to its scientists, although I haven't yet heard their responses to this news.

So the administration thinks that scientific findings might be an embarrassment to them? Well, I think the current administration is an embarrassment to the American People. When "w" says "My fellow Americans" I wonder who he is talking about.

To the scientists, you could hang onto your findings, announce them in 2 years. Of course with a disclaimer at the bottom... mocking the Bush Administration. Of course, as all research should be released immediately, I say take it to the appropriate Senate Committee. I say go over the Presidents head. The buck stopped stopping in the oval office when the hiring of advisor's smarter than the President ended.

RichEmery..

Notwithstanding alden's post (thanks for the clarification, alden), are any of the activities you have outlined in your post an indictable offense?

Just hoping.

From the article:

Patrick Leahy, USGS's head of geology and its acting director until September, said Wednesday that the new procedures would improve scientists' accountability and "harmonize" the review process. He said they are intended to maintain scientists' neutrality.

To me, that "neutrality" sounds like it's being used in the same sense as Fox News's term "fair and balanced." That is, it gives the propaganda message supported by those in power the same weight as the actual truth -- if it gives any weight to the truth at all.

Alden wrote:

Did it ever occur to anyone that the USGS is protecting itself from the White House?

Assuming that its directors have been appointed by the Bush administration, I think the answer is a resounding "NO!"

This is a new requirement for all staff scientists to screen all of their professional speech through a "communications office", so that the agency can "ensure that proper officials are notified and that communication strategies are developed." Why would "communication strategies" need to be developed if working towards scientific truth is all they're concerned about? They clearly want to avoid the embarassment of having one of their scientists make an assertion that doesn't agree with what the power structure wants, forcing this "communications office" to find some excuse to reverse the findings and announce a "correction."

Vigorous debate is a hallmark of good science. Suppressing it for the supposed purpose of having a clear point of view being expressed by the agency as a whole can't be anything other than the assertion of political control over scientific reporting.

Also, Alden, when exactly did science become "politics by other means?"

Just as the real answer to "What is legal?" is "Whatever the Supreme Court SAYS is legal", the answer to "What is an impeachable offense?" is "Whatever the House cares to say is impeachable".

The Supreme Court will defer to Congress during impeachment proceedings, considering that this process is purely political, not legal (even though it has quasi-legal similarities).

So, in MY opinion, the House could impeach on any grounds it deems to meet the "high crimes and misdemeanors" criterion, and the Senate could convict if it believes the charges have been proven.

And YES, Bush should be impeached for a myriad of crimes against this country, indeed against the whole world; and YES, he should be removed from office. Sure, Cheney would be worse as President (assuming he isn't already de facto President); if need be, impeach and remove him too based on his performance in office.

Let the process work -- why the hell NOT? We still have THAT check-and-balance, one that Dubya and friends cannot touch. Thank our lucky stars for the foresight of the Founding Fathers who gave us such a robust Constitution! What are we afraid of? Our country survived the trauma of the Kennedy assassination, for heaven's sake! What makes us think a justified impeachment and removal from office would damage anything more than THAT?

We must ensure that our scientists are entirely in accord with the Marxist-Leninist principles of eternal socialist brotherhood underlying the glorious people's revolution!

Same shit, different century. And it worked out sooo well the last time.

is not afraid of science, he's afraid of truth. He is consistent though you have to admit. When it comes to truth he has no problem "making it up as he goes along" (thanks Kieth Ollberman). America has become a caricature of itself in a very wrong-headed manner. Nauseating eh?

You voted for him America. Well, this is what his administration looks like. Too young to remember but I have read that among others, the writings of Einstein were also burned in Nazi Germany. To hide behind God will do him no good. When he meets his maker he will have a lot of explaining to do.