Wonky Muse

July 15, 2004

Enough is Enough

From the WSJ [subscription required], scientists say they can't take it anymore:

A big shift for the normally docile scientific community, some leading researchers are mounting a political campaign to unseat President Bush this fall, accusing the administration of twisting scientific facts to fit its policies on issues such as global warming, sex education and stem-cell research....Last month, 48 Nobel Prize winners publicly endorsed Sen. John Kerry's presidential bid, while thousands of researchers have signed a statement condemning Mr. Bush's science record....The frustration of many in the scientific mainstream has been palpable since early in Mr. Bush's term, when battle lines were drawn over issues like standards for arsenic in drinking water, climate change and stem cells. The depth of anger is frequently palpable at scientific meetings on controversial topics, where it is common to hear Mr. Bush's policies openly and bitterly criticized.

The White House said it supports science and that research funding has increased during Bush's watch. A study by the independent American Association for the Advancement of Science says the increase mostly went to defense. Republicans charge back that the scientists are trying to push their own liberal social agenda.

Those darn liberal scientists. All they want is money, money, money.

posted at 9:59 AM by Wonky Muse

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