White House Accused Of Distorting And Suppressing Data

A new study says the "Bush administration persistently manipulates scientific data to serve its ideology and protect the interests of its political supporters," the New York Times writes.
The 40-page report, Politics and Science in the Bush Administration, was prepared at the request of Rep. Henry Waxman, the Government Reform Committee's ranking Democrat. From agricultural pollution to global warming to workplace safety, the Bush administration has compromised the scientific integrity of federal research, monitoring and regulatory institutions and "has manipulated the scientific process and distorted or suppressed scientific findings," the report says.
"The administration's political interference with science has led to misleading statements by the president, inaccurate responses to Congress, altered Web sites, suppressed agency reports, erroneous international communications and the gagging of scientists," adds the report. White House press secretary Scott McClellan dismissed the report. According to the Times, McCellen "contended that its sponsor, Mr. Waxman, who is widely known for his aggressive inquiry into the tobacco industry, was seeking to score political points."