Phil Plait writing at the Bad Astronomy blog discusses NASA's recent official findings [PDF] that George Deutsch (the White House appointed hack, er, public affairs officer) did in fact muzzle climate scientist Dr. James Hansen, er, act inappropriately:

… an internal inquiry has revealed that one recent media request to interview Dr. James Hansen… was inappropriately declined… in addition, several instances of inappropriate editing of scientific materials have been alleged. These allegations, if true, are unacceptable at NASA.

The inappropriate editing referred to was telling a web designer to append the word 'theory' to all instances of 'Big Bang' on NASA's websites. You know, because we can't have something that contradicts our unfounded religious beliefs.

It's nice to know that at least NASA has managed to maintain some semblance of integrity in this matter and they do sound contrite. Perhaps the biggest surprise though is Senator Lieberman's strong position in all of this:

In the time it took NASA to acknowledge that the censorship of Dr. Hansen was inappropriate, new charges of suppressing climate science have arisen at the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Forest Service,” Lieberman said. “Reports of this disturbing practice have now arisen at four federal agencies: EPA, NASA, NOAA, and the Forest Service. It is time for the White House to stop suppressing important climate change information that the public has a right to know and needs to know. 

You know, with all the corruption, croneyism and incompetence exhibited by the Bush administration, this above all others seems comparatively minor. While in the big picture that might be true, I think it gets to a fundamental character issue for this administration. They just don't seem to have any regard for the truth. Now while Phil Plait likens it to Lysenkoism, which I don't think is quite justified yet, incidents such as this just betray a complete and utter childish petulance at perhaps the one thing in the world that the antimodernists and religious extremists at the core of the Bush administration can't have their own way -- science.

Fortunately, their attempts at suppressing the truth and science are nowhere near as effective as the old Soviet system... yet. Give them time though. And to think some Democrats think we should let the Republicans win in 2006. 

Via Pharyngula who wonders if George Deutsch has been promoted yet in reward for his incompetence.

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