Bad, yes. But that is how Washington is run. Everything even close to the government is politicized. It is nothing new. A former Surgeon General's report on safe sex was buried because it was to be released to the press during the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal.

Ah, yes, the ostrich approach to government.
We know it well--especially in the past 7 years.
In my more cynical moments I think the only time anything gets done in this country is when someone somewhere stands to make a buck off it. Sigh.

Oy. If this guy gets confirmed, I will be PISSED.

This wouldn't be Bush's first wildly inappropriate nominee; Bolton and Miers come to mind. Even with a Republican congress he had to result to underhanded methods to get Bolton installed. I don't think Holsinger stands a chance of confirmation; there's already been too much public exposure of this history. If Bush weren't so adamant about persisting in obviously lost causes he would already of withdrawn him.

I've met Dr. Holsinger at Lake Junaluska (the seat of the World Methodist community) and he is incredibly scary. With his "I can cure "the gay"" speeches and his disbelief of most modern science along with the lawsuit from a certain state goverment that follows him for illegally closing hospital and denying lifesaving care. I'm proud to say that most of the Methodist church thinks he's insane and are just as ashamed of him as they are of Bush (who also claims to be Methodist, I don't see how in either case!)

Dave, just because politicizing areas as crucial to a nation's population as health, health care, and health research may be "nothing new" doesn't mean that we should just dismiss it. We should work to ensure that science is not ignored when the health of a people is at stake.

Additionally, this is what Dr. Carmona had to say about working under W's administration (from today's Daily HIV/AIDS report from Kaisernetwork.org):

During his testimony, Carmona said that he initially had little idea how inappropriate the administration's actions were. He said that he consulted six previous surgeons general and they all agreed he experienced more political interference than they had.

Does anyone else wonder how these people who so adamantly deny modern science ever managed to get medical degrees?

That baffles me, personally.

I'm a geologist and I know someone working on their doctorate in geology who doesn't believe in radiometric dating (re: the world is 5,000 years old). The worst part, they have to use radiometric dating everyday to confirm or deny their own research!

What do you call someone who graduated last in their class at medical school?

Doctor.

Dave,

While science has been occasionally repressed by other administrations, the scale in the Bush administration is new. Burying one report due to scandal timing issues is not the same as repressing all reports and even public appearances that aren't optimal for your party. This is orders of magnitude larger than any prior behaviour.

Bush isn't just playing politics as usual. He's imposing his own religious/moral beliefs onto public policy. When you take into account his personal character flaws, like his inability to admit he's wrong, you've got someone who's abusing the office like never before (and hopefully never again.)

I'll never understand why these people who obviously don't value modern science and research very much end up in the scientific field!

In my more cynical moments I think the only time anything gets done in this country is when someone somewhere stands to make a buck off it.

In that case, Verv, time to up the cynicism. For me, those are just mildly to moderately cynical moments ;)