JAMES E. HANSON

The George W. Bush administration was a very ideological one as opposed to pragmatic. They would not tolerate public officials who would say anything that might undermine an administrative ideological position. In particular, they did not want government scientists releasing any data or information that was not totally consistent with their ideology and program. They introduced a new policy within the government whereby no one could talk to a reporter or make a public speech or deliver a professional paper without first getting approval of administration “public affairs” agents first. Government scientists and other officials had never before been censored like this. Important scientific studies were not made public where they might not support the administration ideological positions. Hanson spoke out against the policy at great embarrassment to the administration. See {614691}.

Hansen whose research documented some of the effects of global warming was censored by the George W. Bush administration. The censors argued that the effects of global warming had not yet been completely studied and that many of the factors and effects were still unknown. Therefore, government officials should not speak out until all the data is in and has been analyzed. Ironically, the Bush administration took the country to a preemptive war arguing that it was imprudent and dangerous to wait until all the evidence was in and analyzed. It turned out that the Bush rationale for the war was not the case and there was poor intelligence or a subconscious or conscious attempt to deceive.

The George W. Bush administration was a very ideological one as opposed to pragmatic. They would not tolerate public officials who would say anything that might undermine an administrative ideological position. In particular, they did not want government scientists releasing any data or information that was not totally consistent with their ideology and program. They introduced a new policy within the government whereby no one could talk to a reporter or make a public speech or deliver a professional paper without first getting approval of administration “public affairs” agents first. Government scientists and other officials had never before been censored like this. Important scientific studies were not made public where they might not support the administration ideological positions. See {614691}.

The George W. Bush administration was a very ideological one as opposed to pragmatic. They would not tolerate public officials who would say anything that might undermine an administrative ideological position. In particular, they did not want government scientists releasing any data or information that was not totally consistent with their ideology and program. They introduced a new policy within the government whereby no one could talk to a reporter or make a public speech or deliver a professional paper without first getting approval of administration “public affairs” agents first. Government scientists and other officials had never before been censored like this. Important scientific studies were not made public where they might not support the administration ideological positions. See {614691}.

Hansen whose research documented some of the effects of global warming was censored by the George W. Bush administration. The censors argued that the effects of global warming had not yet been completely studied and that many of the factors and effects were still unknown. Therefore, government officials should not speak out until all the data is in and has been analyzed. Ironically, the Bush administration took the country to a preemptive war arguing that it was imprudent and dangerous to wait until all the evidence was in and analyzed. It turned out that the Bush rationale for the war was not the case and there was poor intelligence or a subconscious or conscious attempt to deceive.

The George W. Bush administration was a very ideological one as opposed to pragmatic. They would not tolerate public officials who would say anything that might undermine an administrative ideological position. In particular, they did not want government scientists releasing any data or information that was not totally consistent with their ideology and program. They introduced a new policy within the government whereby no one could talk to a reporter or make a public speech or deliver a professional paper without first getting approval of administration “public affairs” agents first. Government scientists and other officials had never before been censored like this. Important scientific studies were not made public where they might not support the administration ideological positions. Hanson spoke out against the policy at great embarrassment to the administration. See {614691}.