Sides trade salvos on science policy

WASHINGTON, July 12 (UPI) -- U.S. Rep. Brian Baird, D-Wash., accused the Bush administration Monday of waging an all-out attack on scientific integrity to support its political agenda.

"Science for this administration has become like virtually everything ... yet one more message for next week's message agenda," said Baird, the keynote speaker at a Washington conference held by the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Baird said the administration consistently and pervasively assaults scientific independence to support its policies, employing constraints on questions and methodology, active and intentional suppression of facts and -- what he called most troubling -- creation of a climate of self-censorship by scientists and policy makers.

As examples, Baird cited reduced funding for stem-cell research and selective appointments to and withdrawals from agency panels based on political leanings.

John Marburger, the president's science adviser, said he could state "from personal experience that the accusation of a litmus test that must be met before someone can serve on an advisory panel is preposterous. After all, President Bush sought me out to be his science adviser -- the highest-ranking S&T official in the federal government -- and I am a lifelong Democrat."

As to Baird's charge of the administration reducing funding for stem-cell research, Marburger pointed out that Bush was the first president to request stem-cell-research funding.