Open Government, Part II

(Originially posted on NRO-The Corner by my husband)

This week, CEI released evidence to the public, by means of a filing of comments with the Environmental Protection Agency, that the EPA was suppressing science skeptical of the harmful effects of global warming. By taking this action, Obama's EPA demonstrated its hypocrisy when it comes to the role of science in its decision-making. Shortly before assuming office, EPA administrator Lisa Jackson declared: “As Administrator, I will ensure EPA’s efforts to address the environmental crises of today are rooted in three fundamental values: science-based policies and programs, adherence to the rule of law, and overwhelming transparency.” Jan. 23, 2009. This followed the president’s own January 21 memo to agency heads on “Transparency and Open Government.” And in an April 27 speech to the National Academy of Sciences, the president declared that, “under my administration, the days of science taking a back seat to ideology are over.”

What is particularly interesting is the way the EPA has tried to brush this under the carpet. Rather than take my word for it, as an interested party, best to follow the work of the San Francisco Examiner's Thomas Fuller. He reported the story, then, faced with a dismissive response from EPA, decided that there was no story there. However, as you'll see from the link, further investigation proved that there was indeed a real story, and two further updates confirm this. Despite the administrator's and president's declarations, political considerations are clearly dominating scientific discussion at EPA. Now, this is in many ways to be expected as part of the political process, but not when the EPA head and her boss have told the public otherwise.

What is also interesting is that so far, it seems that the traditional media read our evidence and the EPA's denial and stopped there, without further digging. Thomas Fuller, however, did go further, turned over the stone, and found the worms wriggling there.

CEI released the actual suppressed study last night, which it did not obtain from the scientist concerned. You can read more at Watts Up With That.

So add this to the attempted railroading through of the cap-and-tax bill and you can be left with only one conclusion. Democrats currently in government aren't just incompetent, they are contemptuous of the American people.