Andy Revkin is confirming a report, which originated on a blog, that NASA's now-notorious George Deutsch did not actually graduate from Texas A & M (as his resume had asserted). Revkin's also reporting that Deutsch has resigned from NASA. Ouch.
In a way, I feel sorry for Deutsch. I mean, who on earth put him in this situation? A presidential appointee, involved in controlling what scientists are saying? Clearly, James Hansen is right to observe that the issue is bigger than Deutsch. As he puts it in Revkin's story: "He's only a bit player...the problem is much broader and much deeper and it goes across agencies. That's what I'm really concerned about."
I must also add just how fitting it is that all this comes out just as Bush is trying to sell himself as the "science" president. Yeah, I feel kinda bad for George Deutsch. But at the same time, I'm trying to repress a snicker.
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Apparently he's resigned:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/08/politics/08nasa.html
Have you seen this:
http://achangeinthewind.typepad.com/achangeinthewind/2006/02/bush_admin…
Mr. Deutsch richly deserves the oblivion that is about to overtake him. It may even prove to be the best thing that could happen to him, by giving him the chance to free himself from a Republican political machine that asks much in the way of supporting lies but gives little in the way of genuine accomplishment. He could do far worse than look to Chris Mooney as an example worthy of emulation on the subject of science journalism.
I hardly think Deutsch is heading to oblivion. He's only doing what his bosses want him to, and he will certainly be rewarded.
Is likely that he will end in the conservative speaker circuit, charging $10K per engagement, and then getting a six figure job with a conservative think tank.
I can see the title of his talk: "The liberal-intellectual agenda to monopolize science"
In a parallel development, democracynow.org carries a story from Knight-Ridder that the Bush administration is marginalizing experienced arms control experts and replacing them with political operatives "who share the White House and Pentagon's distrust of international negotiations and treaties... In one case, the new Office of Weapons of Mass Destruction Terrorism circulated a job posting that listed loyalty to the priorities of President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice as a job qualification. Some weapons analysts said the exodus is especially worrisome because of the pending expiration of the 1991 START I treaty -- the only mechanism for verifying U.S. and Russian nuclear arms cuts."
Perhaps he should go through his CV inserting "theory" before each mention of his graduation...
Chris mooney said: "I feel kinda bad for George Deutsch. But at the same time, I'm trying to repress a snicker."
Why repress snickers? I'm gonna have a whole box-full to celebrate.
But as NASA's James Hansen said, "Deutsch is only a bit player".
This goes much higher. Whether NASA head Michael Griffin knew about what was going on or not, as NASA's leader, he SHOULD have.
He should NOW call for a completely INDEPENDENT investigation. An investigation by NASA itself or anyone else within the government WILL NOT do. The investigation should be carried out by an independent team of University scientists.