The war on science continues

Molly Ivins once said, "Let me say for the umpteenth time, George W. is not a stupid man. The IQ of his gut, however, is open to debate. In Texas, his gut led him to believe the death penalty has a deterrent effect, even though he acknowledged there was no evidence to support his gut's feeling. When his gut, or something, causes him to announce that he does not believe in global warming -- as though it were a theological proposition -- we once again find his gut ruling that evidence is irrelevant." Well, there can be no question that Rick Perry is cut from the same bolt of cloth. A scientific report on the state of Galveston Bay was so heavily redacted by political officials of Texas, all of the scientist-authors protested and had their names removed from the report. Even basic facts were removed when inconvenient like the level of the bay is rising. Oh, that nasty sciency thing of using data rather than just acting upon your gut instincts, and the terrible burden of having to fit reality into your political Procrustean bed. So this pretty much tells you how Perry will act as president, policies will be based on the ideology of his gut; facts be darned. So this is how it goes in political circles these day because facts are bloody hard things to argue with; so much easier to deny we know anything than to explain a lack of policy. As a nation don't we deserve better? HT to PZ. Good job Mother Jones.