By now, you may have heard about the resignation of George C. Deutsch (New York Times link, may expire soon),
the young presidential appointee at NASA who told public affairs workers to limit reporters’ access to a top climate scientist and told a Web designer to add the word “theory” at every mention of the Big Bang, resigned yesterday.
However, this article and the mainstream media both failed to convey the depths of Deutsch’s incompetence and actions bordering on megalomania.
First of all, none of the national TV broadcasts that I watched mentioned the fact that Deutsch’s “Bachelor of Arts in journalism, Class of 2003” from Texas A&M University was in fact fraudulently included on his résumé, as he never graduated from that institution.
Secondly, most of the TV coverage centered on his decision to limit access to NASA climate scientists who might report on Global Warming facts at odds with the administration’s current stance on the subject, which a blissfully ignorant claim that it is not a “settled issue.” Far more egregious was Deutsch’s insistence last year that The Big Bang was only an “opinion” and that every mention of it in NASA publications should be prefaced with the word “theory.” Granted, the Big Bang is technically a scientific theory, but the definition of theory he was using was most definitely not the accepted scientific one. To wit, what was not widely covered was the content of the e-mails in which he made his misguided edict:
The Big Bang is “not proven fact; it is opinion. It is not NASA’s place, nor should it be to make a declaration such as this about the existence of the universe that discounts intelligent design by a creator.”
…
“This is more than a science issue, it is a religious issue. And I would hate to think that young people would only be getting one-half of this debate from NASA. That would mean we had failed to properly educate the very people who rely on us for factual information the most.”
I am enraged that this incompetent sycophantic peon should get such an important job simply because he briefly worked on W’s presidential campaign. However, my anger is nothing compared to the eloquently enraged rant at Bad Astronomy Blog, so I will refer you to that entry while I go seethe.
I’m glad to see that Mr. Deutsch received his just desserts, but if the previous consequences of incompetence in this administration are any indication, I’m sure he’ll land a plum job at some Conservative think tank any day now…
