Wednesday, February 08, 2006
BLOGS: Oxford University blogger claims he broke story about Bush-NASA aide's fabrication
Bloggers break news.
An Oxford University blogger and Rhodes Scholar graduate biochemist apparently broke a story on Monday, Feb. 6, which resulted in the resignation of a Bush administration press aide for apparently fabricating his resume.
Nick Anthis, who calls himself on his blog, "The Scientific Activist," wrote in a post on Monday, Feb. 6, that though first-hand checking with former classmates at Texas A&M University he had learned that George Deutsch, a NASA press aid, had falsely claimed to have graduated from the school in 2003. In fact, Anthis wrote, records showed Deutsch had never received a degree from the school before leaving in 2004.
Deutsch is a Bush administration aide who was, according to Anthis' blog, was "at the heart of the administration's efforts to censor NASA scientists (most notably the prevent James Hansen from speaking out about global warming) . . . . "
Anthis' original post, dated Feb. 6, 2006, 11:23 p.m., is at:
http://scientificactivist.blogspot.com/2006/02/breaking-news-george-deutsch-did-not.html
"BREAKING NEWS: George Deutsch Did Not Graduate From Texas A & M University"
The New York Times story on Wed., Feb. 8, about Deutsch's resignation the previous day mentioned Anthis' blog post as triggering Anthis' departure. The Times account noted that Deutsch's role in the allegedly censorship was "small but significant."
The New York Times account was at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/08/politics/08nasa.html
Other accounts:
http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/02/08/1240226
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20060208-104056-2785r
http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/20060208_bush_nasa/
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=1595122
