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Are we surprised by this?

Accusations that the Bush administration is playing politics with science are nothing new. But Tuesday, those charges came from one of the administration's own appointees - former Surgeon General Dr. Richard Carmona.

"The reality is that the nation's doctor has been marginalized and relegated to a position with no independent budget and with supervisors who are political appointees with partisan agendas," Carmona said. "Anything that doesn't fit into the political appointees' ideological, theological or political agenda is ignored, marginalized or simply buried."

He explains further:

He recalled a meeting where senior White House officials talked about global warming as a liberal cause with no merit.

"I remember thinking, 'I know why they want me here, they want me to discuss the science; they don't understand the science.' So I had this scientific discussion for about a half an hour, and I was never invited back to the meeting."

Carmona soon realized what he had gotten himself into, however. When he wanted to launch a public education campaign on the science of stem-cell research, he was told he couldn't.

"I was blocked at every turn, told the decision had already been made. Stand down, don't talk about it," he said.

Carmona said that throughout his term, his speeches were edited and talking points were provided by political appointees. President Bush was to be mentioned at least three times per page for example.

What the f---?!! Is this the old U.S.S.R. or the friggin' United States of America?

Unbelievable...

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