Congressman Seeks Scientists' Personal Data

jfengel writes "The Washington Post reports that House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton (R-TX) has requested raw data and personal financial information on three scientists who published a paper which claimed that temperatures rose precipitously in the 20th century. Colleagues (including other Republicans) are calling the investigation 'misguided and illegitimate.' Barton has long been an opponent of government action on global warming."

Comments

Evil Empire

[Doc Ruby]

Who was surprised this preparation for an obvious revenge attack, against scientists inconveniently interfering with oil policy, was the hatchet job of a Republican, or a Texan? Maybe Barton (R-TX) was hoping to learn the scientists' wives were covert CIA/WMD operatives. Then, of course, Barton could just discard national intelligence security as the cost of discarding national environmental security. Two great Texas Republican tastes that go great together!

Re:And yet, it moves

[THEbwana]

http://www.cato.org/pubs/regulation/reg15n2g.html

Re:And of course...

[ChePibe]

So, you would put all of your faith in a method, and say, "well, they're scientists, what ever they say HAS to be true! They use the scientific method!" Sorry, but I'm simply not buying it. The politician discussed has a legitimate question about the scientists and those who exert influence over them. Where's the crime in confirming the research? Where's the problem? Or should we simply place all blind faith in scientists because they use a method, and assume that they would never try to use it to push a personal agenda?

This is why Science will leave America

[asscroft]

Why be a scientist in America where you will be persucuted by religious zealots and oil companies when you can go to europe and do real science free from the republicans.