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Feb 6, 2006

BREAKING NEWS: George Deutsch Did Not Graduate From Texas A & M University

Through my own investigations I have just discovered that George Deutsch, the Bush political appointee at the heart of administration efforts to censor NASA scientists (most notably to prevent James Hansen from speaking out about global warming), did not actually graduate from Texas A&M University. This should come as a surprise, since the media has implied otherwise, with even The New York Times describing the 24-year-old NASA public affairs officer, as “a 2003 journalism graduate of Texas A&M.” Although Deutsch did attend Texas A&M University, where he majored in journalism and was scheduled to graduate in 2003, he left in 2004 without a degree, a revelation that I was tipped off to by one of his former coworkers at A&M's student newspaper The Battalion. I later confirmed this discovery through the records department of the Texas A&M University Association of Former Students.

Deutsch’s former coworker informed me that in the summer of 2004, when Deutsch was the Opinion Editor for The Battalion, he was offered a position in George W. Bush’s presidential reelection campaign. The position was apparently too good to turn down, so Deutsch not only left his editorial post, but he also left A&M completely. Deutsch's coworker was not aware of him returning to A&M to complete his education. I investigated this further, and through the Association of Former Students, I learned that George Deutsch never graduated from Texas A&M, and the last record of him was from June 9, 2004, when he withdrew.

At this point, while I am unaware of whether Deutsch graduated from college at all, it is clear that he did not graduate from A&M, and he may have intentionally misled people to believe that he did. The idea that NASA let a 24-year-old journalism major, with no experience in science or technology, other than writing a few articles about video games, determine what scientists were able to communicate to the public was pretty bad. The fact that he was censoring scientific information on global warming and the big bang made things more interesting, especially since he was a political appointee doing this to prevent challenges to the Bush administration’s policies. But now, finding out that he did not even graduate from Texas A&M, and may not have graduated from college at all, is absolutely outrageous. George Deutsch, as I wrote before, needs to be removed from this post immediately.

The Bush administration and the Republican Party can give lip service to science all they like, but when they show such a flagrant disregard for scientific integrity by placing someone, whose only qualification is having worked on the Bush campaign, in such an important position, everything else they say is meaningless.

209 Comments:

  • wow, that's an extraordinary post...i'll try to tell my friends to come here and read this. good job on finding this out! there's a lot of muck to be raked under bush.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 01:12:00 AM  

  • I have been following this story and and amazed that this brash punk with no PR experience or space interests would be in such a sensitive position.

    He needs the boot, then he can go back to playing his XBox.

    I have included excerpts of your blog on my site with a link back. The thread can be found here: http://astronomer.proboards23.com/index.cgi?board=nasa&action=display&thread=1138657502

    Thank you for the research and information!

    Joe
    Chicago Astronomer
    Administrator
    http://astronomer.proboards23.com

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 12:15:00 PM  

  • I would argue that it is completely irrelevant that he did not graduate from college. Plenty of brillant/successful minds did not graduate from college (and let's be honest, college doesn't necessarily teach you all that much. It is the extra opportunities [research, extra reading, campus involvement] one takes while in college that make it a truly meaningful experience.) The problem lies in the censoring... not the fact he didn't attend college. So I must disagree that this relevation is "absolutely outrageous"

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 01:41:00 PM  

  • I disagree. Since he had not proven his aptitude in any other way (other than demonstrating his loyalty to the Bush administration), his lack of a college degree is another indication that he was not qualified to determine what science should be communicated to the public. I don't think a college degree alone would change that, though. For example, I'm only 23 years old, and although I have an undergraduate degree in biochemistry, I would argue that I'm probably not even qualified for such an important position.

    As an added twist, I have been informed that George Deutsch's resume explicitly states that he earned a B.A. in Journalism from A&M in 2003, so either I'm wrong, or he's lying. I have no reason to doubt the information I received from A&M, but I am open to any evidence to the contrary.

    By Blogger Nick Anthis, at Tue Feb 07, 01:55:00 PM  

  • I don't think the issue is that a degree would make him more qualified for this position, the issue is that he claimed to have a degree when he in fact does not. That right there should be a strong indication of his lack of credibility.

    Not only that, but I don't think that even if he had completed his degree in journalism, journalism alone does not seem to me to be enough qualification anyways to be making such decisions where NASA is concerned.

    Emphasis should also not be ignored on the Bush administration's penchant for appointing loyal staffers with jobs they're not qualified for (i.e. Michael Brown and Harriet Miers)

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 02:36:00 PM  

  • The guy is a douche. I had to read the crap in the batt's oped daily when I was at A&M. (graduated August '04)

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 08:08:00 PM  

  • This is big news.

    1) He lied, which seems to be the gold standard the Bush Administration uses to conduct business and probably why he was hired.

    2) He has no expertise in science

    3) It shows the lengths that Bush will go to make US a 3rd world country in terms of science.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 08:09:00 PM  

  • This is a multifaceted problem. But let's take it apart a little.

    One, he isn't qualified because of lack of experience. This in itself isn't a crime.
    Two, he was appointed to push the Bush agenda, still not a crime.
    Three, and most importantly, if he didn't graduate and he said he did on his resume then is usually a crime and he should be fired for such in the least. But hopefully he would face charges.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 08:14:00 PM  

  • Sad, truly sad.. This gives SO MUCH MORE credibility to mr.bush's government.. not! there's probably alot of people (brownoser) that we don't know about in this government that have jobs in which they have no qualification for whatsoever.

    Kiltak
    [Geeks Are Sexy] Tech. News

    By Blogger Kiltak, at Tue Feb 07, 08:20:00 PM  

  • Lying on your resume is not a crime. I don't think the fact that he has a government job changes that. Of course, he should be fired immediately if he did in fact lie on his application or submit a fraudulent resume. It's stupid and unethical, but it is not illegal.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 08:21:00 PM  

  • Ok, I don't understand why NASA should be censored in the first place....

    I'm not saying that they should put all their cards out on the table, like the source code for their shuttle's flight surfaces controls, but I think they know better not to tell that to anyone themselves

    This place it turning into USSR but Russians were open about censoreship and stated explicitly that if you say the wrong things you'll probably die

    Americans on the other hand hide behind court doors, political correctness, and all that kind of bullshit, we're not free, we just think we are......

    And the worst part is that it's not one dictator who's doing all this, it's a whole family of assholes who just woun't let go of their power, even if it means spiraling the country into the ground

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 08:22:00 PM  

  • If you don't agree with his policies that's fine. You didn't offer any evidence to support the notion that he intentionally misled people.

    Taking pot shots at someone who got the job of a lifetime and decided to quit school a few months early is really pretty cheap.

    Bill Gates and many other successful people saw no need for college.

    I imagine you have a college diploma, and I imagine that the piece of paper is among the things you are most proud of.

    Try accomplishing something real and see how insignificant your graduation status actually becomes.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 08:29:00 PM  

  • I'm glad you've brought out this apparent discrepancy. If it's true that he never actually graduated, then it should be bye-bye.

    To me a larger issue, which most of you seem uninterested in, is that a 24-year-old journalism/PR hack is influencing what can be discussed. A PhD in journalism wouldn't make him any more qualified to weigh in on scientific topics.

    So whether he lied is important, whether he has this degree or what seems unimportant.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 08:32:00 PM  

  • This is really interesting...I'm glad that you posted this in case people begin to have a false impression of Texas A&M as a one-sided, all Bush-supporting university. If Deutsch did not even graduate from here with a degree and went straight to working on the Bush campaign, of course he has no credibility in accusing NASA, taking on an major science-related issue, or being afiliated with Texas A&M University.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 08:34:00 PM  

  • In regards to an earlier anonymous comment:

    I said that he "may have intentionally misled people," not that he definitely did, but I have since learned that his resume does explicitly state he that he received a B.A. in journalism from A&M in 2003. That is pretty telling.

    As far as what I've accomplished, you can read my bio or Google me if you like. I don't place so much weight on a college diploma or any other resume items, but I think if you're in a position like Deutsch, and you havn't demonstrated your ability to interpret science in any way, then I don't think that a college diploma is too much to ask for.

    By Blogger Nick Anthis, at Tue Feb 07, 08:40:00 PM  

  • Maybe they should start calling these types of appointments, "Brownies", after the former FEMA person who had bogus qualifications.

    ttyl

    By Blogger Unknown, at Tue Feb 07, 08:41:00 PM  

  • I think there is yet ANOTHER point people are missing. Our government has stopped making an effort to look legitimate. You are hiring a young man to manage the information about space that reaches the public. He lists ONE college on his resume and you look at it and go "cool welcome aboard." One college. That's one phonecall. I thought we were careful about these things. Even if just to avoid embarassment. Perhaps it is not a crime to lie on your resume. BUT (if these accusations are true) our government is certainly ONCE AGAIN guilty of negligence.

    By Blogger Dave Himself, at Tue Feb 07, 09:00:00 PM  

  • Mr. Anthis, have you tried to point this out to any major news papers yet? I think if you can find a writer who supports science, or at least supports exposing Bush administration croneyism, they would eat this up.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 09:02:00 PM  

  • As a precursor to this whole situation,I would advise reading the "Skeptical Environmentalist, measuring the real state of the world," by Bjorn Lomborg. It soundly answers all of the questions about current environmental problems, which brings me to the question,what does the medium matter, aka George Deutsh?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 09:04:00 PM  

  • I actually remember George from college. His articles were dribble... amatuerish and out-of-touch with reality. A yellow journalist who screamed for the extreme right, even if he didn't understand the words he was speaking. There were several instances in which his articles were found to contain false leads and bad information. All in all... this is a great find, but not one that would surprise anyone who attended Texas A&M with him.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 09:07:00 PM  

  • He needs to be fired.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 09:24:00 PM  

  • What? Another unqualified, incompetent political hack in the Bush Administration?

    Georgie, yer doin' a heck of a job!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 09:30:00 PM  

  • Deutchie, you're doing a heckofa job!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 09:30:00 PM  

  • I am a federal employee (not political) and you can bet I had to produce transcript for every degree or class I claimed on my resume. And if you need security clearance - which you would think a NASA spokesperson would - the govt goes even more deeply into your personal life. So someone getting away with a lie like this is pretty outrageous. I don't know about unclassified work, but lying on your security clearance questionnaire is illegal, I believe.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 09:33:00 PM  

  • Submitted to CNN :) We'll see how they react.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 09:34:00 PM  

  • I don't know what the statutory resume accuracy requirements are for political appointees. However. for regular Civil Service jobs, falsifying your resume is gounds for immediate dismissal, and leaves the door open to criminal presection. There is an affidavit form at that is part of the requirements for a Federal job application.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 09:34:00 PM  

  • Since when does incompetence in government surprise us? :-) This is the way things have been in the U.S. for many years. It's why we are falling behind the rest of the industrialized world.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 09:36:00 PM  

  • Great work. We could have at some more Republican hacks now, like Steven Milloy, the Junkman of Science, who says he has a masters in biostatistics from Johns Hopkins, but to judge from the ISI Web of Science, not a single peer reviewed scientific publication. Somehow, this has qualified him over the last decade to be the self appointed (and industry supported) identifier of ``junk science''.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 09:37:00 PM  

  • Why should the guy be fired? He's doing exactly what he was hired to do. Let's face it. Look at most employment contracts. A given individual employee is not a spokesperson for the company. In most corporations, employee's are explicitly told to not talk to the media. That's the job of the PR department. In most cases this makes sense.

    If the goal of the administration is to suppress all dissenting opinions, it's a lot easier to appoint a few PR hacks to muzzle everyone else than it is to find scientists who are willing to only produce "scientific" results favorable to the current political agenda of the moment.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 09:38:00 PM  

  • This administration sounds more and more just like Illinois republican political patronage, no education or skills needed, merely loyalty. Word of advice, watch out while traveling Illinois roadways.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 09:40:00 PM  

  • political appointee does not equal PHD degree in anything. I am sure that both parties have done the same thing. Stop whining.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 09:40:00 PM  

  • Nice work, but we are talking about the Bushies. This kid will get a better-paying job at some right-wing parking lot, a properly degreed and older Bush stooge will get the punk's job, and what will be different?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 09:41:00 PM  

  • Karl Rove never graduated from college either. And look at the post he holds.

    Of course he never claimed to graduate, either. Did Deutsch ever claim to be a graduate of A&M?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 09:42:00 PM  

  • What matters isn't that he didn't graduate.

    What matters is that he (or the whitehouse) is telling people he did. Which is lying.

    It's not the dropping out (which was probably a smart move), it's they lying.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 09:43:00 PM  

  • He is a political officer, in the Soviet tradition, with power to silence some of the nation's most prominent scientists.

    We should all follow Bush's 2004 campaign staff into their current bureaucratic posts, and publicly identify them with the presumption they are there specifically to mute the quantitative judgements of qualified public servants that form the record of incompetence, cynicism and anti-democratic devotion emblematic of this cabal in power.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 09:43:00 PM  

  • This really is not that big of a deal...
    Do people really need something to complain about? 1 person does not determine what is heard/not heard..

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 09:46:00 PM  

  • He shouldn't claim to be an Aggie. The Code of Honor states that "Aggies neither lie, cheat, nor steal or tolerate those who do."

    He lied; he's not an Aggie.

    MAR Classes of '81 and '87

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 09:47:00 PM  

  • Is this really censorship. Politicaly NASA I guess won't take a side. After all Evolution is basically the same thing as a religious idea of how the world started. And are they really saying that their scientist have to say the big bang is a theory in the personal lives?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 09:48:00 PM  

  • Hey Anonymous:

    You're obviously a troll from a Right-Wing Think Tank...like The Heritage Foundation?

    Or is it the Discovery Institute?

    Or perhaps AEI?

    You clock out in :15 minutes. My money says you go home now and we never hear from you again.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 09:49:00 PM  

  • Yes it is important because he march's to the ideology and not to serve the people which is what a government employee is supposed to do

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 09:51:00 PM  

  • This sort of hiring reminds me of the Discovery Institute's decision to hire the notorious lying sack of ignorant shit named Casey Luskin as the DI's legal and occasionally scientific mouthpiece.

    Luskin is fresh out of UCSan Diego and, in addition to his documented habit of talking out of his ass and lying outright, he has zilcho legal experience and his knowledge of molecular biology and genetics is close to nil.

    But why should the DI care? All they want is some asshole with some recitable credentials who is willing to recite the script for the rubes.

    Same with the Bush Admin and this George Deutschbag character (who also promotes intelligent design, by the way, just like Luskin -- coincidence???).

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 09:53:00 PM  

  • Texas A&M Journalism degree. Sure. That's a pinnacle of achievement. (Not!)

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 09:53:00 PM  

  • When I filled out my application for a security clearance, I had to sign under penalty of perjury that everything is true and correct. Ever school I attended, every diploma, every address I lived at. If Georgie lied to obtain a clearance, it is a criminal offense. No different than the rest of the bush admin

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 09:54:00 PM  

  • Wow, yeah, a lot people missing the point:

    1) NO, it's not illegal, un-ethical, yeah (both for the appointee and appointer)

    2) It doesn't matter that he doesn't have a dgree, it matters that he has no qualifications, other than some video game articles (that's science right?)

    3) It also brings up a bad taste in my mouth from the last time an appointee fibbed on his resume: that person had something to do with a little thing called hurrican Katrina....

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 09:55:00 PM  

  • Taking pot shots at someone who got the job of a lifetime and decided to quit school a few months early is really pretty cheap.
    Keep changing the subject, koolaid drinker. If he quit, he shouldn't say he graduated. Is this some nuanced distinction for wingnuts?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 09:55:00 PM  

  • maybe we should say they are not only 'brownies' but that they have earned their 'brownie' points by brown nosing in politics rather than being of a mind disciplined and an expert in the field needed (e.g. science, emergency/disaster, economics, etc.) Personally and in my opinion, that it is far more likely a Republican view to disdain experts who have experience and training in a particular discipline over those who carry water for the idealogy of the right-wing. They think they know better and have no need to question themselves.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 09:57:00 PM  

  • it is far more likely a Republican view to disdain experts who have experience and training in a particular discipline over those who carry water for the idealogy of the right-wing. They think they know better and have no need to question themselves.
    Well, they won. The Reality Based Community has no influence anymore.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 09:58:00 PM  

  • Not only should Deutsch have a RELEVANT SCIENCE degree, it should be an advanced degree.

    OR, he should keep his mouth shut.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 09:59:00 PM  

  • Taking pot shots at someone who got the job of a lifetime and decided to quit school a few months early is really pretty cheap.

    Sucking Bush's creationist cock is the job of a lifetime?

    Geebus ... if you say so, asswipe.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 09:59:00 PM  

  • Correction -

    You corrected a minor typo in the penultimate sentence in the penultimate paragraph.

    :)

    (Sorry about that).

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 10:00:00 PM  

  • But what is THE big deal here? Why does this cause so much commotion? How can we assume that his co-worker was even telling the truth? This article does not give good backing for the claim. There should be documentaton of these auctual events. This is just a chew toy for all the Liberals..

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 10:02:00 PM  

  • It's really amazing that Republicans don't think you need any qualifications to discuss,well, anything at all.

    The fact that a member of the PR department is telling scientists what to write about science affecting public policy is the big story here. Even if the guy were a Ph.D scientist, his behavior would be totally out of bounds, unless he were commenting in the area of his own expertise.

    Josh Marshall has nailed it---he says that the Republican party no longer believes in empiricism. He's right.. and this story is more empirical proof of it!

    As a side note, I think that patronage appointments involving extremely young, totally unqualified people is pervasive in the Bush administration. We need more stories like this.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 10:04:00 PM  

  • Yikes! An undergraduate journalism degree itself would be piss-poor qualifications for the position and power he was given by the Bush administration. But to be given the role without even finishing that, or any college degree is horrible.

    The blame here isn't his, it's the people/administration that gave an unqualified person the inappropriate job and authority.

    The President's leadership practice of valuing blind loyalty over qualifications and experience in putting people into positions of power is a disgrace and it's dangerous to the welfare of our country.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 10:06:00 PM  

  • Regarding the "Stop Whining" comment - no, both parties do not do the same thing. FEMA cleared house before because it was the dumping ground for political appointees, and under Clinton had a qualified emergency management official who had actually done emergency management in FEMA for years.

    Compare this to Brownie, and then tell me to "stop whining..."

    Scientific integrity was one of the few kinds of integrity we had left - now it has been tainted as well.

    It is worth shouting about, never mind "whining."

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 10:07:00 PM  

  • Full disclosure: I held a Schedule C appointment in the Reagan administration -- not a political plumb, but a position reserved for experts. My expertise was public information, as I recall. Before that, at the age of 23 I ran the press for a U.S. Senate campaign, and was press secretary at 26. Politics is a wonderful place for youthful minds and bodies to go do noble stuff -- if they do noble stuff. I am a graduate, in mass communications (broadcasting), University of Utah, and law, George Washington University. I also have a fondness for the late jorunalism program at Texas A&M, since it produced one of the best interns anyone could hope for (a woman so sharp that she refused our offer of a full-time appointment in a Senate office).

    So I've been on that track, and around it a few times.

    Comments: 1. We have laws against monkeying with research. To the extent that anyone tries to change the outcomes of experiments or observations for publication, it's probably a crime. Is the NASA Inspector General involved yet? Deutsch's actions may constitute a crime.

    2. Deutsch's position is not a political appointment, almost certainly. It's either a civil service post, or it's a Schedule C post -- the White House political reach doesn't go that far down the management chain.

    3. Because it is not a political appointment, Deutsch's job is to dispense the news, not Republican political correctness. Misfeasance and malfeasance are grounds for termination.

    4. Deutsch's failure to graduate is no problem, so long as he was not claiming to be a graduate.

    5. The head of NASA has spoken on the policy to be followed in these cases, effectively repudiating Deutsch's actions. Deutsch is bound to follow his boss's boss. A&M really doesn't make a practice of admitting total dolts -- perhaps this kid is educable.

    By Blogger Ed Darrell, at Tue Feb 07, 10:08:00 PM  

  • Excellent work! I was puzzled why he had Batallion pieces in 2004 if he graduated in 2003.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 10:13:00 PM  

  • Diploma are just a piece of paper, but give us some evidence of his talent, for all to judge.


    His uncontroverted statements to date are all the evidence I need.

    The guy is a fucking moron when it comes to science.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 10:13:00 PM  

  • It would be great if someone posts some earlier articles by G.D.. Diploma are just a piece of paper, but give us some evidence of his talent, for all to judge.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 10:14:00 PM  

  • Lying to obtain anything of benefit from the federal gov't (including a paycheck) is a crime. Two separate sections of the U.S. criminal code make that blisteringly clear.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 10:18:00 PM  

  • I stopped being surprised at the audacity and sheer stupidity of the administration a few years ago. Unbeliveable!

    By Blogger sygyzy, at Tue Feb 07, 10:28:00 PM  

  • Good god. I'm a graduate (yes! an actual graduate!) of Texas A&M, with a degree in journalism, unlike the idiot Deutsch.

    Shame on him for bringing those of us with an actual degree from that fine insttitution into his mess.

    And, more important, shame on him for being part of the Bush administration's incorrigible ploy to put incompetence ahead of the American people.

    By Blogger Ed, at Tue Feb 07, 10:30:00 PM  

  • Scientific Activist ?

    I think you should get your money back from Texas A&M.

    Activism has no place in science. Your activism is not any different than religion.

    Go activate on that!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 10:32:00 PM  

  • Great post Nick. It's also great to see a you're doing well at Oxford.

    You've been hiding this blog from us Aggie Dems. I found this blog through a link on ArsTechnica of all places, a very auspicious predictor of the future stature of this blog. I'm going to send out a link to your blog on the listserv.

    - A fellow Aggie Democrat and Goldwater Scholar

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 10:33:00 PM  

  • There are a huge number of young, degreed scientists and engineers who are good at PR who would have loved that job. Surely at least one in ten of those are screaming right wingers and would have gladly touted the party line. That would at least make it more challenging to argue about censorship of NASA scientists. Instead, they put an unqualified hack in there. Um, NASA people can find other places to work you know, if you dick around with them enough.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 10:39:00 PM  

  • Class of '60, I was the photographer for the Batt for two years. In those days...a different A & M (sorry teasips) and, sadly, a different Texas. Remarkable what carpetbagger oil guys can do, eh?
    And yes, I did graduate (Civil Engineering) and got the hell out of Texas as soon as I walked.
    Joe Jackson

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 10:44:00 PM  

  • Why do they pick such ignoramuses to such important positions? Are they trying to make America more stupid than it already is? Do they draw strings out of a cracker jack box, or what? I'm betting they probably misplaced Deutsch in picking him for the position. What they really probably meant to do with him is save him for monkey training simulations.

    Seriously, somebody send Deutsch-bag back to the McDonald's playland from where he originated.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 10:44:00 PM  

  • You can search for columns he wrote for the A&M school newspaper, The Battalion, at www.thebatt.com. Use the search feature at the very top of the page. You don't have to be a registered user to see his material. Below are links to two articles that are political in nature. I have emailed the Battalion about their former employee. Maybe they will pick this up.

    Class of 1993,
    Current employee of TAMU

    http://www.thebatt.com/media/paper657/news/2004/06/01/Opinion/Unfounded.Accusations-683782.shtml?norewrite&sourcedomain=www.thebatt.com
    http://www.thebatt.com/media/paper657/news/2003/07/24/Opinion/Lies-Behind.The.Curtain-513385.shtml?norewrite&sourcedomain=www.thebatt.com

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 10:47:00 PM  

  • 1) NO, it's not illegal, un-ethical, yeah (both for the appointee and appointer)

    For a position like this, he would have at least a background check performed by the FBI. If he put on his application that he received a degree when he did not, then it is indeed a crime as one of the other commenters mentioned.

    If he put it on his application (which he would be required to fill out even ig he is a political appointee), then he can be terminated.

    By Blogger Brian, at Tue Feb 07, 10:48:00 PM  

  • Suggest somebody follow up: Submit a FOIA request to NASA HQ for his job application. On it, he probably signed under penalty of perjury that all the info is accurate. This is just expanding on a comment made above: " I don't know what the statutory resume accuracy requirements are for political appointees. However. for regular Civil Service jobs, falsifying your resume is gounds for immediate dismissal, and leaves the door open to criminal prosecution. There is an affidavit form at that is part of the requirements for a Federal job application."

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 10:50:00 PM  

  • while this guy does sound like a complete idiot, at least he stopped that other moron from going on to talk about global warming. GLobal warming does not exist. you idiots need to get that through your skull. it. does. not. exist. The earth is just going through one of its warming cycles. You guys should watch the hbo show "bullshit" on global warming.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 10:57:00 PM  

  • So what next? A Dominoes delivery driver appointed Head of Transportation?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 11:01:00 PM  

  • Oh, my. The weight of the evidence on the one hand, and some flaky entertainment source on the other.

    Yes, that's both in response to the above, and to what I found when I tried searching as suggested, at www.thebatt.com.

    It shows both Deutsch's columns and responses to them printed there.

    Oh, my. Yes, he's a Brownie.

    The first is a response:

    No Sept. 11 link between Saddam and al-Qaida
    By: Robert Powel

    In response to George Deutsch's June 23 column: One of the primary goals of a journalist should be to clearly support arguments with sound reasoning, a consistent theme and trustworthy sources of information. Time and time again, however, I read opinion pieces in The Battalion that fail to meet such standards. Mr. Deutsch's column (June 23 [2004]) is one such example. Mr. Deutsch dismisses two highly reputable newspapers, The New York Times and The Washington Post, but then resorts to quoting an obscure conservative Web site (townhall.com) to make his point.....


    6/24/04
    Commission findings don't contradict Bush -- Bush administration never asserted an Iraq-al-Qaida link to Sept. 11 attacks
    By: George Deutsch

    Many of those following the 9-11 Commission hearings in the media have come away woefully misinformed. Newspaper headlines and published reports have misled some into thinking that the commission has found no link between Saddam Hussein's Iraqi regime and al-Qaida.....

    Yep, he's qualified as a sellsword.

    (Change in hyphenation since the Medieval -- from "sell-sword" to "sells-word" -- mercenary, either way.)

    By Blogger Hank Roberts, at Tue Feb 07, 11:06:00 PM  

  • Yeah, because the Douchebag, coupled with the show of a couple of shitty magicians trumps legimate studies accounted by over 300 experts in the field. Talk about complete idiot bullshit.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 11:08:00 PM  

  • from anonymous two slots above...

    ...GLobal warming does not exist..."

    And you are....?

    Idiot!

    I'm sure that your assertion is well informed by the best science of the day, unlike most atmospheric scientists.

    For the record, I am a real scientist and no, the idea that human activity is contributing to global warming is not 'bullshit'. And your saying otherwise proves nothing.

    Who the hell do you think you are? An expert, because you read a book by some ideologue funded by a right-wing think tank or worse yet, because you watched an HBO program. I can't believe the chutzpah of idiots like you.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 11:08:00 PM  

  • while this guy does sound like a complete idiot, at least he stopped that other moron from going on to talk about global warming. GLobal warming does not exist. you idiots need to get that through your skull. it. does. not. exist. The earth is just going through one of its warming cycles. You guys should watch the hbo show "bullshit" on global warming.

    By Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 10:57:18 PM

    Yeah, must not be, because you say so.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 11:11:00 PM  

  • it. does. not. exist.

    --

    Maybe repetition and fervent hope passes for fact and science where you come from, not anywhere I've been.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 11:13:00 PM  

  • Good work!

    I'm linking to this...

    By Blogger EconAtheist, at Tue Feb 07, 11:16:00 PM  

  • "GLobal warming does not exist. you idiots need to get that through your skull. it. does. not. exist. The earth is just going through one of its warming cycles."

    warming cycle?

    Lol, don't you mean interglacial period?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 11:22:00 PM  

  • Nick! Please keep on this!

    Can you FOIA NASA and see how this crony got his job and what his pay is?

    That should be public information.

    He's obviously NOT civil service - so did this 24-yr-old college DROP OUT get appointed to a SES-16 position and now make more than a GS-13 NASA scientist??

    That would be foul.

    And I think Keith O & TDS & Steve Colbert would love to see what you find out!

    "You're doing a heck-of-a-job, George!"

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 11:42:00 PM  

  • You guys should watch the hbo show "bullshit" on global warming.

    Yeah, that's where I look first for all my science info: magicians on cable TV.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 11:44:00 PM  

  • While reading this, I've been listening to a long interview being given by Bush thug Cheney. He's even talking about Bush's new infatuation with science. After reading about Bush Administration and NASA (& stem cells, & global warming, & conom effectiveness, &c., &c., &c.)--why should I believe a single word he says?

    By Blogger Mark, at Tue Feb 07, 11:45:00 PM  

  • World O'Crap has his college 'journalism':

    http://blogs.salon.com/0002874/2006/02/04.html

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 11:49:00 PM  

  • George Deutsch is a Dangerous Idiot

    Summarized here:

    1) People who are profoundly ignorant of science or technology who insist on playing a vital role in a that science or technology are idiots.

    2) Deutsch is not only profoundly ignorant, he suppresses and rewrites science from NASA based on his own partisan and fundamentalist ideology.

    3) NASA plays a critical role in understanding and protecting the planet (through research), developing US military superiority (via R&D) and US economic strength (by being an inspiration to school children). By undermining those roles, Deutsch is dangerous.

    George Deutsch is a dangerous idiot. QED

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 07, 11:59:00 PM  

  • George Deutsch? I wonder if it's the same George Deutsch who wrote this Defense of Head Shops. Apparently the Cannibis News liked it enough to feature it.

    The article ends on a note of warning against "governmental irresponsibility":

    "Unless U.S. citizens hold agencies such as the DEA and individuals such as Attorney General Ashcroft accountable, they will continue to persecute and prosecute innocent Americans, defining federal law as they see fit."

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 12:12:00 AM  

  • Oh my! I am beginning to wonder if there are any depths below which the Bush Administration is unwilling to sink.

    We have had ineffectual Presidents (Harding, Bush pere), good men who were bad Presidents (Wilson, Carter), bad men who were mostly good presidents (Nixon, Jefferson), and good men who were good presidents but did bad things meanwhile (Monroe, Clinton).

    But I am beginning to think that GWB is our first genuinely evil president.

    As a Christian, I am ashamed that Bush claims that title. And I am ashamed that so many of my brothers and sisters in Christ fail to see through him. He makes us all look bad.

    He frightens me. It sorta feels like the last few years of the Weimar Republic all over again....

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 12:25:00 AM  

  • wow. cogratulations! you must be terribly busy to be able to sit around and just dig up dirt on anyone you don't like! can your mom pay my rent, too?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 12:25:00 AM  

  • The guy is a republican version of the old communist enforcer type (comissar?) who was everywhere to enforce communist ideology.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 12:33:00 AM  

  • It is starting to seem now like same christians in the German empire with an irresponsible ideology, except now they're doing the same in the Republican party.

    And by the way, great job investigating Deutsche's incompetence. Had any administration worth two turds cared to do a good background check, perhaps it would have been exposed earlier that a loser dropout was being hired to shit on NASA.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 12:37:00 AM  

  • The Aggie Code of Honor states: "Aggies do not lie, cheat, or steal--nor do they tolerate those who do."

    No, it doesn't matter if someone graduates from college. It DOES matter if someone LIES about graduating from college.

    As far as A&M being a "military oriented" university: the Corps of Cadets comprises less than 1% of the student body. It has not been an all military, all white, all male institution in quite sometime. The cadets are not required to enter the military after graduation. A very small percentage actually do sign contracts. That being said, the military tradition IS honored and revered.

    As for the comment that a degree in Journalism is "puke"...that is pure, unadulterated b.s. The Journalism Dept. is one of the top in the nation. If your thought holds, than the majority of Aggies either hold or are working on degrees that are "puke" as 99+% of them are not in the corps nor are they Military Sciences majors.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 12:39:00 AM  

  • I'm anonymous as I never read your blog until today and don't want anyone to know that I ever did..in fact I'm embarrased that I did. I don't support many thing the admin did but the kind of drival I just read is plain stupid gossip you ought to join the local ladies club. I won't argue your dumb comments because it would embarss you and those who think what you wrote was worth reading

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 12:41:00 AM  

  • I'm anonymous as I never read your blog until today and don't want anyone to know that I ever did..in fact I'm embarrased that I did. I don't support many thing the admin did but the kind of drival I just read is plain stupid gossip you ought to join the local ladies club. I won't argue your dumb comments because it would embarss you and those who think what you wrote was worth reading

    Speaking of dumbass comments from a hypocritical ass.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 12:48:00 AM  

  • As a Euro, i find all this chat terribly interesting.
    I'm happy to see my silly prejudices against Texas debunked. I'll sleep a bit smarter tonight.
    Thanks all.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 12:49:00 AM  

  • As one of about 100 lefties at A&M as an undergrad (Philosophy, not pukey Journalism) in the late-80's, who still wants defend a modicum of honor for the place, all I can say is "whew."

    By Blogger helmut, at Wed Feb 08, 01:11:00 AM  

  • Anonymous said:

    "But what is THE big deal here? Why does this cause so much commotion? How can we assume that his co-worker was even telling the truth? This article does not give good backing for the claim. There should be documentaton of these auctual events. This is just a chew toy for all the Liberals.."

    Um, did you miss the part where the author checked with the association of former students? I'm sure your eyes went right over that because it completely shoots down your argument that his claim isn't backed up. You guys really ARE not part of the "reality-based community," are you? If the facts contradict your beliefs, then the facts must be ignored.

    By the way, I thought the Bushies were going to "reinstate integrity" in the White House. How does hiring liars without doing the most rudimentary checking of their resumes advance that cause? Oh, that's right--that was just something to say to win an election; it wasn't supposed to be taken seriously.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 01:11:00 AM  

  • Anonymous said:

    "I won't argue your dumb comments because it would embarss you and those who think what you wrote was worth reading"

    No, Anon, my friend, you won't argue because you have no FACTS on your side. Instead you engage in ad hominum attack. Sad, very sad, especially coming from someone who supports the "Christians" in the Bush administration.

    Next time, bring a gun to a gun fight, not a rubber knife.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 01:15:00 AM  

  • There's nothing wrong with being a college dropout (as long as you left for a job offer you couldn't refuse)... Surely you can't deny the huge numbers of educated idiots there are out there... just look at some of the comment posters here!

    Also, just because you left college doesn't mean that you're less educated than someone who graduated... especially if you only had about a year or less left before you were eligible for graduation.... like myself.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 01:34:00 AM  

  • Am I the only one who finds it interesting that a 24 YEAR OLD with no scientific credentials is dictating what NASA says publicly? I haven't met a 24 year old yet (including me when I was 24) who was up to that task.

    From what I've read of the memos it looks like it was spoon fed to him from someone higher up in the administration.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 01:46:00 AM  

  • newsflash. W's lawnboy just became Secretary of Agriculture.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 01:46:00 AM  

  • The sad thing is, he can still claim to be a "former student of Texas A&M", and probably has enough credits to buy an Aggie ring, and in Texas, that's unfortunately all that matters. This is noxious to me, as a true alumnus of Texas A&M (BA, History & German, 1994) and a current employee of Texas A&M @ Galveston. He brings shame to his Alma Mater, but is all too typical. I am one of those rare things, an Aggie Democrat, an Aggie liberal. A son of a science teacher, a skeptic who respects the scientific method, and someone who is and profoundly anti-clerical. I was in the Corps for 1.5 years, and am a loyal Aggie. But this fellow's a disgrace. Bad bull, Ags.
    -JJR'93

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 02:26:00 AM  

  • No, there is nothing wrong with being a college drop-out. There IS something wrong with being a drop-out and saying you DID graduate (note: that is LYING). People lose jobs over lies like that!

    'Annoyed IT Guy' is dead on when he points out that it is "interesting that a 24 yr. old with no scientific credentials is dictating what NASA says publicly". But, keep in mind that people who are fired from their prior jobs for being incompetent--ie: inability to run a horse farm, et.al.--can go wield some power in this administration. And keep on failing with impunity ("oh, the title of the memo was something like 'bin Laden determined to hijack planes and fly them into buildings'...").

    At the end of it all, Deutsch will be awarded a medal, given a pat on the back and acclaimed with a hearty, "Heck of a job, Georgie!"

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 02:34:00 AM  

  • For the people who say that global warming is a myth, or who claim that the measurable global temperature increases are just part of the current interglacial period (heh..."warming cycle"...), I would suggest checking some legitimate peer-reviewed scientific journals. Literature reviews are the best source because they synthesize and critique a large selection of studies over several years from multiple lines of research. Most popular news articles and entertainment programs only give a "sound-byte" presentation of a limited number of studies, which is poor evidence to base either a pro or con opinion on.

    One of the more accessible articles I've read recently is by John Houghton, published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal _Reports on Progress in Physics_. People interested in the article can read the e-text here:
    http://www.iop.org/EJ/abstract/0034-4885/68/6/R02/

    This is the basic level of reading that Deutsch would have to do on a regular basis, and one would hope that anyone given his position would be familiar enough with the science involved to be able to properly evaluate it. While I respect real-world experience and self-learning, there are some very specialized knowleges needed here that I sincerely doubt Deutsch was able to pick up either in his 24 years or in his truncated college career. Certainly the decisions he has made during his tenure corroborate this opinion. And therefore, I do blame both him for accepting and the Bush Administration for offering this position. Those are my tax dollars at work letting some yes-man monkey determine the scientific information that gets reported to our government agencies and the public.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 02:46:00 AM  

  • I'm relieved to learn the little punk never graduated. My journalism degree (Texas A&M 1992) no longer feels debased.

    And yeah, this revelation makes him even more spectacularly unqualified for his post than he was previously. Grouse about "individual talent" all you want, but a person's going to have a hard time convincing a major media market to give them any consideration whatsoever if they don't have a degree. Let alone a 24-year-old political hack. Deutsch shouldn't dispair, though. There's always the Washington Times...

    By Blogger Jayme Lynn Blaschke, at Wed Feb 08, 02:49:00 AM  

  • He got this job because he is a science prodigy who has SINGLE-HANDEDLY DISPROVEN ASTRONOMY. Good thing his work is published, or we'd have to fall back on his academic credentials!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 02:50:00 AM  

  • Used to be a day when it was neither a liberal nor a conservative characteristic to demand that government hires be both qualified and competent. Now it seems that only liberals still care about that.
    This is a government job we're talking about here. And one that's likely never been held by a 24 year old college dropout. And, yeah, when you're 24 years old, going for a job like this, a college degree matters. For some jobs, experience can compensate for a lack of a degree. For a job like this, there's really very little a 24 year old could have already accomplished to get past such a basic requirement for employment.
    It's become clear to everyone who doesn't have their head up Bush's ass that Bush and his cronies simply don't care about governing. They don't care about qualifications. They don't care about doing a good job.
    They. Don't. Care. But with so many people with their heads up Bush's ass, Bush's people know they don't have to care.
    It's a crying shame.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 02:56:00 AM  

  • This guy is a DeutschNozzle. Oh and by the way,
    Anonymous posts are for chickenshit conformists.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 02:57:00 AM  

  • NASA Watch has learned that George Deutsch resigned his position at NASA today.

    NASA Watch link

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 03:01:00 AM  

  • If you google "deutsch nasa release" (not to see if he's been fired,
    but to find the type of press releases he has worked on) you will find
    a wide range of releases with two NASA HQ staff names and the name of
    a PR person from the NASA division that did the work. Usually Erica Hupp's
    name appear with George Deutsch on these.

    On older press releases, such as from the Spitzer telescope
    http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/Media/releases/index.shtml
    there doesn't seem to be the need for a "NASA HQ" PR person to
    be listed. On a numner of press releases that George Deutsch's name
    appears on, if you follow the link "click for more infomation", you
    get to a division web page that carries basically the same text
    as the "press release" does. Plagiarism from the technical web pages
    NASA has is still plagiarism if your only contribution is to put your
    name at the top of the information. I would love to see some document
    tracking to find out just what editing or writing he actually did on
    the many different areas of science that his name is now attached to.

    And by having his name - and phone number - on so many of these NASA
    releases, does that make him expert enough to speak on these issues?

    What do the PR people at JPL, Goddard, Chandra, Spitzer etc. think
    about this "bad boy" at head office whose name just gets attached to
    everything that the others produce?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 03:06:00 AM  

  • Nick, as a biologist and journalist who did graduate I applaud you as a journalistic hero of the day, week, month and possibly year. Bravo. Whoever says firsthand reporting doesn't happen on blogs is wrong in this case. Well done.

    By Blogger Mark, at Wed Feb 08, 03:14:00 AM  

  • So Deutsch resigned? One George down, one to go.
    Oh, and Dan, unless you put your last name and phone number on your post, you're just as anonymous as I am.
    It gets so tiring to point out the obvious to the obtuse.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 03:19:00 AM  

  • Get this blog post on Slashdot!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 03:22:00 AM  

  • And not only a Journalism degree but a science degree as well for this particular job. I just finished mine BA in Journalism and Environmental Biology from Cal State Northridge after a career for 15 years as a fishery biologist for the federal government. And I can't get a cub reporer job at any paper in the country. I'm beyond pissed at this insult.

    By Blogger Mark, at Wed Feb 08, 03:33:00 AM  

  • A careful investigation of the people in the Bush administration would undoubtedly show that there are hundreds and perhaps thousands of other unqualified political hacks making decisions on issues on which they have no competence.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 03:41:00 AM  

  • More in the "loyalty trumps experience" dep't:
    See http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/news/nation/13814730.htm

    First few paragraphs follow:
    State Department sees exodus of weapons experts

    By Warren P. Strobel
    Knight Ridder Newspapers

    WASHINGTON - State Department officials appointed by President Bush have sidelined key career weapons experts and replaced them with less experienced political operatives who share the White House and Pentagon's distrust of international negotiations and treaties.

    The reorganization of the department's arms control and international security bureaus was intended to help it better deal with 21st-century threats. Instead, it's thrown the agency into turmoil and produced an exodus of experts with decades of experience in nuclear arms, chemical weapons and related matters, according to 11 current and former officials and documents obtained by Knight Ridder.

    The reorganization was conducted largely in secret by a panel of four political appointees. A career expert was allowed to join the group only after most decisions had been made. Its work was overseen by Frederick Fleitz, a CIA officer who was detailed to the State Department as senior adviser to former Undersecretary of State John Bolton, a critic of arms agreements and international organizations.

    By Blogger Maggie, at Wed Feb 08, 04:07:00 AM  

  • The fundamental problem with believing that government is bad is that such an ideology is not likely to lead to good stewartship. Bushies hired incompetent people on principle so that the programs they run could be listed on that new website of government programs that aren't working like they should. Then the Rethugs can go to the voters and say, hey, FEMA is not working so let's just get rid of it! Great idea until the agency actually needs to do something like save people from an earthquake or send a rocket to Venus - then incompetence just does not seem so cute. Congress needs to revisit every appointment it has confirmed since Bush took office and we need the Dems back in power so that we can start the hearings. -K in DE

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 04:23:00 AM  

  • Sorry, I meant stewardship. Long day. -K

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 04:24:00 AM  

  • Truth to power baby!!!!!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 04:26:00 AM  

  • God love you for this!...I would like to know what this resume fraud was making as a salary at NASA!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 04:27:00 AM  

  • Nice work Nick! I just blogged about it.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 04:32:00 AM  

  • Nice work, he had no friends over at www.nasaspaceflight.com either.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 04:34:00 AM  

  • High five on catching this one. If what you wrote turns out to be true, I suspect you'll be getting some calls from WAPO and NYT soon.

    It's amusing when people pretending to be journalists do a more thorough job than the people who actually are journalists. I think it's more an exception than a rule, but it's funny, nonetheless.

    By Blogger Ryan McGinnis, at Wed Feb 08, 04:48:00 AM  

  • You rock. I'm so glad you did a little digging...as someone who actually earned a Journalism degree, it saddens me that mainstream journalists are so lazy they can't do the slightest bit of research (given that the government checks don't seem to keep out incompetent cronies) and that it falls to bloggers to do basic research, but I hope you feel some satisfaction knowing that you helped expose yet again how fraudulent, destructive, and cynical this administration's science policies truly are.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 04:53:00 AM  

  • Having Bush in the White House is endangering our lives and our livelihoods.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 04:54:00 AM  

  • Hey, I'm a 24 year old college dropout, I wonder if the Bush admin has any room for me? Then again, I'm probably smarter than this kid, so maybe I can be head of NASA or something.

    This is kind of ridiculous though, many good points made in the comments.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 05:07:00 AM  

  • Well, stictly speaking I'm a college drop-out and I'm reasonably successful in my field though IT is an unusual beast where skill and intelligence can actually trump academic pedigree.
    This is a bit different. This person may have falsified his resume which I have never done.
    Also, this person presumes to impose intellectual influence over Primary Investigators in their own fields.
    This situation would be exactly like me, lying on my resume to get an IT job in a hospital, then taking that position and forcing my opinions on the Doctors and researchers of that hospital. Do you want the drop-out IT guy, no matter how good he is with computers, to but in during your medical exam to tell your Radiologist that it's only a theory that white masses on MRIs are bad?

    I think not.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 05:18:00 AM  

  • and this surprises--who?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 05:42:00 AM  

  • HE'S BEEN FIRED!!!!!


    http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/08/politics/08nasa.html

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 05:43:00 AM  

  • Well, not so much fired as resigned, but I doubt it was his idea.

    By Blogger Ryan McGinnis, at Wed Feb 08, 05:52:00 AM  

  • Very good work, Nick! I am not really surprised by the sneaky ways that the Bush dictatorship is trying to twist facts and now apparently EVEN censors scientists, for God's sake! What I am really upset about is that a baby f...head like Mr. Deutsch with or without a degree gets hired into such a decision-making job by NASA. This just blows my mind and makes me wonder whether a larger "Deutsch" at a much higher position at NASA is still doing his "job".

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 06:06:00 AM  

  • The Times is reporting that Deustch handed in his resignation as soon as this information came to light. Great work!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 06:12:00 AM  

  • Sounds like George Carlton Deutsch III wants to spend more time with his family...

    -

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 06:14:00 AM  

  • Backslap for the catch, Activist.

    You did the work of 10 Times reporters who didn't have your guts. You've done a service to NASA and to the American people.

    By Blogger JenJen, at Wed Feb 08, 06:16:00 AM  

  • You rock, dude. Abe Lincoln would be proud of you.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 06:17:00 AM  

  • I sent this email to Deutch on 2/4 after reading about his exploits at NASA in the NYTimes:

    "I just read the recent articles in the NYTimes mentioning you and your role at NASA. I must say, as a tax payer and admirer of NASA and what it does, I am appalled that you - a young non-scientist obviously with little understanding of science and the scientific method - would believe you have the knowledge and authority to rewrite text written by real scientists for the general public to reflect your religious beliefs. It is really unbelievable.

    I hope President Bush finds something more suitable for you to do. Perhaps you could organize the White House Easter egg hunt this year?"

    Delighted that so many were out there debunking this guy. Excellent job!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 06:21:00 AM  

  • Great work Nick!! This is yet another 'Brownie' story. FEMA, EPA, NASA and the list goes on. This shows the incompetence and the disdain the Bush administration has for science and all government agencies in general. They care only about the right wing ideology and big business interests. Science and technology are only embraced as long as they can make a buck out of it.

    I was an international engineering student at TAMU in the early 90s. TAMU has great engineering and agriculture programs. I cannot comment on the quality of other programs though. However, I am not surprised at the George Deutsch types attending or grduating from this school. The political scene was dominated by the right wingers then. I can only imagine how far to the right it must have moved over the last 10 years. Aggie code of honor states that aggies don't lie, cheat or steal. How about critical/rational thinking, open mindedness and treating everyone with respect? I felt that there was a lot of bigotry and intolerance on that campus then.

    The Battalion is no different than the rest of the US media. Facts don't seem to matter much, only perceptions do with this administration. One shouldn't be surprised to see that the Bush administration and the US media have lost credibility abroad.

    Class of 1993.
    Comfortably living at a healthy distance from Texas :-)

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 06:24:00 AM  

  • Good work man!

    Sunlight once again proves to be the best disinfectant.

    Nick, do you have an Amazon wish list?

    If not, set one up and let us know how to get at it, won't you?

    Stefan Jones

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 06:33:00 AM  

  • Dude, you're in the Times!

    I first read about this story on Kos and thought, "What a douchebag!"...and then I read he "graduated" from A&M...

    Sigh.

    Good catch on this one,
    -BICH Class of 0'3

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 06:46:00 AM  

  • Does this administration EVER hire anyone who is actually qualified to do the job?

    You have a few million new friends. Thank you.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 06:55:00 AM  

  • Well, a little snooping around in the NYT and WP papers of the last few days may have revealed the name of the "larger "Deutsch" at a much higher position at NASA" I was wondering about above. His name is Dean Acosta and he was Deutsch's supervisor. My humble question: was Dean sleeping on his job or is he another Bush appointee who may have even encouraged Deutsch in censoring the scientists at NASA. I think NASA should seriously start clearing some "brush" quickly before it becomes a pathetic propaganda machine of this administration.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 07:13:00 AM  

  • You're in the New York Times because the New York Times fell asleep at the switch. That said, I've granted the "Paper of Record" 1,000 points for their illegal wiretapping stories which have turned out to be the latest hope of the beginning of the end for the current US mal-administration.

    Yours is just adding a nail to the coffin or, the way I like to imagine it, a bar to the cell.

    You have done well. All by the simple fact of your courage and a little work.

    I disagree strongly with those who have suggested here that Deutsche's lack of education was irrelevant. They missed the point.

    He lied.

    But at least these apologists are honing-in on a consistency: those who lie seem to go places in the current mal-administration.

    Deutsche is one liar down, and hopefully many more to follow.

    ps: some are spelling the name Deutch. That family name belongs to the infamous John M. Deutch, former CIA director during the Clinton Administration, who is a blame-patsy for the current mal-administration. They claim that his clamp-down on security and procedure to protect civil and other rights caused the CIA to miss the 9.11 attack.

    If Deutsche is a Deutch, it's both a miracle he got the job and no wonder he lost it.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 07:54:00 AM  

  • Earlier in the day, I linked to you, from Crooks and Liars to read this post. I had to come back, after reading the story coming out in Wednesday's NYT, and congratulate you on doing the background check that, seems obvious to me, was not done during the vetting process when he was working on dear leader's campaign, much less being given a job at NASA.

    You forced an administration crony to resign. How cool is that? Good going!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 07:55:00 AM  

  • I bet you won't have any time to be
    an activist, now that you have to spend your whole day reading these posts ;^)

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 08:09:00 AM  

  • Dude, way to represent TAMU Bio/Bio! You made the New York Times... must be nice.

    Seriously though, this was a big deal. Awesome job on helping to take this guy's hands off of NASA policy.

    H. Courtney Hodges
    TAMU Biochemistry '03
    University of California, Berkeley

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 08:16:00 AM  

  • Dude, way to represent TAMU Bio/Bio! You made the New York Times... must be nice.

    Seriously though, this was a big deal. Awesome job on helping to take this guy's hands off of NASA policy.

    H. Courtney Hodges
    TAMU Biochemistry '03
    University of California, Berkeley

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 08:17:00 AM  

  • Well done! It's so GREAT to see this illegitimate administration--in all its incarnations--get BUSTED in the act of again deceiving the public.

    Most of us already know of the dire state of our environment…no thanks to the criminal cabal at 1600 Pennsylvania. The BIGGEST crime this administration is committing is its DELIBERATE cover-up of the horrendous damage so many of its campaign contributors are foisting upon our planet from within our very own government.

    Heck of a job, Georgie!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 08:19:00 AM  

  • Anonymous, here's some links for Dean Acosta

    Bio:

    http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/acosta_bio.html

    Articles he's written (cached page:

    http://tinyurl.com/cewyc

    Here's something interesting:

    http://tinyurl.com/b5bby

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 08:46:00 AM  

  • Nick, you have much to be proud of today. Yeah, this guy was a small fish in a big pond, but it's a start. God knows the "mainstream media" isn't doing this kind of investigative work. Congrats!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 09:03:00 AM  

  • Nice job. This is real journalism. Checking facts & reporting them correctly. This is also part of the scientific method.

    David Egilman MD, MPH
    degilman@egilman.com

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 11:43:00 AM  

  • Go, Nick!
    Linked to and cited in the NYT!

    By Blogger Redbeard, at Wed Feb 08, 11:45:00 AM  

  • You rock! Man is this amazing evidence that the blogosphere can speak truth to power and win at least small victories.

    I will be a regular reader of your blog now, which I discovered through following this incident. You are doing a magnificent service with this. Hats off!

    By Blogger rcm, at Wed Feb 08, 12:58:00 PM  

  • It's funny to go back and read what some of the "apologists" had to say in this thread considering the results.

    Good job delivering HARD FACTS Nick.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 01:43:00 PM  

  • Thank you, Nick. Thank you sincerely.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 01:44:00 PM  

  • I blogged about this guy on Monday but didn't follow up on the fact that he continued writing articles in The Battalion into 2004. I graduated from A&M in 2003 with a Journalism degree (got the sheepskin to prove it), and I guess my opting away from a journalism career kept me from developing instincts like this.

    You deserve unending kudos on digging deeper and finding out the truth about this guy! Knowing that A&M puts out graduates like you makes me proud.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 02:19:00 PM  

  • Mr. Deutsch,

    I would like to remind you of the Aggie Code:

    An Aggie does not lie, cheat, or steal, or tolerate those who do.

    Of course, that last part should preclude Aggies from having anything to do with the RNC in general and the Bush Admin in particular.

    Cry not for Mr. Deutsch, as I'm sure he and Mr. Safavian can team up to form quite a successful lobbying team.

    TPS Aggie Class of '92

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 03:34:00 PM  

  • This is really surprising to me because as I began my career with NASA, in order to be placed in the position and pay grade I was in (a standard entry level engineer), I had to provide proof of graduation in the form of a diploma before I began work. Apparently there's not as much of a standard of proof for appointees or what?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 03:52:00 PM  

  • Holy cow! I just read todays (2/8/06) article in the NYT's about the resignation and followed the link to this original, fantastic, posting. It's wonderful to see a tangible, positive outcome from your posting. Many, many thanks.
    -N. Price
    Dublin, Ireland

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 04:06:00 PM  

  • Thanks Nick for getting this lobbying Fundy thrown out. Fundies belong in church. Keep them away from anything scientific. They don't even want to understand science.

    By Blogger Baconeater, at Wed Feb 08, 04:23:00 PM  

  • And, if you would like to leave a message for young George Deutsch before he finishes clearing out his office (his voicemail is still active...)then please call:

    ScienceHQ George Deutsch (202) 358-132
    (courtesy of the NASA Media Relations page!)

    -Wanker-

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 04:52:00 PM  

  • Family connections may have played a role in young Deutsch's career... George C. Deutsch was Director of the Materials and Structures Division at NASA in the 70's.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 04:54:00 PM  

  • Whoops! A digit was missing from Mr. Deutsch's office number, so:

    ScienceHQ George Deutsch (202) 358-1324

    Get calling!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 04:54:00 PM  

  • Good job for uncovering the truth about this Bush hack. It is despicable how Bush is attempting to suppress federal agencies from getting real science out to the people.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 05:21:00 PM  

  • Greets from South Korea. Wonderful job. I also appreciated the fact that you don't censor negative comments. It is amazing how this administration had legitimized war on academics (like that Kansas professor being attacked for being an atheist), just like authoritarian regimes. I can't believe the lies at all levels. This administration would never fly in another democratic republic- there would be a referendum, or even more radical forms of outrage.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 05:22:00 PM  

  • My best friend in the Navy was TAMU and my brother graduated from there in the 70s. All I can say is great work.

    The problem is that this is soon forgotten, just like Mike "heckuva job" Brown STILL being on the payroll. Has anyone ASKED what this guy will get for falling on his sword to protect The Leader?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 05:26:00 PM  

  • I am deeply, deeply disturbed by the number of posts defending the indefensible simply because the offender and poster share a common goal, if not means to that goal. You don't have to be a liberal (in fact, I'm not) to realize that Deutsch's actions are at a minimum, unethical. Whether left or right, wrong is wrong.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 05:47:00 PM  

  • Way to go! Thank you! We SHALL overcome!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 05:48:00 PM  

  • Nick,

    You are to be congratulated and recognized for revealing what should never have been allowed to occur. You did the job that NASA wasn't allowed to find out.

    Was the punk a patsy?...perhaps. A cog in a large wheel of ignorance, but you got him! And in a sense, you got them all. In my activities, I have been instrumental in the removal of incompetence and corruption from high positions in this fair city...and let me tell you, I sleep better. Sometimes, the little guy wins!...

    I have highlighted this thread on my astronomical forum, and if you were here in Chicago, I would buy you a drink!

    Kudos, my friend.

    Joe Guzmán
    Administrator
    The Chicago Astronomer
    http://astronomer.proboards23.com

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 05:50:00 PM  

  • By abandoning his Graduation for a political position when he new he was not ready; the only thing he proved is that hi is an opportunist. He should have never accepted the position and in my opinion the man should had been fired for lying in his credentials and qualifications for the job.

    It will be interesting to see how the right win press, the O’Reilly, Hannity, Limbaugh, and the others in Fox are going to rationalize this one.

    Julio Maldonado

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 05:51:00 PM  

  • Chicago Astronomer Joe said...
    Nick,

    You are to be congratulated and recognized for revealing what should never have been allowed to occur. You did the job that NASA wasn't allowed to find out.

    Was the punk a patsy?...perhaps. A cog in a large wheel of ignorance, but you got him! And in a sense, you got them all. In my activities, I have been instrumental in the removal of incompetence and corruption from high positions in this fair city...and let me tell you, I sleep better. Sometimes, the little guy wins!...

    I have highlighted this thread on my astronomical forum, and if you were here in Chicago, I would buy you a drink!

    Kudos, my friend.

    Joe Guzmán
    Administrator
    The Chicago Astronomer
    http://astronomer.proboards23.com

    Wed Feb 08, 05:50:55 PM

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 06:15:00 PM  

  • Thank you, Nick. Although outrageous in itself, George Deutch's actions and fate are of little concern to me, as they are a consequence and a casualty of lack of thought on appointments in the current administration. What I'm truly grateful for is that this incident has brought back science censorship under the spotlight. Very little has been written of the consequences of that censorship though. I do know that most of the public (along with the administration) would have to be educated on the scientific method first to have this debate but someone has to address the problem that there is not "another truth" and another option, that there is right and wrong in science and that in the end our political bias is meaningless. I do not believe that people fully appreciate that. This approach in itself, and the censorship of which rightly outrages our (scientific) community is merely a "theory" to the masses. I cannot rely on GWB or his appontees to truly care for us all nor do I think them capable of deciding what's best for all of us. They don't seem to be able to decide what's best for them (but that's another story)! Whose, then, responsibility is it to make us appreciate that this is one field where things are not a matter of opinion and the consequences of lying affect us all? I'd like to know where are all of my qualified (scientist) republican colleagues stepping up and offering to do Deutsch's job or suggesting someone else??? Or is the answer simply that no scientist with integrity will ever do the job?

    Lidija Sekaric, Ph. D.
    Research Scientist

    By Blogger lidija, at Wed Feb 08, 06:19:00 PM  

  • The turning of the tables

    As neither Democrat nor Republican, and rather anti-NASA (a result of being pro-space exploration), I find this whole thread quite amusing.

    How long ago was it that ....
    "It isn't that he had sex, it is that HE LIED about it" and "it's just about sex and that's no big deal" where the basic phrases being tossed around? In that case it was Republicans and Democrats, respectively.

    Now what do we see here?
    "It isn't about whether a degree qualified him, it was that HE LIED about it" and "a degree doesn't make you qualified, and it is is unethical but likely not a crime".

    So I don't see how either of you two groups can claim any moral of legal high ground here.

    As far as incompetence in government, *most* of government employees are incompetent, from the congress on down. Don't act suprised, you all know it. Republicans and Democrats alike. They're equally incompetent and trying to label either side as being more or less incompetent is ridiculous and pointless.

    As far as being down about government in general, no it is we the people who are at fault. As long as we try to and do associate one "side" as being any different than the other we will never see any real improvment. Republicans want to cut off your left hand, Democrats want to cut off your right. Either way you are down a hand. Alternate back and forth and, well you get the picture.

    Democrat incompetence? Absolutely. Department of Education, H&W, you name it they've had a hand in it.

    As far as Bush being "truly evil", please. Bush is no more evil than Clinton. Indeed they share something specific in common. They were both underestimated? Why? Because people like some that have posted here *like* to tarnish others as evil so they can feel better. Not in the same manner as insulting others. This is more insiduous and pervasive. It is to avoid cognitive dissonance and face reality.

    The most likely truth is NOT that Bush/Clinton set out to "destroy the country", rather that they believed that what they were doing was for the best. Those are the most dangerous types. "Conservatives" don't want to admit it because they'd have to face the atrocities done in the name of religion. "Liberals" don't want to admit it because they don't want to face the atrocities done in the name of "the children" and society.

    As long as you maintain that the other side is *trying* to make things worse you *will* fail in your opposition. Sure, you may feel good that a few people out of millions read your blog or your email or whatever, But you won't really have done anything more than preaching to the choir.

    It is much like the man without a name in Serenity. He was dangerous because *he believed* that what he was doing was right. Even though he new his actions were atrocious. Ends justifying the means - the fastest way to oblivion.

    And labelling the opposing side as evil or trying to make things worse is like closing your eyes to the screen showing the end result of your actions, collectively and individually.

    All that said, I'm glad this punk was exposed. I only wish it were sooner. But ultimately, as long as you leave things like this (science, exploration, etc.) to the government you will have these events. Take the science out of the hands of politicians. NASA has been rife with incompetence for decades. From the top down through middle management. And occasionally further down.

    Want the politics out of science? The Bush admin or the Clinton admin, or any other admins that have come or will come is not the source of the problem. They ar emerely symptoms of the problem: said problem being the government running it.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 06:22:00 PM  

  • Nick:

    Excellent investigative journalism and scientific activism. Thank you for your hard work. I learned of this news and of your blog this morning while reading the New York Times. Likely in part due to your hard work, Deutsch has resigned his post at NASA. Hopefully, the greater issue at play, government censcorship of science, will continue to be explored. I urge readers to contact their representatives in the House and Senate to request an independent review of NASA policies and of the Bush administrations handling of scientific information in general.

    Again, thank you for your efforts.

    By Blogger Ice Moon Expedition, at Wed Feb 08, 06:24:00 PM  

  • Pro bono copyediting? Well, George Deutsch is free. And he almost has a degree in Jounalism.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 06:26:00 PM  

  • I worry that Deutsch is not the only one. There are at least several other Bush appointees that are in top positions at NASA who could have political motiviations for influencing the science that NASA is working on.

    Ex-Astronaut Deputy Administrator Frederick Gregory was replaced by Shana Dale. Ms. Dale's experience: the Deputy Director for Homeland and National Security at the U.S. Office of Science and Technology Policy and previously Republican Counsel for both the Space and Science Subcommittees of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology.

    There's also Paul Morrell, named chief of staff for NASA. Mr. Morell came to NASA from the National Security Council where he was responsible for the formulation and implementation of communication plans and strategies to inform the public about the Bush Administration’s foreign and national security policy initiatives.

    And there's Jeffrey T. Jezierski, named deputy chief of staff for NASA, in addition to his duties as White House liason. Prior to coming to NASA, Jezierski served as a deputy associate director in the Office of Presidential Personnel at the White House from May 2001 to July 2003.

    Does anyone else remember what happened with FEMA when they were loaded at the top with presidential appointees?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 06:51:00 PM  

  • I did a search--there was a George C. Deutsch at NASA in the late 1970s: http://history.nasa.gov/SP-4012/vol4/appa.htm

    That this punk is a G.C. Deutsch "III", could it be he is a NASA legacy and that is how he got the post??????

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 06:54:00 PM  

  • This is perhaps irrelevant at this point, but a Google on "George Carlton Deutsch" brings up an index page of domestic court cases filed in 1990 in Jefferson County, Texas. Apparently DEUTSCH GEORGE CARLTON was the plaintiff against DEUTSCH SUSAN DEBRA in the matter of "F 0140006 4/11/90", whatever that may've been. Judging from the dates, I'd guess these would be our boys' parents, perhaps in a custody dispute?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 06:55:00 PM  

  • It is in the press now.


    Bush man resigns NASA post in scandal. United Press International Wed 2/8 12:30 pm CST

    NASA public affairs staffer who lacked degree resigns. Houston Chronicle Wed 2/8 12:10 pm CST


    Good work Nick

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 09:38:00 PM  

  • He resigned ?? Now the terrorists will surely win.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 09:58:00 PM  

  • Nick, thanks very much for tracking this down. I'm an evolutionary ecologist who has been following all of the tiresome "only a theory" anti-evolution drivel for years. I have to admit: I've long expected religious fundamentalists to start hounding the astrophysics/aerospace community, but only during the current administration have I learned to expect this kind of harassment to become a routine tactic of empty-suit political hacks.

    For those commenters who don't think that the padded resume was a big deal: Lying on a resume is something that can get you fired from just about any job at any level, anywhere. Employers generally don't take kindly to people who make false claims about their experience and credentials. And, it's a testimony to this guy's arrogance that he not only did it, but gave himself as high a profile as possible on his current job. I guess he figured that if he'd been appointed by the guy with the biggest cowboy hat, he was untouchable.

    Zarquon help us if blowhard ignorance has become a political asset. And thanks again, Nick, for being unwilling to put up with it.

    By Blogger Julie, at Wed Feb 08, 10:13:00 PM  

  • Playing along with the ID theme, I say we let them mention ID in Science class... as long as they are forced to discuss concrete evidence of evolution (ie virus mutations) in Sunday School so the ignorant home schoolers actually are forced to learn these theories. If science classes are nothing more than a forum for discussing religion, why cant we discuss science in a religious class?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 10:16:00 PM  

  • Great article! I like to seek these ineffectual cronies get what they deserve. Keep up the good work.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wed Feb 08, 11:22:00 PM  

  • Excellent work and blog—score one for the good guys. I am a strong opponent of the Bush administration and take pleasure in seeing a right-wing ideologue hung on his own petards, but having said that, I would suggest some perspective on the issue. Both Republicans and Democrats have a long history of appointing political hacks to government positions, including science-related positions. While Bush is certainly worse than the norm when it comes to appointments, I have many friends who rode the gravy train of Democratic administrations while in positions for which they were marginally qualified. While this particular NASA hack certainly had no qualifications for his position, and lied on his resume (as statistics suggest a vast majority of Americans do also), Clinton appointed many cronies to senior positions as well, and I suspect that more than a few of them had some ethical issues. So from the perspective of avoiding hypocrisy, we Democrats would be better off focusing on the Administration’s overall anti-science policies, rather than the qualifications vel non, of one particular conservative, twenty-something dufus.

    Christian from SF

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Thu Feb 09, 01:27:00 AM  

  • Thousands of networked minds in the blogopshere, and the prompt removal of an incompetant cronie exerting undue power over science in a matter of days. Next time someone like this pops up it should go a little something like this:

    We are The Blog, Lower your cronies and surrender your spin. We will add your knowledge of Bush's assaults on science to Chris Mooney's Intersection. Resistance is futile.


    KUDOS, NICK!

    By Blogger Karl Haro von Mogel, at Thu Feb 09, 04:13:00 AM  

  • Thank you for your reporting and for allowing an old Aggie to be proud

    Greg Parnell
    BS 1976
    PhD 1987
    (physics)

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Thu Feb 09, 06:37:00 AM  

  • What a Deutsch-bag!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Thu Feb 09, 08:11:00 AM  

  • George Deutsch clearly lacked the qualifications to edit the publications of NASA scientists. For such a position, I think the minimum requirement should be a high ranking post in an international Arabian horse association.

    "You're doin' a heck of a job Brownie... er, uh, Deutschie."

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Thu Feb 09, 08:22:00 AM  

  • For such a position, I think the minimum requirement should be a high ranking post in an international Arabian horse association.


    *SPUTTER* Man that's funny.

    Thank you, Nick. THANK YOU.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Thu Feb 09, 11:01:00 AM  

  • Good work! I'm going to be bookmarking your blog and telling all my friends about it!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Thu Feb 09, 04:21:00 PM  

  • You outed a Brownie! Great job on this research. You should be pround of yourself.

    By Blogger redglare, at Thu Feb 09, 04:34:00 PM  

  • Too bad we can't tattoo "liar" on his forehead to prevent further mischief......

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Thu Feb 09, 09:47:00 PM  

  • I am very upset about this individual claiming to be a graduate of Texas A&M University. I graduated in 2004 with a degree in Nuclear Engineering and value my degree. I feel that this persons actions reflects badly on everyone who attended Texas A&M University.

    I did not see this kind of ignorance in the engineering colleges. I do remember how other students in other colleges were so far out in the right. I also remember a time when a fellow student wanted to pick a fight with me over my support of Darwin, homosexual rights, and talking in disdain about the Young Conservatives of Texas. It is not a surprise to me to see this kind of person attending Texas A&M University. Thanks for making this story public.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Fri Feb 10, 12:23:00 AM  

  • Gotta think this happens all the time in this Administration. Recall the Office of Women's Health at HHS last fall: the Director resigned on principal after political interference in the approval of pharmaceuticals. So the Bush Administration appointed a veterinarian! Must have been qualified on women's health issues . . . so long as the women had four legs and big brown eyes. Remember, doc: "the cow says moooo." The guy resigned over the first weekend and Bush claimed it had never happened. So long as no one looks too hard, qualifications do not count.
    Thanks and keep up the good work.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Fri Feb 10, 12:47:00 AM  

  • There is an interview with the joker online at one of the radio stations local to College Station, home of Texas A&M.

    http://wtaw.com/

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Fri Feb 10, 12:22:00 PM  

  • Much Thanks and Kudos are in order, although George Deutsch is(was) the least of NASAs worries.

    As for your blog - now that you've got some serious jouranlistic 'capital' it will be quite enjoyable to see how it's spent. Hope you can continue to be the 'Avastin' to the angiogenesis of bad ideas.
    Cheers!
    -R Pierson
    BS Molecular Biology
    RAS Pharmaceutical Dev.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Fri Feb 10, 10:24:00 PM  

  • Great work, sir, for exposing this Bush-fawning fuckwit. The audacity of a non-graduate from a non-scientific major trying to tell NASA what is science is completely unbearable. I don't care if he's a tofu-dripping liberal or a Jesus-poisoned conservative. It's just ridiculous.

    As to the rest of you anonymous posters criticizing Mr. Anthis as you side with the fuckwit, sew on a pair of balls and sign your real name.

    By Blogger Maria Alexander, at Fri Feb 10, 10:29:00 PM  

  • http://johnquiggin.com/index.php/archives/2006/02/10/couldnt-happen-to-a-nicer/

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Fri Feb 10, 11:22:00 PM  

  • LOL. George Carlton Deutsch III has a little DUI on his public criminal records ... and he's only 24.

    I wonder if Bush political appointees backgrounds are checked by anyone.

    This information is easily available online from www.publicdata.com. I am posting the link, but it is a nominally priced subscription site that contains info from some but not all states.

    http://www20.publicdata.com/cgi-win/pd.exe/Detail?db=txdcjpa&rec=431251&dlnumber=011473552&dlstate=TX&id=10D6D53EE144CA7ECB49B957D4651C44

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Sat Feb 11, 02:33:00 AM  

  • i'm with maria............made my week!!..........one for the good guys

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Sat Feb 11, 11:32:00 AM  

  • Lying on a resume to get a Federal job is a crime. Lying to the Federal government is a crime. This little law is used to get people where the evidence is weak for another crime.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Mon Feb 13, 04:54:00 PM  

  • Has anyone seen the liar-in-chiefs MBA--from Hav-ud no less. The fruit doesn't fall far from the tree. And if he really does, in fact have an MBA, what was his thesis, or project, or whatever your supposed to do to demonstrate the ability for original scholarship? It would be informative to say the least if someone could confirm that Bush really does have an MBA and what did he do to attain it.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Tue Feb 14, 05:52:00 AM  

  • When you are a heritic hunter all that counts is your 'blind' alligence to those in the inquisition who hire you to do the dirty work. Brains and college degrees are not necessary, the only requirement is that you toe the party line and follow the orders of the dark lords who guide and direct you.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Sun Feb 19, 07:25:00 PM  

  • I agree, lying on an application is wrong. Whatever the consequence is should be enforced. Then every other person who did the same in every administration should follow him.
    I do and did not lie on any application I ever made. I know some who have, but they are still on the payroll because of trump cards they have played.
    I am glad that he showed the integrity to resign when his mistake was pointed out. I would like to hear from him, but the vile words preceeding this post are uncalled for and seem to expose a prejudice for a philosophy and not an integrity issue.

    By Blogger Chief RZ, at Mon Feb 27, 03:51:00 PM  

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