Kerry: Bush puts politics before science

Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry on Monday criticized President Bush for relying on ideology rather than fact in the pursuit of science, including changing online information on government Web sites about the effectiveness of condom use in preventing HIV infections and other sexually transmitted diseases. Kerry also repeated his pledge to overturn the ban on federal funding of research on stem cells taken from new human embryos. "We need a president who will once again embrace our tradition of looking toward the future and new discoveries with hope based on scientific facts, not fear," Kerry said in a campaign statement issued as he traveled to Denver. "It's about investing in the future of our country. I won't let ideology and fear stand in our way." The Bush administration, according to a Kerry campaign statement, removed information about global warming from a 2003 Environmental Protection Agency report; ordered changes to a report that described damage that would be caused by drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge; and deleted information about condoms from government Web sites. "The Administration has proposed cuts for scientific research and grossly distorted and politicized science on issues from mercury pollution to stem cell research," the campaign said. "This approach not only limits the research that our scientists are doing today, it undermines important discoveries of tomorrow and threatens America's critical edge in innovation." In a letter endorsing Kerry, 48 scientists who have won the Nobel Prize said the Bush administration is undermining the nation's future by impeding medical advances, turning away scientific talent with its immigration practices, and ignoring scientific consensus on global warning and other critical issues. "Unlike previous administrations, Republican and Democratic alike, the Bush administration has ignored unbiased scientific advice in the policy making that is so important to our collective welfare," their letter stated. Bush campaign spokesman Steve Schmidt responded to the criticism by saying the president has made an unprecedented commitment to the sciences and funding levels are at record highs. (AP)