Just A Reminder...

...of how stupidly corrupt the Bush Administration is. Because, you know, these things need to be pointed out periodically.

This NYT story, which has been blogged all over the place, reports on the testimony of Bush's former Surgeon General, Richard H. Carmona. Some excerpts:

The administration, Dr. Carmona said, would not allow him to speak or issue reports about stem cells, emergency contraception, sex education, or prison, mental and global health issues. Top officials delayed for years and tried to “water down” a landmark report on secondhand smoke, he said. Released last year, the report concluded that even brief exposure to cigarette smoke could cause immediate harm.

Dr. Carmona said he was ordered to mention President Bush three times on every page of his speeches. He also said he was asked to make speeches to support Republican political candidates and to attend political briefings.

Amazing. I have what I think are healthy self-doubts about how good of a person I am, and how moral my actions are, but when I read crap like this I just wonder how people learn to live with this sort of crap - not only the people enforcing it, but the folks who read this and have managed to convinced themselves there is nothing wrong. On some level, I just. don't. get. it.

Must be the Philosophy background.