A Young Bush Appointee Resigns His Post at NASA

New York Times ^ | February 8, 2006 | Andrew C. Revkin

[MurryMom]

George C. Deutsch, the young presidential appointee at NASA who told public affairs workers to limit reporters' access to a top climate scientist and told a Web designer to add the word "theory" at every mention of the Big Bang, resigned yesterday, agency officials said.

Mr. Deutsch's resignation came on the same day that officials at Texas A&M University confirmed that he did not graduate from there, as his résumé on file at the agency asserted.

[Darksheare]

Isn't your post 297 an ad hominem then, by your own definition used here?

[antiRepublicrat]

Geeze! And I thought that was a "yes" or "no" question. ;)

This is the government we're dealing with. It's never that simple.

I have to admit it is possible that the original source of the "presidential appointee" comment just thought he was an appointee because he was an administration loyalist and got the job because of his political contacts with Bush.

[Darksheare]

Correction, post 296.

[mnehring]

Let's review where we stand:

• 1. The NYT and bloggers accuse Deutsch of falsifying his resume based on 3rd party word that he didn't graduate from A&M in 03. Neither A&M nor Deutsch has officially commented on this so we are left with hearsay.
  
  
• 2. The NYT and bloggers accuse Deutsch of being a Presidential appointee. There is, however, no evidence of this including no records in White House appointee lists, NASA press releases, or Deutsch's own words. We do know that Deutsch's grandfather was a legend at NASA and could provide a reason for him being there.
  
  
• 3. The NYT and bloggers accuse Deutsch of creating a hostile environment for science by mandating the word 'theory' behind any reference to the big bang. This is based on a third party accusation and is not supported by any official statement from any party. This is also contradicted by Deutsch's own writing where he didn't use the term 'theory' when referencing the 'big bang'.
  
  
• 4. The NYT and bloggers imply that Deutsch left because his 'fraud' was revealed, yet, if one follows the timeline, he left prior to the first blog accusation that he didn't graduate, a week before the NYT article.
  This is also contradicted by NASA's official statement that said his resignation had nothing to do with the accusation of resume fraud.

That pretty much sums up everything?

[Darksheare]

As far as I can see, pretty much sums it up.
Anyone notice that MM took off?
Wonder if she's frantically making phonecalls about this due to the info others have found.

[clawrence3]

For the record, MurrayMom already posted her THEORY that the White House did not reach young Deutsch until AFTER that Sept. 27, 2005 - if that doesn't pan out, they could simply offer another THEORY that George Deutsch was "lying low" or Erica Hupp/Gay Hill/Ray Villard would not agree to including the word ; )

No wonder these people fear Karl Rove so much.

[mnehring]

Looking at her post history and the fact she all but admits to being a DUmbass, I'm surprised she hasn't been zotted.

[gridlock]

I didn't realize that the Big Bang had graduated from theory to scientific fact.

Don'tcha know... Algore invented the Big Bang.

Bubba thinks he invented the Big Bang, but it was actually more like a Little-Leaning-To-The-Left Bang.

[DJ MacWoW]

From Wikipedia:Ad hominem

An ad hominem argument, also known as argumentum ad hominem (Latin, literally "argument to the man") or attacking the messenger, is a logical fallacy that involves replying to an argument or assertion by attacking the person presenting the argument or assertion rather than the argument itself.

Which is exactly what you did to Jane.

[Right Wing Professor]

It looks like he resigned the week before some blogger 'broke' the story and 3 days later the NYSlimes 'broke' the story..

The Times says he resigned yesterday, not last Friday.

[DJ MacWoW]

I have to admit it is possible that the original source of the "presidential appointee" comment just thought he was an appointee because he was an administration loyalist and got the job because of his political contacts with Bush.

That's all I asked. Sincerely, I just don't see any Pres personally making such a lowly appointment. This IS the NY Times and they'll stretch the "truth" as far as possible, and beyond.

And I believe it's much more likely that his grandfathers reputation at NASA got him the job and not Bush connections.

[Right Wing Professor]

The Big Bang is not an opinion. The alternative to a 'proven fact' in science is not an 'opinion'. A scientific theory is a well corroborated, fundamental explanation for regularities of nature; it is neither proven fact, nor merely opinion.

Moreover,' Intelligent Design' is not an alternative to the Big Bang.

A PAO for a science agency should be familiar with the meaning of basic scientific terms, and with the difference betwene science and religion.

[Right Wing Professor]

Those are appointments subject to Senate confirmation. The list doesn't include Schedule C federal appointments.

[clawrence3]

Howlin posted that she gets suspended every so often but not banned (yet).

[Freedom is eternally right]

This thread is all about opinions and speculations, is it not?

[Right Wing Professor]

Actually, yes.. Presidential Appointee lists are public domain and he isn't listed... If you track back the link to his name and Presidential Appointee, it started in the Blogs, not in legit news sources or government appointee lists.. none of which also point out his grandfather was a legend at NASA and seems a much more logical way for him to get the job at NASA. Presidential Appointees http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/nominations/indexC-E.html

Google 'schedule c federal appointment' and get back to me. Your list is a very small subset of all patronage appointments.

[clawrence3]

And, how do you know Deutsch's position was a Schedule C appointment?

[clawrence3]

I know what a Schedule C appointment - FYI the Google search on "schedule c federal appointment" comes up empty ; )