More BushCo Lies, Part II

It's a busy week for lying in the Bush Administration. As I previously posted today, there's that pesky Government Accountablility Office catching the FDA lying about the murcury-pollution-from-power-plants-thingy.

And then I see this over at the Washington Monthly, pointing to an editorial in the Washington Post.

The administration claims that the evidence for the effectiveness of needle exchange is shaky. An official who requested anonymity directed us to a number of researchers who have allegedly cast doubt on the pro-exchange consensus.

One of them is Steffanie A. Strathdee of the University of California at San Diego; when we contacted her, she responded that her research "supports the expansion of needle exchange programs, not the opposite."

Another researcher cited by the administration is Martin T. Schechter of the University of British Columbia; he wrote us that "Our research here in Vancouver has been repeatedly used to cast doubt on needle exchange programs. I believe this is a clear misinterpretation of the facts."

Yet a third researcher cited by the administration is Julie Bruneau at the University of Montreal; she told us that "in the vast majority of cases needle exchange programs drive HIV incidence lower." We asked Dr. Bruneau whether she favored needle exchanges in countries such as Russia or Thailand. "Yes, sure," she responded.

So, the moral of the story is, if you don't have facts to back up your position, make shit up anonymously. Is this any way for the staff of the President to behave? Think of the children!