Politics should serve science, not the other way around. Obama administration FIRES scientist who refused to tow party line

Obama administration seems to struggle with facts.

A scientist from the Department of Energy was fired from his position for saying too much to legislators during a briefing on the 2014 Low Dose Radiation Act. Dr. Noelle Metting was dismissed from her job by Obama administration officials who explained she was "too forthright" and did not stick to official positions.

LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) - In October 2014, Dr. Noelle Metting was asked to provide a briefing to Congress regarding the 2014 Low Dose Radiation Act. Within a month, the Obama administration fired her, saying she said too much during the interview.

However, a subsequent investigation by Congress into the matter found Dr. Metting was fired because she did not stick to the administration's official talking points.

Dr. Metting was provided with talking points, but she did not follow them.

Part of the motivation seems to be that the administration wanted to defeat the act, which would allow the Administration to pursue its climate change agenda. How this was supposed to work is still unclear, but climate change skeptics are pointing to Dr. Metting as a martyr for their cause.

This may not necessarily be the case, however. But it is disturbing that the administration would fire a scientist for reporting data and results.

Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), the Chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, said: "Instead of providing the type of scientific information needed by Congress to legislate effectively, senior departmental officials sought to hide information, lobbied against legislation, and retaliated against a scientist for being forthcoming. In this staff report based on lengthy record before the committee, much has been revealed about how senior-level agency officials under the Obama administration retaliated against a scientist who did not follow the party line."

The Obama administration cannot pick and choose what science is wants to follow based on an agenda. Science is a method of critical inquiry and it does not care about ideology. Anyone who subordinates science to ideology commits a grave error.

Smith is calling for the Department of Energy to overhaul its practices to "to ensure that Congress is provided the information it requires to legislate and that federal employees and scientists who provide that information do so without fear of retribution."