One of the heartening things about the upcoming Obama Administration is the opportunity to have an Executive Branch peopled with those who not only know what science is, but who know how to merge science, policy, and politics in constructive ways. No more "Abstinence Only" sex ed, or global warming denial, or even National Park Service Employees who can't talk about geologic time scales because some creationist somewhere complained.
I had no idea that RFK, Jr. bought in to junk pseudo-science. That's too bad. I have heard his show, "Ring of Fire", a few times on the radio, and I will admit I was off-put by his frequent forays in to conspiracy mongering vis-a-vis electronic voting machines. Yet, for him to continue to pursue the notion that mercury used in processing vaccines is the signal cause of autism, in the face of clear scientific evidence to the contrary is more than troubling. It might seem good politics to offer the son of a Democratic icon some kind of cozy spot in an upcoming Democratic Administration. Yet, it is pretty clear RFK, Jr. just doesn't have what it takes, either in terms of experience or intellectual honesty, to do much more than be a constant source of migraine headaches.
We have a real opportunity here to give good people positions of authority. Don't waste it by hadning out legacy appointments to anit-intellectual nincompoops.
