President of AAAS Decries Top US Civil Service Science Positions Being Given to Bush Appointees as His Administration Winds Down. (November 27, 2008)

According to a policy bulletin issued by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS): "The Washington Post reported last weekend that a number of Bush Administration political appointees had gained high-level civil service positions in federal science agencies in recent weeks. The practice, known as "burrowing," is not uncommon in the last days of an administration.

For example Harvard oceanographer, AAAS President James McCarthy criticised the Bush administration for leaving its wreckage behind: "It's ludicrous to have people who do not have a scientific background, who are not trained and skilled in the ways of science, make decisions that involve resources, that involve facilities in the scientific infrastructure; you'd just like to think people have more respect for the institution of government than to leave wreckage behind with these appointments."

One example cited in the Post  article was that of  "Todd Harding -- a 30-year-old political appointee at the Energy Department -- [He] applied for and won a post this month at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. There, he told colleagues in a Nov. 12 e-mail, he will work on "space-based science using satellites for geostationary and meteorological data." Harding earned a bachelor's degree in government from Kentucky's Centre College, where he also chaired the Kentucky Federation of College Republicans."