Oops!
The Obama administration made a major a boo-boo when it assembled a team of scientists to solve the BP oil spill mess.
Jonathan Katz, proud homophobe, was part of the team.
After being pressured to drop Katz, he was removed from the task.
Jonathan I. Katz, a professor of astrophysics at Washington University in St. Louis, ''will no longer be involved in the [Energy] Department's efforts'' at addressing the oil spill continuing to spread in the Gulf of Mexico, a Department spokeswoman relayed on Monday night, May 17.
The news came after what the spokesperson, Stephanie Mueller, termed ''controversial writings'' – which included a ''defense of homophobia'' – spread out over the web on Monday, writings of which she said the Department was unaware when it sought his assistance.
On May 12, Energy Secretary Steven Chu ''assembled a group of top scientific experts from inside and outside of government to join in today's discussions in Houston about possible solutions,'' according to a Department news release. Katz was one of five outside scientists noted in the release. Bloomberg News reported about the group of scientists on May 14, reporting Chu ''signaled his lack of confidence in the industry experts trying to control BP Plc's leaking oil well by hand-picking a team of scientists with reputations for creative problem solving.''
Once news of the team spread, some of Katz's writings were discovered at his university website, including one titled, ''In Defense of Homophobia.'' In the essay, dated May 13, 1999, he wrote about the ''rationalist'' and the religious person's views of homosexuality.
...In response to an inquiry from Metro Weekly about whether Chu or the Energy Department was aware of Katz's additional writings before he was selected to help with the oil spill, Mueller responded, ''No, the Secretary was not aware and disagrees with them. The Department wasn't aware either.''
So Katz was removed from the team because of his writings.
He obviously is an expert in his field, but his job offer was rescinded when the Obama administration became aware of his controversial writings.
After all, it couldn't employ a raging homophobe, someone counter to its identity and mission.
Hmmm. Sound familiar?
It's kind of a reverse Jodi O'Brien - Marquette University situation.
I wonder if Katz had a contract.
4 comments:
Things like this are really beginning to pile up against the Obama gang, so much that the Left Wing media can't even begin to cover it all. The November midterms will be a GOP rout if this continues.
Team Obama screws up royally, again and again.
Its record is disastrous.
KATZ HAS BEEN FIRED! It happened within DAYS of his hiring, clearly someone dropped the ball but do you suggest Obama knew of Katz' disgusting opinions and insisted that he be hired anyway? Yeah and he also knew the BP was going to kill its own workers, have its platform sink and be responsbile for the worst catastrophe in U.S. history. In your rush to blame him for any and everything that happens, apparently no scenario is too ridiculous.
Take a deep breath and reread my post.
Where do you get the idea that I'm suggesting Obama knew that Katz is homophobic?
I never suggested that. I don't think that.
I suggest that you read more carefully.
Post a Comment