by Paul Thacker, re-blogged with the author's permission from Scientific American

Rick Piltz passed away on Saturday, October 18, 2014. He spent decades working in the federal government and state government in Texas, and was a prominent whistleblower during the Bush administration. He later founded Climate Science Watch.

... Read more about Whistleblower Who Exposed White House Tampering with Climate Science Dies

by Paul D. Thacker

While sometimes functioning as shadow universities, think tanks have been exposed as quasi lobbying organizations, with little funding transparency. Recent research has also pointed out that think tanks suffer from a lack of intellectual rigor. A case in point is the Breakthrough Institute run by Ted Nordhaus and Michael Shellenberger, which describes itself as a "progressive think tank."... Read more about The Breakthrough Institute's Inconvenient History with Al Gore

by Paul D. Thacker

A few weeks back, I wrote a piece for Slate calling out President Obama for not living up to his pledge to provide a more transparent government. In the process, I noted that several nonprofits have been ignoring the President’s failure in this matter, with one even coming to aid the administration when Congress has demanded information during a federal investigation of a failed program called Fast and Furious.... Read more about Performing the Job of a Congressional Staffer: Informing the Public without Endangering Your Boss

by Paul D. Thacker

Perhaps no American institution is more important yet more hated than Congress. A recent poll found that Congress has a 9% favorability rating, placing it lower than cockroaches, traffic jams, and the widely loathed Canadian rock band Nickelback.

... Read more about The Slow Pace of Success in a "Do Something Congress"

by Paul Thacker

A constant stream of news and gossip floods Washington’s information channels about Hill staffers leaving Congress for higher paying jobs “downtown.” For the insider’s inside view, read “Politico Influence” a daily email from Politico that covers fundraisers, job changes by Hill staffers, and client “gets” by lobbying firms.

... Read more about What Value Lobbyists?