Code Words 101

May I draw your attention to the following passage in today’s New York Times article about former Surgeon General Richard Carmona’s charge that he was, in effect, the Spinmaster General for the Bush Adminstration when it came to public health:

Bill Hall, a spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services, said that the administration disagreed with Dr. Carmona’s statements. “It has always been this administration’s position that public health policy should be rooted in sound science,” Mr. Hall said.

What the Times neglects to inform its readers is that the term sound science is always employed by conservatives to describe research and statistics which support their anti-scientific political positions.

I don’t know about you, but to me, this kind of press-release parroting of government statements is a perfect example of “sound journalism.”