They may not be as hot as Bruce Springsteen, Dave Matthews, the Dixie Chicks and other musicians participating in the “Vote for Change” concert tour launching next month in swing states, but the newly-formed group, Scientists and Engineers for Change, plans to harness its formidable brainpower to make the case that Bush has manipulated and politicized science in dangerous and unprecedented ways.

Like their musical counterparts, these scientists–ten of them are Nobel Prize winners–will crisscross the battleground states to argue against a Bush election. They won’t be singing or playing guitar but they will be educating voters about the threat a second Bush term poses for honest scientific inquiry in the 21st century. The group, which has no ties to the Kerry campaign, includes a registered Republican and several scientists who are not members of the Democratic Party.

As Nobel prize winner Dr. Douglas Osheroff put it, “I have never played a significant role in politics, but we must begin to address climate change now. To do so, we must have an Administration that listens to the scientific community, not one that manipulates and minimizes scientific output.” In case, you needed to be reminded of the key elements of Bush’s war on science, please click here to check out my weblog of last July 20.