It takes a fine filter to pick anything meaningful out of the daily flood of political rhetoric. But Sunday’s comment by Barack Obama on the importance of not allowing science to be co-opted for political purposes is worth noting, especially as regards the plight of Pacific salmon and steelhead : “‘I want to make sure that the science hasn’t been doctored, or it hasn’t been shaded, or it hasn’t been tweaked in ways that predetermine the answer,’ he said. ‘One of the things I hope would be a hallmark of an Obama administration is a restoration of the importance of science and how we make decisions, something that hasn’t always been the case in this administration.'” Phillip Yates in the Colorado Springs Post Independent.