Engineering and politics may not mix well, but that doesn't mean they don't often collide. The debate over ethics in engineering takes on an entirely new dimension when politics enter the equation. In the ongoing investigation into the embezzlement of millions at construction giant PBSJ, new accusations have surfaced about improper campaign contributions to Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL) by one of the accused former company officials.

Now, the construction industry has always been intertwined with politics, whether it's the lobbying (or perhaps, bribing) of government officials in Washington for a little quid pro quo, or unscrupulous local contractors delivering paper bags of cash to city councilmen for accelerated permit approvals. As illegal and reprehensible as this corruption is, it's nothing new to the world of construction. But that is only one avenue by which engineers can find politics creeping into their work.

Despite the specter of corruption, engineers and other scientists usually consider themselves aloof from the dirty dealings of business and politics, even to the point of willful blindness. From there it's only a matter of time until those wielding political power start making demands of those trying to do real science. In construction, attempts to change engineers' designs for political favors or unethical cost cutting can result in unstable and dangerous structures, with very real consequences. But while the damage done by political intimidation on scientists in other disciplines can be harder to detect, it is no less dangerous.

Today there is an increased recognition that some previously nonpartisan federally funded scientific bodies are now under pressure to change their findings to fit political agendas. Outrage at cases of intimidation has resulted in the forming of the patriotically named "Scientists and Engineers for America," a political advocacy group protesting the encroachment of politics into government science agencies and studies. It's membership includes a number of Nobel laureates and former White house science advisors, and they seem eager to enter the political fray. The SEA proposes a "Bill of Rights for Scientists and Engineers" to protect researchers and other scientists receiving federal funds from political pressure and intimidation. Their main focus so far has been to challenge political candidates who they claim are unfairly distorting scientific research, such as Senator George Allen of Virginia (R), who the SEA says has misrepresented studies on embryonic stem cell research in his reelection campaign.

Now most engineers and scientists are uncomfortable with the politicization of science in any way. They want to remain impartial, and are reticent to declare allegiance on some of the highly visible issues that the SEA hopes to tackle. But as any engineer will tell you, once you start manipulating the facts or changing findings, regardless of the reason, you can't call it science anymore. Too much in engineering depends on honest presentations of data, and the ability to debate elements of projects and research on their merits.

And while those who work in construction may consider their turf safe from political appointees enforcing their viewpoints, they need only look at the ways that federal studies on energy and the environment have come under partisan pressure, two areas directly related to the world of construction. And while the Scientists and Engineers for America may be more confrontational that most regular scientists and engineers are willing to be, their message is one with which anybody in the sciences can sympathize. Regardless of one's personal opinions on matters of public health, global climate change or any other hot button issue, everyone can agree that scientists should not fear political reprisals for presenting their findings honestly and without political bent.

Scientists and engineers will never be able to escape from politics completely, but they should not fear for their jobs because their work contradicts someone's political beliefs. Corruption and influence peddling are not going away any time soon, and politicians will continue to blur the lines between fact and opinion. Maybe getting directly involved in the ugly world of politics as just another interest group isn't the perfect answer. Regardless of that, engineers and scientists can't sit on the sidelines while the public is repeatedly told that science is just a matter of opinion.