"While it may be an insignificant gesture, we stand against these distortions and for the restoration of a civil political dialogue."

Honorees of The Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum's National Design Awards declined the invitation to the celebratory breakfast at the White House with the First Lady.

While we have diverse political beliefs, we are united in our rejection of these policies. Through the wide-scale distortion of words (from "Healthy Forests" to "Mission Accomplished") and both the manipulation of media (the photo op) and its suppression (the hidden war casualties), the Bush administration has demonstrated disdain for the responsible use of mass media, language and the intelligence of the American people.

[via kottke remaindered]