Scientist Humor (or Perhaps Not?)

I'm still trying to figure out whether this is a joke or not. The AP is reporting that three new species of slime-mold beetles have been named after Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld (e.g. Agathidium rumsfeldi). If his quote is meant literally, one of the scientists who named the beetles in honor of these three nincompoops seems to think he has paid them a great compliment, not something most people would associate with an insect that feeds on fungilike slime. The scientist calls Bush, et al. "leaders. . . who have the courage of their convictions and are willing to do the very difficult and unpopular work of living up to principles of freedom and democracy rather than accepting the expedient or popular." Much like the slime-mold beetle, I guess. This is either an amusing jibe at our current administration's attitude toward science or a troubling commentary on the social skills of entomologists. Sometimes this country make no damn sense to me.