Friday, November 11, 2005
Does Santorum Stand Pat -- or Evolve?
Pat Robertson warns Dover, PA: Voting out school board members who pushed teaching the "intelligent design" critique of evolution is inviting the wrath of God.
Great.
It's a three-fer: In one fell swoop, Robertson manages to 1) Attack a local community for exercising its own electoral rights; 2) Imply that local communities shouldn't determine what is the best curriculum for their children; 3) Demonstrate that his God is wrathful and destructive, rather than forgiving and loving.
While we're making lists, let's keep track:
1) This would be the same Pat Robertson who -- with Jerry Falwell -- said that 9/11 happened because God no longer was protecting America because of feminism and lesbianism. File under: "America Deserved It -- Right Wing Variety."
2) This would be the same P.R. (what great initials) who recently wondered why the United States doesn't assassinate Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez. He first suggested that he was misunderstand. Alas, the public rightly understood that "Take him out" was not Robertson simply mishearing the lyrics to that damn Franz Ferdinand song. He apologized.
So, what does Keystone State Sen. Rick Santorum do? Stand by his Dover constituents -- or Robertson and the socially conservative he represents? Santorum has previously been favorably disposed to ID:
UPDATE: John Cole appropriately links P.R to Friday's "Really-Stupid/Ignorant Comment" winner.
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Great.
It's a three-fer: In one fell swoop, Robertson manages to 1) Attack a local community for exercising its own electoral rights; 2) Imply that local communities shouldn't determine what is the best curriculum for their children; 3) Demonstrate that his God is wrathful and destructive, rather than forgiving and loving.
While we're making lists, let's keep track:
1) This would be the same Pat Robertson who -- with Jerry Falwell -- said that 9/11 happened because God no longer was protecting America because of feminism and lesbianism. File under: "America Deserved It -- Right Wing Variety."
2) This would be the same P.R. (what great initials) who recently wondered why the United States doesn't assassinate Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez. He first suggested that he was misunderstand. Alas, the public rightly understood that "Take him out" was not Robertson simply mishearing the lyrics to that damn Franz Ferdinand song. He apologized.
So, what does Keystone State Sen. Rick Santorum do? Stand by his Dover constituents -- or Robertson and the socially conservative he represents? Santorum has previously been favorably disposed to ID:
“intelligent design is a legitimate scientific theory that should be taught in science classes.” An I.D.-friendly amendment that he sponsored to the No Child Left Behind Act—requiring public schools to help students understand why evolution “generates so much continuing controversy”—was overwhelmingly approved in the Senate.This summer, Santorum pulled back:
"I think I would probably tailor that a little more than what the president hasAnd now Robertson "damns" a small Pennsylvania town over this issue -- at a time when Rick is facing disastrous poll numbers against Democratic challenger Bob Casey. If Robertson thought that his comments might ultimately be helpful to Santorum, well, let's just say that this was not the most intelligent design.
suggested," Santorum, the third-ranking Republican member of the U.S. Senate, told National Public Radio. "I'm not comfortable with intelligent design being taught in the science classroom."
UPDATE: John Cole appropriately links P.R to Friday's "Really-Stupid/Ignorant Comment" winner.
