GOP Sen. Santorum opposes intelligent design
 

Who woulda thunk it? Could this be the first sign of a split within the GOP over the creationist agenda of the religious right? If party leaders are going to back away from it does it have any real future?


http://today.reuters.com/news/newsAr...OLUTION-DC.XML

I don't think this is so much a split in the GOP as simply a red candidate in a blue state facing a tough election deciding to present a moderate side.

As the only trained evolutionary biologist on TFP (as far as I know) I have very little worry about the "creationist agenda of the religious right" having an impact on anything major. Hell I was taught evolution in a Catholic highschool :)

Same here.

Not to mention, that some say he is thinking about a run for President. (with his book "It Takes a Family" and this... You never know. Maybe 2012.

How does the sometimes frothy, usually slimy, amalgam of lubricant, stray fecal matter, and ejaculate that leaks out of the receiving partner's anus after a session of anal intercourse have an opinion on Intelligent Design? That doesn't even make sense...oh...wait.

That's actually his name? That's some tough luck. This is obviously an attempt by a far-right ideologue to keep his seat in a Northern state. I suspect if reelected he'll come out saying he only opposed Intelligent Design because it tekes away classroom time from teaching strict Biblical creationism.

One of his more popular quotes:

"If the Supreme Court says that you have the right to consensual [Gay] sex within your home, then you have the right to bigamy, you have the right to polygamy, you have the right to incest, you have the right to adultery. You have the right to anything!"

Douchebag.

On the topic of ID, I believe it is more a hypothesis or a religious belief. If you want it taught, get it done on Sunday church. If ID is going to be taught in schools, I recommend evolution be taught in church.

Maybe, but the lazy really dig it. I can't tell you how inconvenient it has become at extended family gatherings when people start parroting their ID, complexity, 6-day stuff to me, who, not being formally trained, has to scrape the dust out of my brain on dating isotopes blah blah & try to explain what I haven't practiced. One might argue I should brush up or shut up, but I'd prefer if they'd just cut it out and let me enjoy polite conversation.

What happened to no politics or religion at the table? :)

Anyway, nice to see Santorum's support for keeping science and religion in separate beds.

I'm not comfortable finding myself in agreement with Santorum. I'll just chalk this one up to coincidence.

This brings to mind Frist's flip-flop on stem cell research. A lot of Rep lawmakers really don't buy into a lot of the social-conservative right-wing agenda. They have sold it on the stump to get into Congress, but when it isn't convenient for their election strategy they drop it quickly as they really could have cared less about it in the first place. Only Rick knows his real beliefs, but he is a corporatist, and as such standing up for the right-wing platform isn't worth losing points in an election.

With Republican control of all branches of government, and a majority of state governorships and legislatures, if the Republican leadership really believed in its heart in pushing the right-wing agenda, we'd be seeing a lot more on that front than we have. Instead most of it has been for show: Schiavo case intervention which in reality did nothing for the issue, noise about a marriage amendment which has yet to see daylight, and of course a heavy dose of God language in the rhetoric. Where the Republican s have really forged forward is on the corporatist side, not the religious one.

Josh

I agree with him.

Of course, my corrective actions would be the opposite of his...

Flippity-hippity-flop, you SOB:

Senator man-on-dog is a liar AND a bastard. Must be hard to suck every moment of his life, but the man's got stamina...

http://www.santorumexposed.com/seren...Design....html

That's really not a big deal. On several occasions Pope John Paul stated that evolution was possible, just guided by God. If for no other reason, the Church is tired of looking like dumbasses hundreds of years later on scientific issues.

The whole thing isn't a big deal. Its a strawman for the left who can't give people policy reasons to vote for them, so instead create republican boogymen to vote against.

Hmm, a claim of expertise followed by complete non sequitur...I remember you claming to be an environmental scientist in several threads on global warming where you likewise offered no evidence or argument, only dismissal. Awfully convienient for you to have such a diverse scientific background, if only you could be bothered to share some of your expertise with us, the lowly and ignorant unwashed.

You know what I hear? Finally, loud and clear? Quack, Quack! A lame duck president, and the republican candidates are slowly getting out of line with him for the 2006 and 2008 elections. It's refreshing.

I graduated in 1992 with a degree in Ethology, Ecology, and Evolution from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. I did a year of post grad work focusing in ecology and evolution at SIU. If you would like a copy of my diploma I'm sure I can scan it.

I also have a D.D.S. and a M.S.

I decided not to get the PhD since calling me 'doctor doctor' would be a bit much :D

And you most likely only remember 'dismissal' because you didn't read any of my earlier threads on global warming. There was THIS thread http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthr...global+warming and there was another I went into detail on as well. (You know on rereading that thread I sure was a firecracker here :) )

As for the current topic it doesn’t require any scientific background information as the above posts have nothing to do with science and everything to do with politics.

I am truly ashamed that Santorum is my senator (though I chuckle to myself every time I hear his name...thank you Dan Savage...hehe). Anyway, I think that this whole possible bid for president (which he emphatically denied...sort of. Wouldn't be the first time that he lied) is just a weak attempt at a man who knows he won't be elected back into the Senate.

Santorum is one of the most disrespected men in Pennsylvania. He's probably up there as one of the most disrespected politicians in the counrty. I hope, beyone hope, that he'll keep biting his nose off and ruin his chance for candidacy in 2008. On the other hand, it would be nice if he got the GOP ticket - there would be no chance of another Republican president.