Earlier today I wrote that McCain’s pick of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin seems a little odd, and noted in reply to a comment that at least she’ll keep the Republican base happy. I had no idea at the time just how happy. During her race for Governor of Alaska, Palin said that she wants not just intelligent design, but full-on creationism taught in our public schools.
From the Anchorage Daily News:
Palin was answering a question from the moderator near the conclusion of Wednesday night’s televised debate on KAKM Channel 7 when she said, “Teach both. You know, don’t be afraid of information. Healthy debate is so important, and it’s so valuable in our schools. I am a proponent of teaching both.”
Her main opponents, Democrat Tony Knowles and Independent Andrew Halcro, said such alternatives to evolution should be kept out of science classrooms. Halcro called such lessons “religious-based” and said the place for them might be a philosophy or sociology class.
The question has divided local school boards in several places around the country and has come up in Alaska before, including once before the state Board of Education in 1993.
The teaching of creationism, which relies on the biblical account of the creation of life, has been ruled by the U.S. Supreme Court as an unconstitutional injection of religion into public education.
Then in a classic McCain-style back-flip, a days later Palin tried to take it back. From the same Anchorage Daily News story:
In an interview Thursday, Palin said she meant only to say that discussion of alternative views should be allowed to arise in Alaska classrooms:
“I don’t think there should be a prohibition against debate if it comes up in class. It doesn’t have to be part of the curriculum.”
She added that, if elected, she would not push the state Board of Education to add such creation-based alternatives to the state’s required curriculum.
This is the person McCain thinks should be one heartbeat away from the Oval Office? As a former McCain fan, I’m actually quite sad about this, but his run for President has turned McCain from a maverick to just a mimic for the far right.
Hat tip to some commenters on the Rocky Mountain News story about Palin, who pointed me in the right Google direction.
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Colorado Independent’s blog-i-nist (blogger-columnist) Jeff Bridges has worked in Democratic politics for the last 10 years, serving as communications director for two congressional races in Colorado and two governors races in the Deep South. Bridges also worked for Sen. Ken Salazar as a legislative assistant in D.C., and currently serves on the board of directors for New Era Colorado and the Colorado Conservation Voters.
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