When it comes to intelligent-design creationism, Sen. Rick “Man on Dog” Santorum (R-Pa.) can’t quite figure out where to stand. In 2001, he pushed for a provision in Bush’s No Child Left Behind legislation that was intended to promote discussion of creationism in public schools, which appeared to put him firmly in the anti-science camp. In case there was lingering doubt, Santorum penned an op-ed in 2002 arguing that “intelligent design is a legitimate scientific theory that should be taught in science classes.”
More recently, however, Santorum’s appreciation for modern biology has, shall we say, evolved. In August, he publicly distanced himself from the president when Bush said he’d like to see ID in classrooms. So, what does the senator think of this week’s ruling from his home state of Pennsylvania? It depends on when you ask him.
Early this year, Sen. Rick Santorum commended the Dover Area School District for “attempting to teach the controversy of evolution.”
But one day after a federal judge ruled that the district’s policy on intelligent design was unconstitutional, Santorum said he was troubled by court testimony that showed some board members were motivated by religion in adopting the policy.
And, he said in an interview, he disagreed with the board for mandating the teaching of intelligent design, rather than just the controversy surrounding evolution.
But wait, there’s more. Santorum has served as a member of the board of directors for the Thomas More Law Center, a conservative Catholic legal group founded by Domino’s Pizza magnate Thomas Monaghan, which defended the intelligent-design curriculum in the Dover case. Today, Santorum announced he would cut his ties to the group.
Desperation must really be setting in for Santorum to distance himself from long-time allies and denounce faith-based education. Trailing Bob Casey by double digits, the poor guy can’t seem to figure out which way is up.