When the president expressed his support for public schools teaching intelligent-design creationism alongside real science, the intellectual wing of the Republican Party cringed. Bush’s own science advisor, John Marburger, “evolution is the cornerstone of modern biology” and “intelligent design is not a scientific concept.” For that matter, even the less-than-intellectual wing wasn’t happy with Bush’s pronouncement — Rick “Man on Dog” Santorum quickly announced that he’s “not comfortable with intelligent design being taught in the science classroom.”
Enter Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. Here’s an experienced medical doctor who’s shown at least some willingness to break from party orthodoxy. Surely he wouldn’t embarrass himself by kowtowing to the James Dobson crowd on the basic understanding of modern biology, would he? Alas, he would.
Echoing similar comments from President Bush, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said “intelligent design” should be taught in public schools alongside evolution.
Frist, R-Tenn., spoke to a Rotary Club meeting Friday and told reporters afterward that students need to be exposed to different ideas, including intelligent design.
“I think today a pluralistic society should have access to a broad range of fact, of science, including faith,” Frist said.
Frist, a doctor who graduated from Harvard Medical School, said exposing children to both evolution and intelligent design “doesn’t force any particular theory on anyone. I think in a pluralistic society that is the fairest way to go about education and training people for the future.”
For what it’s worth, I think Frist’s foolishness is actually worse than Bush’s. The president is not, shall we say, a scholarly individual. His understanding of modern science is child-like, so when his opinions on the subject are misguided, it’s a national embarrassment, but it’s not a terrible surprise to anyone.
First, meanwhile, graduated from Harvard Medical School. He must know better.
Chances are, of course, that Frist was hoping to find his way back into the far-right’s good graces by embracing one of the right-wing’s pet causes. He doesn’t understand how this works.
When Frist announced late last month that he supports public financing of stem-cell research, the right was apoplectic. James Dobson said he felt as through he’d been “stabbed in the back by somebody that I thought was a friend.” Dobson even mentioned First by name when he equated stem-cell research with Nazi experiments.
Frist may be under the impression that he can placate the radicals by breaking ranks on a few key issues and then re-joining the fray shortly thereafter. This represents a fundamental misunderstanding of the far-right’s approach to politics: they only tolerate true believers. Consider, for example, what Gary Bauer said in a Washington Times op-ed today.
Recently, Sen. Bill Frist made two surprising announcements on the Senate floor. First, the Senate majority leader announced that he now supports expanding federal funding for embryonic-stem-cell research (ESCR). Secondly, he announced that he does not intend to run for president in 2008.
Well, Mr. Frist didn’t exactly say that he won’t run in 2008, but he might as well have. Because if he sticks to his decision to back legislation that would publicly fund the destruction of embryos for experimentation, the senator will be turning his back on pro-life conservatives, thus dooming his 2008 presidential nomination chances.
Does it matter to Bauer or his cohorts that Frist backed creationism a month later? Not really. They’ll gladly accept his support on their issue, but the bottom line remains the same — the base has no use for someone they consider to be occasionally reliable.
What Frist really doesn’t understand is that the far-right doesn’t have to settle. Frist won’t back the conservative agenda 100% of the time? No problem, Brownback, Allen, and Huckabee will.