The Times-Tribune - Opinion - 12/23/2005 - Santorum evolves: "Santorum evolves
12/23/2005 Email to a friend Printer-friendly
Like the famous Galapagos Islands finches that have been observed evolving in a single generation in response to environmental conditions, Sen. Rick Santorum has evolved in a single political season.
The senator, who once claimed in The Washington Times that intelligent design “is a legitimate scientific theory that should be taught in science classes,” announced Thursday that he is resigning as an adviser to the right-wing group that recently attempted to force that very baloney down the throat of a federal court.
U.S. District Judge John E. Jones III ruled emphatically Tuesday, in a case originating in the Dover Area School District of York County, that intelligent design is not a scientific theory, but creationism disguised as one. He lambasted witnesses for publicly touting their religious convictions relative to intelligent design and then testifying as to its supposed scientific merits.
That is hardly an endorsement of the Michigan-based Thomas More Law Center, the conservative Christian organization that pushed the effort and included Mr. Santorum as a member of its advisory board.
Just as the natural world works by observable and verifiable natural forces, the political world works largely by observable and verifiable election results. After the Dover Area School Board did just what Mr. Santorum had advocated in his 2002 op-ed piece — mandate introduction of a religion-based theory in public school science classrooms — eight School Board members were resoundingly dismissed from office in the ensuing election. Although Mr. Santorum apparently isn’t convinced about evolution as the foundation of biology, he clearly understands political geography: York County is a key part of any conservative Republican’s political base in Pennsylvania.
Because of that, the senator is becoming a case study in political evolution. After long advocating a higher Social Security retirement age and other benefit-reducing changes, he recently introduced legislation to guarantee benefits for anyone 55 or older — another change springing from political climate change. As an election year dawns, it will be interesting to observe other changes that the heat produces in Mr. Santorum.
©The Times-Tribune 2005 "
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