The Rise of the Religious Right in the Republican Party

Santorum changes his mind on 'intelligent design'

by Plutonium Page

Aug 6th, 2005

Posted on DailyKos

Back in January 2005, Sen. Rick Santorum wrote an editorial that appeared in the Allentown Morning Call .  It was called "Teach the Controversy", and said that :

... Darwin's theory of evolution should not be taught as absolute fact in the science classroom. Instead, it should be taught as the leading and dominant scientific theory explaining the origin of species, but also as a theory subject to significant limitations, failed predictions, and important criticisms.

He is referring to "intelligent design", and his editorial was also posted on the Discovery Institute site, an organization that advocates teaching intelligent design in schools.

This week, Bush said that intelligent design should be taught alongside evolution.  No big surprise there.

Within days, however, Rick Santorum did an about-face and said :

A leading Republican senator allied with the religious right differed on Thursday with President Bush's support for teaching an alternative to the theory of evolution known as "intelligent design."

Republican Sen. Rick Santorum, a possible 2008 presidential contender who faces a tough re-election fight next year in Pennsylvania, said intelligent design, which is backed by many religious conservatives, lacked scientific credibility and should not be taught in science classes.

Bush told reporters from Texas on Monday that "both sides" in the debate over intelligent design and evolution should be taught in schools "so people can understand what the debate is about."

"I think I would probably tailor that a little more than what the president has suggested," Santorum, the third-ranking Republican member of the U.S. Senate, told National Public Radio. "I'm not comfortable with intelligent design being taught in the science classroom."

First  Frist changes his stance on stem cell research (opposing Bush's stance).  Now, Santorum decides to oppose Bush's stance on intelligent design.

The key here is that Santorum is up for re-election (and isn't doing so well in the polls , I might add).  And, whether or not he's going to run in 2008, he, like Frist, and probably other potential Republican presidential candidates, are going to do their best to distance themselves from a sitting Republican president whose popularity is consistently declining .