Religious Fanatics (No, Not Those Religious Fanatics) Will Be Pleased.

Just when the Democrats look as if they're about to immolate, George Bush comes along and reminds us all why there are two parties in our system.

The president came out today and endorsed the teaching of Intelligent Design in schools. Lovely:

WASHINGTON — President Bush said Monday that he believed schools should discuss "intelligent design" alongside evolution when teaching students about the creation of life.
During a round-table interview with reporters from five Texas newspapers, Bush declined to go into detail about his personal views of the origin of life.

But he said students should learn about each explanation, Knight Ridder Newspapers reported.

"I think that part of education is to expose people to different schools of thought," Bush said.

"You're asking me whether or not people ought to be exposed to different ideas, the answer is yes," the president said.

You see? Bush wants more exposure of ideas. So why not teach evolution in Sunday School? Or how about the Gaia theory? Or Scientology?

Keep it up, George, keep it up. If this is what the Republican Party is turning into, the Dems will win in a cakewalk in '08. And I'll be campaigning for them.

What others are saying:
The Commissar:

Sheesh. Trying to prove the Dems right, one stupid f*cking statement at a time. Is Bush ‘playing to the base’ or does he believe it? I don’t know which is worse. One is horribly irresponsible; the other is just ignorant.

John Cole:

To have the leader of the country, the leader of the party, and the person who proclaims that he wants to be known as the ‘education president’ to state, even casually, that he thinks intelligent design should be taught alongside evolution is lunacy of the first order.

Rightwing Nuthouse:

The damage you and the idiotarians are doing to the minds of our young people is unconscionable. And it’s got to stop. So take your idiotic theory and shove it where the sun don’t shine and leave science to the rationalists. We’ll leave faith based issues to experts like you.

Just for the record, all these guys are conservatives. Which doesn't mean they're ready to swallow everything this president does. They think for themselves and understand the difference between proof and belief.

For a more, uh, moderate view, how about Joe Gandelman:

On the other hand, in terms of public opinion, Bush is with the MAJORITY on this issue.

I actually haven't found much comment from liberals (though I'm having trouble with a few sites, so it could be there). If I were a Democrat, I'd quietly point out that religion is taught in houses of worship across the country and leave it at that.