Texas public education WILL evolve

... whether the Christianists want it to, or not. Kathy Miller of TFN sent this late yesterday:

Just hours ago, the State Board of Education (SBOE) voted 8-7 to reject efforts by creationists to reinsert into draft curriculum standards sweeping language -- "strengths and weaknesses" -- used to undermine sound science education. If this vote stands, a key weapon creationists have used to attack evolution will be swept from the standards.

But creationists on the board managed to sneak through other changes that complicate important parts of the standards. One change would have students question a core concept of evolutionary biology, common descent. It was a stunning display of arrogance, with the board's far-right faction pretending to know more about science than the teachers and scientists who crafted the standards draft.

So the Young Earthers rose up to strike at the rising moon with their rocks and clubs and spears, but were once again beaten back by the forces of intelligence and rational thought. It was awfully close, though. There will be a rematch in the spring, when the final SBOE vote on science curriculum standards will take place.

Muse has more, as does North Texas Liberal.

Cornyn will now stall Holder

Having been spanked into submission yesterday after embarrassing himself over the blockage of the confirmation of Secretary of State Clinton, John Cornyn will now stall the approval of Eric Holder as Attorney General ... because John disapproves of the fact that waterboarding is torture. Really:

Holder told the Judiciary Committee last week that waterboarding is "torture" and therefore illegal. Susan J. Crawford, the top Bush administration official overseeing the trials of detainees, told the Washington Post that at least one individual held at the prison center at Guantanamo Bay was "tortured."

The question Republicans want answered before Holder is confirmed: Will you prosecute those who took part in that torture?

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said that he would block committee proceedings, scheduled to resume at 2:30 pm on Wednesday, if he did not receive answer from Holder. "I'm not going to allow things to proceed," he said. He added that it was "physically impossible" for Holder to get the answers to him by then, thus assuring a conflict would ensue. ...

"Part of my concern, frankly, relates to some of his statements at the hearing in regard to torture and what his intentions are with regard to intelligence personnel who were operating in good faith based upon their understanding of what the law was," said Cornyn.

"There were provisions providing immunity to intelligence officials based up on good faith and what they understood the law to be," said Cornyn. "I want to know if he's going to enforce congressional intent not to second-guess those things in a way that could jeopardize those officials but also could cause our intelligence officials to be risk averse -- the very kind of risk aversion...that the 9/11 commission talked about when they talked about what set us up for 9/11."

After all, they were just following orders, so they shouldn't be held to account.

This is different from the Nazis how?

An Historical High-Five