Talk Elections

Another esteemed Republican member of the House Science Committee.

http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/10/rep-paul-broun-r-ga-evolution-big-bang-lies-straight-from-the-pit-of-hell.php (http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/10/rep-paul-broun-r-ga-evolution-big-bang-lies-straight-from-the-pit-of-hell.php)

Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA) tore into scientists as tools of the devil in a speech at the Liberty Baptist Church Sportsman’s Banquet last month.

“All that stuff I was taught about evolution and embryology and the Big Bang Theory, all that is lies straight from the pit of Hell,” Broun said. “And it’s lies to try to keep me and all the folks who were taught that from understanding that they need a savior.

According to Broun, the scientific plot was primarily concerned with hiding the true age of the Earth. Broun serves on the House Science Committee, which came under scrutiny recently after another one of its Republican members, Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO), suggested that victims of “legitimate rape” have unnamed biological defenses against pregnancy.

“You see, there are a lot of scientific data that I’ve found out as a scientist that actually show that this is really a young Earth,” he said. “I don’t believe that the Earth’s but about 9,000 years old. I believe it was created in six days as we know them. That’s what the Bible says.”

Broun — a physician, with an M.D. and a B.S. in chemistry — is generally considered to be among the most conservative members of Congress, if not the most.

These are the people writing our laws.

And this man is on the Science Committee, folks. USA! USA!

The Republicans have constantly demonstrated that they are anti-science. There is no counter-balance to these theories. One side is right and the other is insane.

At least Ralph Hall doesn't claim the world is only 9000 years old, which is kind of unsurprising as he would probably remember if the world had only been created when he was already in high school.

Ok, evolution and big bang theory are typically targets for these kinds of nuts, but I'm wondering why he's including embryology in his list. Embryology is just the study of how embryos develop until it becomes a fetus - is he saying embryos don't develop into fetuses? Or is he saying that embryos are possessed by Satan?

I believe he's referring to Ernst Haeckel's embryo drawings in support of evolutionary recapitulation, which was repeated in textbooks long after it was debunked.

He didn't even get the Young Earth age right. If you follow the arithmetic of Usher, Orthodox Jews, and the rest, the world is just 6,000. Dude is just pandering. Just like Romney. Republicans will say whatever to whoever wants to hear it. And there's not going to be a vote in Congress over the age of the Earth. This man knows exactly what he's doing.

Time to bring that vote.

What exactly does this troll hope to accomplish by saying these things?

To be fair, The Big Bang Theory is awful.

How much longer will the Ralph Hall's corpse be displayed at the House floor?

Well I too tend to dismiss science and most math as witchcraft and voodoo, but that's for reasons entirely apolitical and irreligious.

I'm confused as to how:

A. This man has an M.S. and M.D.

B. How such people get on "science" committees.

Do tell?

Normally I'd say getting votes, but he's running unopposed.

I assume he's making a joke and actually referring to the show.

I'll say.

He's also a birther who wants the 17th repealed.

If I was a Democratic member of this committee, I don't think I could serve on it without snapping at these goddamn people at least twice a day...

YOU'RE ON THE SCIENCE COMMITTEE AND YOU'RE DISPUTING SCIENTIFIC FACT?! How is that possible?!...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBXyB7niEc0

     With every day that passes, Idiocracy draws closer to being reality.

According to my roommate, though I'm having trouble sourcing this, Broun said at some point that he used to believe in evolution and the Big Bang but no longer does. To me that suggests he probably still believes in both and is just saying this to pander to Evangelical Christians.

I think Memphis is right on this one.

I think Republicans should be banned from the Science Committee.

Now now, let's not cast that wide of a blanket. Those who are ignorant of science and peddle ignorance like this should be banned. Granted, this would ban most of the current Republican House...

Let's not get carried away. :(

I don't know about that, but maybe a litmus test on evolution/women's anatomy/climate change views should be considered.

Perhaps if we can add a litmus test on genetically modified organisms and nuclear energy.

Edit: Typo fixed :P

I'm actually quite happy I endorsed this guy in 2007, in addition to actually occasionally being right on an issue (like medical marijuana) he's also been incredibly entertaining otherwise (like now). His opponent would just be a generic right wing backbencher who'd be wrong on everything and very boring.

Yeah, this guy is in Congress in large part due to Democratic votes in his first R vs R, special election.

Perhaps have the science committee comprised of the members of the House who gained the highest scores on the SAT Subject Tests in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.

Should I be worried that I initially read that reply as referring to a litmus test on "genetically modified orgasms"?

No, I did the same. That's probably what he meant anyways. The r key is right next to the t on they keyboard, so likely a typo.

That's not the only change Ernie made. -_-

Really?  Why do you think that?  It seems to be the leading theory these days, with substantial evidence backing it up. I just got a refresher course went I went to watch a program at the Griffith Park Planetarium in LA a few months ago.

The "problem" of course for these folks is that they resent it when science gets in the way of a literalist interpretation of the Bible. They simply won't stand for that. And it is totally futile to try to persuade them otherwise. You just need to bounce them from Congress. They are incorrigible, and not rehabilitatable, and thus need to be kicked off the island.

Muon is an example that a man of science can be a Republican. Unfortunately, his party colleagues tend to primary those.

Careful. I received death points for questioning religion. The mod squad deemed it "inappropriate."

Although I live elsewhere for school I'm sadly still registered to vote in Broun's district :( Remember, this is also the guy that compared Obama to Hitler and claimed the Committee on American-Islamic Relations was a group of terrorist-sympathizers and spies.


To be fair, that really didn't have much to do with Broun personally. Most Democrats in the district were centered in the college town of Athens, which was Broun's hometown (his opponent Jim Whitehead lived two hours away in the Augusta suburbs). Broun won 90% of the vote in Athens because he was a local, because Whitehead called the University of Georgia "a liberal bastion, and all of it except the football team should be eliminated," and because Broun's dad (Paul Broun Sr.) was a Democratic State Senator who represented Athens for like forty years.


I believe Xahar is talking about this:

()

:P

He's talking about the sitcom of the same name.

Oh. Never heard of it.

The mods don't give the Torie man death points. :P  Anyway, what I stated is factual. Cheers.

Sign of a good man.

You're dreaming, Torie.  These gents are bouncing your sort from Congress.

You know what?  If I had run for and won a City Council seat after serving on the planning commission or something, I bet if I were willing to shave my net worth by a fair amount, I could both win the primary and the general in my CD if the seat were open. Yes, that sounds egomaniacal, but that is what I really think. You help to shape public opinion, and in all events, even if folks disagree with you on this or that, if you show you are strong on some things that matter, and might actually make a difference in Congress, they will respect you, and give you a bye if you deviate from the mantra on this or that.

Well I didn't mean you literally, rather just the sort of congressman you might prefer, who have been rapidly disappearing from your chosen party.  But good for you for considering getting involved.

Read between the lines: Torie just explained why he can stay in these people's party. They are strong on the things that really matter - ie their economic thinking is on the same intellectual level as their scientific thinking, which will make him even richer - and therefore he respects them and gives them a bye even though they deviate from his mantra on everything else.

Somewhere along the line your post went off the rails a bit. :)

Oh no. I'm seeing right through you. ;D

Now you have (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEIn3T6nDAo).

Why is it even called Science Committee anyway ? Wouldn't those kind of Republicans have wanted to change that name at any point ? Like the "Religion, Science and other theories Committee" ?

Nope.  As the ad image below shows they don't consider themselves anti-science.  Evolution is simply bad science in their view.

()