Thoughts in a Haystack

Cheri Yecke, once Minnesota's education commissioner and now Florida's K-12 chancellor, is a leading candidate to be Florida's next education commissioner. There's just a little problem with her past, however. It seems that, even in Florida, being a closet creationist of the "teach the controversy" sort is not a bright spot on a candidate's résumé.

Florida's No. 2 education official is tangled in a cyber-tussle with a tiny Minnesota newspaper and a scientist who blogs about the politics of teaching evolution.

Back in October 2003, the Princeton Union Eagle wrote that Cheri Yecke, then Minnesota's education commissioner, explained in "advance publicity" for a public hearing that "schools could include the concept of 'intelligent design' in teaching how the world came to be."

The scientist is gentlemanly Wesley Elsberry, the keeper of the Talk Origins Archive and, until recently, employed by the National Center for Science Education. Wes has offered to make a correction if Yecke can show the original story he quoted was wrong.

Yecke has hired something called "ReputationDefender," which promises to "DESTROY" (its shouting) content "that you don't like." Notice, that's not content that is "false" or "libelous" or even just "wrong." It is merely something that the client doesn't like.

Let's make sure she gets her money's worth then!

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