The following is an excerpt from OpinionJournal.com’s “Best of the Web” written by the editor, James Taranto.
Bottom Stories of the Day
“India’s ‘Occupy Wall Street’ Barely Fills Corner”–headline, WSJ.com, Nov. 4
Breaking News From Genesis 4:9
“Cain Shows Initial Resilience in the Face of Controversy”–headline, ABCNews.com, Nov. 4
It Seemed Like It Would Never End
” ‘Council Member’s Mistake’ Halts Port Tunnel Boring Ceremony”–headline, WFOR-TV website (Miami), Nov. 3
Don’t Know Much About a Science Book
“Belief in science should be a no-brainer, especially for anyone running for President, Mayor [Michael] Bloomberg groused Thursday,” reports New York’s Daily News:
“We have presidential candidates who don’t believe in science,” Bloomberg said, without singling out dubious Republican candidates directly.
“I mean, just think about it, can you imagine a company of any size in the world where the CEO said ‘oh I don’t believe in science’ and that person surviving to the end of that day? Are you kidding me? It’s mind-boggling!”
Bloomberg grew coy when asked which candidate he was talking about.
“I don’t know,” he said. “You can check the presidential candidates’ speeches. . . . I don’t have time to go do it but all their speeches, everything they said.”
Only one GOP contender – former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman – has come out full force saying he believes in science.
“To be clear, I believe in evolution and trust scientists on global warming. Call me crazy,” he wrote on Twitter. He later attacked Rick Perry on “This Week” when he said, “The minute that the Republican Party becomes the anti-science party – we have a huge problem.”
Bloomberg and Huntsman both commit the common error of thinking that “science” is a set of beliefs or doctrines, when it is in fact a method of acquiring knowledge by testing hypotheses through experimentation. Meanwhile, CNSNews.com reports that the unwieldily named Debbie Wasserman Schultz, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, “said Thursday that for states to enact constitutional amendments that say human life begins at conception is ‘an extreme and radical step.’ ”
So apparently the Democratic Party “believes in science” except when the science is biology.
For more “Best of the Web” click here and look for the “Best of the Web Today” link in the middle column below “Today’s Columnists.”
