More on Professor Gonzalez

A pair of editorials I read today show the depths the Discovery Institute (DI) will plumb when looking for appropriate causes to champion. The Ames Tribune (Ames, IA) hit the bullseye whenthey said " . . . it seems the [Discovery] institute is at least as interested in headlines as it is in science. " I disagree with only one thing, I believe the DI is MORE interested in headlines than science; it's all public relations for them and the Tribune called them on it!

The DI responded to their editorial in their usual fashion by going on the attack. Their response was a wonderful example of spin doctoring. First they accuse the Tribune of not reporting the news . . . which is DI-speak for not reporting what the DI wants you to report . . . and then they accuse the Tribune of poor reporting. You might ask how they justified poor reporting, they did it by changing what the editorial said.

According to DI the Tribune stated that the DI had given Professor Gonzalez $50K for research. That is not what's in the editorial. The editorial stated "and the promise of $50,000 from the Discovery Institute." I don't know about the rest of you, but a promise of $50K is not the same thing as getting$50K, I know which one I can cash checks against! So their own article does exactly what they accuse the Ames editorial of doing -- poor reporting!

Anyone who thinks this is an isolated incident should really read up on the DI and see some of the things they are up to. I'll keep posting interesting tidbits here but there is something everyone should remember. They are masters of making nothing sound like something! Look at their web site and you will see just how nonpartisan they really are.

Let's bottom line it again, even if you add up all the money the DI and Professor Gonzales claim to have brought into Iowa State ($122,000 and a promise form the DI for $50000 more) as it said in the editorial " . . . that's still a long way from the $1.3 million average among physics and astronomy faculty seeking tenure [at Iowa State]."