May 24, 2011 06:36 PM UTC

Welcome Hancock Creationism Hit Piece Recipients!

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• by: Colorado Pols

The video you’re looking for is here. FOX 31’s Eli Stokols reports on that postcard you got:

Arriving in voters’ mailboxes this week, along with their ballots for the June 7 runoff, is the attack Michael Hancock’s campaign had been bracing for — a mailer highlighting the mayoral candidate’s missteps on questions of science and evolution.

The mailer isn’t coming from Chris Romer’s campaign, but a political action committee.

On one side of the glossy flier, from a group called “Citizens for Accountability”, it shows a dinosaur skeleton alongside the words: “Don’t let science become extinct in Denver Public Schools.”

…Copies of the mailer were also available at a debate Monday night, although it wasn’t clear who brought them.

At that debate, Hancock acknowledged making mistakes on multiple questions related to evolution but said it’s wrong for Romer to continue “playing politics” with them in light of his answers clarifying his beliefs. [Pols emphasis]

Shorter Michael Hancock: “any ad quoting what I said about evolution is a falsehood.”

We suppose it is the correct political play for Hancock to continue to assert that he “clarified” his original comments on the issue, but it’s also the correct political play to continue to attack Hancock for his original comments. Let’s not forget: Hancock responded very clearly, and unequivocally, to a question that was not at all vague or difficult to interpret. Once again:

QUESTION: “Do you believe Creationism and Intelligent Design should be taught in schools?”

Hancock’s answer: “Yes.”

Hancock can try over and over and over to “clarify” that statement, but he said it. He said it clearly. And he said it on video. It is completely disingenuous to insist that attacking Hancock for this statement is wrong “because he has since clarified his position.” If you accept that premise, you accept the real meaning behind those words, “Michael Hancock realized that he made a terrible mistake in answering that question in the manner in which he did, and now he would like to backtrack a bit in hopes that you will forget about what he originally said.”

Folks, if our likening of the response of Hancock and his multiple pro-creationism gaffes with Republican running punchline Newt Gingrich’s “Ryan Plan” foibles upsets you, maybe rankles your progressive tail feathers and fires you up to start a fresh flamewar over it–which you’re free to do in our forum, make no mistake–we certainly do understand. All we ask before you launch into the latest tirade about our evident bias, cronyism, and “fascist handmaidenship,” is that you first honestly answer one very simple and straightforward question:

Would you be trying so hard to rationalize this if a Republican had said it?