The San Angelo Standard-Times interviews Texas governor (and GOP candidate) Rick Perry about his views on education, and out comes the ugly anti-science fanaticism again. Perry thinks the Texas State Board of Education is doing a terrific job, and he’s “a firm believer” in teaching creationism in public schools.

Do you think the role of the State Board of Education should be revised given the recent controversy over curriculum and textbook selection?

The State Board of Education is an independently elected body that is charged with developing college- and career-ready curriculum standards for our state. As elected officials, they are accountable to their constituents for implementing curriculum standards that will ensure the best education possible for our state. I have repeatedly stated that the curriculum adopted by the SBOE should be rigorous, grade-level specific, and contain college- and career-ready standards, and I believe we have the right system in place to determine our school curriculum.

Explain where you stand on evolution-creationism being taught in school.

I am a firm believer in intelligent design as a matter of faith and intellect, and I believe it should be presented in schools alongside the theories of evolution. The State Board of Education has been charged with the task of adopting curriculum requirements for Texas public schools and recently adopted guidelines that call for the examination of all sides of a scientific theory, which will encourage critical thinking in our students, an essential learning skill.

These Dark Ages anti-science attitudes are not exclusive to Rick Perry; in fact, he’s part of an overwhelming majority within the Republican Party. Nearly every top GOP politician is either an outright creationist, or a sneaky “intelligent design” creationist, and if you help vote them into office they’re going to try to force this anachronistic nonsense on everyone’s children. And they’re going to call it “science.”

This is what the GOP looks like in 2010.

(Hat tip: freetoken.)