LOOKS LIKE McCAIN HAS A PERFECT CANDIDATE FOR SCIENCE ADVISOR-- MEET JOHN FRESHWATER

Until Friday, John Freshwater was a middle school science teacher in Mount Vernon, Ohio-- an area that went from electing extreme right-wing Republican Bob Ney to electing moderately right-wing Democrat Zach Space. There are less than 15,000 people living in Mount Vernon and almost every one of them is white and Christian. The town boasts having been the birthplace of Paul Lynde and of Hiram and Barney Davis (pka- "The Wild Men of Borneo," Waino and Plutano). The medium income of Mount Vernon's males is $31,900 and the little ladies make $21,969.

On Friday the School Board voted unanimously to fire the science teacher, although not for teaching religious dogma and Biblical fairy tales in his science class, something he's been doing for at least a dozen years. He was the science teacher for over 20 years. They fired him because he was branding his 8th grade students with a cross. The brand only stayed on their children's arms for 3 or 4 weeks and Freshwater plans to appeal, claiming the brands were Xs not crosses.

It was good that the school board moved into action so rapidly, since complaints about Freshwater had been coming in for 11 years and high school teachers complained that all his students had to be retaught science instead of his anti-evolution religious mumbo jumbo. "Freshwater had been told to stop teaching intelligent design and creationism, but he continued." I guess Mount Vernon is lucky it didn't go on for another 11 years.

Freshwater’s friend, Dave Daubenmire, defended him.

“With the exception of the cross-burning episode … I believe John Freshwater is teaching the values of the parents in the Mount Vernon school district,’’ he said.

Daubenmire is a former London High School football coach whose district was sued in 1999 by the American Civil Liberties Union because he led his players in prayer at games, practices and meetings.

“Do you think there are other teachers in the public classroom that are trying to drive their opinions in the classroom?’’ Daubenmire asked. “I don’t care who you are. You cannot separate your value system from your teaching.’’

The debate about Freshwater’s actions became public in April after he refused to remove a Bible from his desk, as the district had ordered.

The report says he was insubordinate for failing to remove the Bible and other religious materials from his classroom but also found other issues about his teaching and behavior.

UPDATE: JOHN BOLTON IS CRIMINALLY INSANE AND SHOULD BE LOCKED UP

Bolton was spewing his poison on Fox today painting a rosy scenario-- for Neocon war-criminals like himself-- claiming that Israel would attack Iran after Obama is elected but before he takes over from Bush. When the oil markets found out about Israeli's "practice run" Friday, light, sweet crude for July delivery rose $3.90 to $135.83 a barrel (although later dropping down to $134.62 a barrel) on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Gasoline would rise to over $10 a barrel if Israel attacks Iraq and, if Bolton's plans ever come to fruition it will be winter and people will be freezing to death in America.