Discovery Institute: Dishonest or Incompetent? I Report, You Decide.

By Mike Dunford

First, the Discovery Institute didn't seem to know about [the anti-evolution bill introduced in Florida last week](http://scienceblogs.com/authority/2008/03/antievolution_legislation_intr.php). Now, they don't seem to actually understand what the bill does. Both of these things are quite strange, considering that the Discovery Institute folks actually wrote all of the substantive parts of the bill.

Rob Crowther just devoted [most of an article](http://www.evolutionnews.org/2008/03/darwinist_activists_at_florida.html) over at the Discovery Institute's Media Complaints Blog to scolding the media for their coverage of the Florida legislation. Apparently, most of the news coverage made the outrageous claim that the "Academic Freedom Act" would actually [permit](http://www.sptimes.com/2008/03/04/State/Storms_joins_Darwin_d.shtml) the teaching of "alternative theories" to evolution. Crowther is outraged, claiming that the bill does no such thing. He thinks that the various media outlets have "been fed some 'smelly crap'" by pro-evolution groups such as Florida Citizens for science. I think it's because the various media outlets have actually read the bill.

[Read more at The Questionable Authority, where comments may be left.](http://scienceblogs.com/authority/2008/03/discovery_institute_dishonest.php)