Perry Claims Texas Teaches “Creationism”
Gov. Rick Perry spent Thursday campaigning for the GOP presidential nomination in New Hampshire, where he told a boy that Texas teaches creationism alongside evolution. Photo by Jay Root of the Texas Tribune.Gov. Rick Perry spent another day campaigning in New Hampshire today. He met voters and toured a local business.
At one stop, he told a boy that Texas teaches creationism alongside evolution in public schools – which is actually not true. A 1987 U.S. Supreme Court ruling prohibits it.
Jay Root of our political reporting partner, the Texas Tribune, is traveling with the Perry campaign and says it’s not the first time Perry has drawn fire when speaking off the cuff.
“I think what’s clear is that some of this is probably planned and some of it probably isn’t,” Root told KUT. “Some of it’s probably helping him with his base, and some of it is probably feeding into the notion that he’s been a little bit of a loose cannon on this trip. I think he had a great kickoff, and there has been flashes of real brilliance and real connection with the voters and some of the retail politicking. But he’s created news at moments that weren’t of his choosing.”
Liberal groups including the Texas Freedom Network quickly responded to Perry’s creationism comment, calling the statement “irresponsible” and “incorrect.”
