I had to read this little story several times just to make sure I didn’t miss a critical word.

U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum said Saturday that he doesn’t believe that intelligent design belongs in the science classroom.

Santorum’s comments to The Times are a shift from his position of several years ago, when he wrote in a Washington Times editorial that intelligent design is a "legitimate scientific theory that should be taught in the classroom."

But on Saturday, the Republican said that, "Science leads you where it leads you."

Though Santorum said he believes that intelligent design is "a legitimate issue," he doesn’t believe it should be taught in the classroom, adding that he had concerns about some parts of the theory.

So maybe it’s not a complete 180° turn. We’ll call it a 155°. Although the change is probably due more to a political awakening (Santorum would like to run for President in 2008) rather than an intelligent one, it’s still a pleasant surprise for those of us in favor of real science in the science curriculum.

intelligent design, science education, santorum