Last week, the Wonk Room published an exclusive analysis of the Republican candidates for the U.S. Senate, finding that only Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE) supported action to fight global warming pollution. That Tuesday, Castle was defeated in his primary by Tea Party candidate Christine O’Donnell, who believes evolution is a myth and opposes stem-cell research. Yesterday, Bill Maher cited that report in a discussion with MSNBC’s Chris Matthews, bemoaning the dominance of anti-science Republicans. After Matthews played a clip of O’Donnell warning in 2007 of “mice with fully functioning human brains” — evidently a mangled reference to a mouse with surgically constructed ear from cow cells grafted onto its back — Maher noted that the “real issue” is the Republican opposition to science:
MAHER: I don’t know, when I saw all this coverage of the witch stuff, I was laughing yesterday. Because that is not really important to the election. It is just a side show, as you would say. It was funny. I don’t think it should hurt her. It was something she was doing in high school. But when you think this about scientific issues facing this nation, people could be really helped by stem cell research. That’s a real issue. There are 37 Republican candidates for the Senate. Not one believes global warming is real and man made. Except the one, Mike Castle, the guy she defeated in Delaware.
MATTHEWS: That is serious.
MAHER: That’s a real issue.
MATTHEWS: They don’t believe in evolution, they don’t believe in science, all the evidence of science they all hold up as somehow elitist thinking.
Watch it:
The threat in November to science-based policy is very real, as a Republican surge of conspiracy theorists, polluter apologists, and anti-medicine activists plan to take back the House and the Senate.
Transcript:
MATTHEWS: Let’s look at her saying something she may have a problem defending. It was on Fox, 2007. I think it was on Bill O’Reilly, let’s listen.
MAHER: American scientific companies are cross breeding humans and animals and coming up with mice with fully functioning human brains.
MATTHEWS: I don’t know what to make of that. Are there mice — I know elephants are afraid mice, but they must really be afraid of mice with people’s brains in them. What is she talking about? I never heard of mice with human brains in them.
MAHER: Yeah. It was a little unfortunate. I guess she read the article wrong. I don’t know, when I saw all this coverage of the witch stuff, I was laughing yesterday. Because that is not really important to the election. It is just a side show, as you would say. It was funny. I don’t think it should hurt her. It was something she was doing in high school. But when you think this about scientific issues facing this nation, people could be really helped by stem cell research. That’s a real issue. There are 37 Republican candidates for the Senate. Not one believes global warming is real and man made. Except the one, Mike Castle, the guy she defeated in Delaware.
MATTHEWS: That is serious.
MAHER: That’s a real issue.
MATTHEWS: They don’t believe in evolution, they don’t believe in science, all the evidence of science they all hold up as somehow elitist thinking.
MAHER: Yes, absolutely. I mean, there’s lots of people who I like personally, who I don’t think should be in Congress. unfortunately, many are already in Congress. But there’s a difference between being a nice person and being fit for office.