Only in Bush's America would the issue of evolution de-evolve to the level of "controversial public debate". Senator Rick Santorum, who recently was caught bilking a Pittsburgh area school district out of hundreds of thousands of dollars (link), believes that it's imperative for teachers to allow for debate over Darwin's Theory of Evolution, while incorporating the idea of "intelligent design". Read his Pittsburgh Post-Gazette editorial here.
...the theory of intelligent design claims that certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as random mutation and natural selection, and it makes scientific arguments to back that up.
Intelligent design is a teaser trailer: a first small step to the complete erosion of scientific theory and a return to creationist dogma. The right may deny it again and again, but make no mistake: it's happening.
Their plan is simple. First, cast doubt about evolution. Second, introduce "Creationism Lite" (intelligent design) and mandate it under the guise of "academic freedom" (if that's the case, let's teach students about all the flaws of the Bible as well). Third, drop evolution entirely. Fourth... enjoy.
Meanwhile, Santorum is up for re-election in '06 (write to him and ask him not to run again). Make no mistake, Santorum is definitely the face of the enemy. Especially since, as Newsweek is foreshadowing, he may also have his sights set on 2008. God help us.
UPDATE: Read this right-wing strategy analysis about intelligent design as a wedge issue. According to the report, we're definitely in Phase I.