Just when you thought the Sarah Palin couldn’t say anything that would further embarrass the campaign or perhaps something stupider than she already has…….SHE’S DONE IT AGAIN!

She just gave her first policy speech urging the federal government to fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), “a law ensuring services to children with disabilities throughout the nation.” In the speech, Palin cited the need to do more for children with disabilities such as autism.

Palin claimed that the amount that Congress spends on earmarks “is more than the shortfall to fully fund IDEA.” She then ridiculed some of the projects — such as “fruit fly research” — saying they have little or no value:  

Here is Palin sarcastically lampooning “fruit fly” research. WATCH THE VIDEO:

TRANSCRIPT: Where does a lot of that earmark money end up anyway? You've heard about some of these pet projects they really don't make a whole lot of sense and sometimes these dollars go to projects that have little or nothing to do with the public good. Things like fruit fly research in Paris, France. I kid you not.

Apparently, Palin isn't aware of the kind of research done with fruit flies. 

In fact, irony of all ironies, fruit fly research has actually aided in understanding a genetic component or predisposition towards autism.

It has become more and more apparent to us exactly why the McCain campaign strategists kept Governor Palin away from the Press until they thought she might be able to handle the unscripted, free flow of communication. Well, at appears that she still needs a little more maturing…….like ten years of more preparation!

EDITORIAL NOTE: Yes, scientists work on fruit flies. Some of the most powerful tools in genetics and molecular biology are available in fruit flies, and these are animals that are particularly amenable to experimentation. Molecular genetics has revealed that humans share key molecules, the basic developmental toolkit, with all other animals, thanks to our shared evolutionary heritage (something else the wackaloon from Wasilla denies), and that we can use these other organisms to probe the fundamental mechanisms that underlie core processes in the formation of the nervous system — precisely the phenomena Palin claims are so important.

AROUND the BLOGOSPHERE:

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