What Will Marburger Do?

In response to today's mind-boggling news that President Bush has advocated the teaching of intelligent design as part of the biology curriculum, one can only wonder what Presidential Science Advisor John Marburger will do.

Recall that, at this year's conference of the National Association of Science Writers, Dr. Marburger was explicit on the subject of ID. As Chris Mooney reported in The American Prospect:

Marburger fielded an audience question about "Intelligent Design" (ID), the latest supposedly scientific alternative to Charles Darwin's theory of descent with modification. The White House's chief scientist stated point blank, "Intelligent Design is not a scientific theory." And that's not all -- as if to ram the point home, Marburger soon continued, "I don't regard Intelligent Design as a scientific topic."

So what would a conscientious, principled advisor do when he is in clear conflict with his boss? Resign? We'll see.