Ed Brayton is a journalist, commentator and speaker. He is the co-founder and president of 
Rob Crowther, the DI's head spin doctor, has this post at the DI media complaints division. It's absolutely stunning how flagrantly these guys can lie. He writes:
Today there is another urban myth building up a head of steam, and being helped along by Darwinists, about Discovery Fellow Paul Nelson. Gaurdian reporter Karen Armstrong reports: 'Great shakings and darkness are descending on Planet Earth,' says the ID philosopher Paul Nelson, 'but they will be overshadowed by even more amazing displays of God's power and light.' And yet this is pure rubbish because Nelson never said anything like this, and it turns out that Armstrong never even interviewed him. Nelson points this out in his letter to the Guardian demanding a correction. (Note to Paul: don't hold your breath)
Now go and read Nelson's post on the subject and try and spot the lie. Not only is this misquote not being "helped along by Darwinists", the first person to point out that it was an obvious misquote was Nick Matzke, and he did so at the Panda's Thumb. In fact, Nelson thanks Matzke for catching it and pointing it out because that's how Nelson found out about it. Only to a flagrant liar like Crowther could the ones who found the misquote and debunked it be accused of "helping it along".
Comments
These guys [Disco Inst] remind me so much of Washington DC. Consider the ratio of lawyers to scientists, the way that they can have a serious stake in an agenda at one moment and not really care about it the next (Kansas), and their general power of propaganda. It's really sad. And it's been so often documented when they lie or let lies slide by that by now, the ones who continue the blather (Crowther, Witt, Hunter, etc.) are only the most unconscionable.
How long can the faithful, their support base, have faith in their ability to put something out? They'll revert to the Hovinds and Baughs of the creationism world before long -- at least these guys don't Janus-face the message for the Gospel.
Posted by: Daniel Morgan | August 6, 2006 1:25 PM
This is surreal! Just when you think the DI can sink no lower, one of their staffers pumps out crap like this.
And they wonder why the scientific community considers them nothing more than a bunch of nasty-tempered PR hacks?
I worked with Nick Matzke at NCSE and I can personally say the kid has more integrity and class in the dirt underneath his toenails than a whiner like Crowther can only dream about.
It is not at all surprising that Nick would be the first to point out Armstrong's mistake, before anyone else, no matter which side of the debate the person quoted is on.
To sum up:
Matzke -- class act.
Crowther -- festering bum boil in need of lancing.
Posted by: Skip Evans | August 6, 2006 2:19 PM
DI really is a nest of missfits who could not survive in an environment, such as a laboratory or genuine field research team, that requires logical discipline, honesty, and a truly inquiring mind.
DI is just a propaganda mill funded by and run for wacko right wing religious zealots. I used to think that they were just stupid, but more and more they reveal themselves as evil, insidious, lying bastards who want to shove their creationist bullshit in to public schools.
They should be consistently treated with the contempt that they deserve.
I agree that Nick Matzke is a class act. Calling Crowther a festering bum boil in need of lancing is an unkind thing to say about bum boils.
Posted by: waldteufel | August 6, 2006 5:47 PM