I mostly agree with you on this, HitmanNY--though I admit my feelings do get a tad riled by the issue, mostly because I think the whole Creationist schtick puts conservatism in bed with some genuine Neanderthals--and I just don't want to go there!
And I'm still reeling from the post that conflated Piltdown and Neanderthal fossils!
Yep. Like I said, there is nothing 'conservative' about being on either side of this issue. I agree with you that because of vocal (and I think misplaced) advocacy, it sort-of becomes a conservative issue because a lot of the more vocal advocates are conservatives.
Like I said, I don't see it this way. To me, it's amazing that this is even an issue. Anyone is free to believe what they want, and anyone is free to accept or reject anything they are taught in school. I attended Vassar for four years, a liberal/leftist haven, and while I got a good education, I rejected a lot of the 'truths' they taught me (social science, political science, etc ). Look how great I turned out! :-)