The Lenski-Conservapaedia controversy

Readers of this blog have probably already heard about the spat between Rich Lenski and Conservapaedia in which Rich gives Conservapaedia a good lesson in how science works.¹ What you may not know is that Andrew Sullivan, author of "The Conservative Soul" among other books, had this to say about it at the Daily Dish:

More evidence of the rotting of the right's brain. Conservapedia objects to the finding that a bacteria strain evolved the ability to better utilize sugar over 20 years.

"Rotting of the right's brain", or if not the whole right, at least those who run Conservapaedia. Writing at ArsTechnica John Timmer notes

Problems with group think and incendiary discussions are common complaints about what happens behind the scenes at Wikipedia. The irony here is that Conservapedia was ostensibly founded as a response to precisely that behavior. It appears that the victims may now be trying the role of oppressors on for size.