Saint Paul, MN — In the wake of two Minnesota Republicans’ shocking endorsements of  freedom-to-marry legislation, today Minnesota Representative Orville Nielsen (R-Outing)  further stunned the state’s political establishment by becoming the first member of his caucus to say he now believes that the planet Earth is probably not shaped like a disk.

Conservatives were quick to downplay the Nielsen announcement as an isolated example of a misguided member being bullied by “junk scientists,” and not the beginning of a movement toward a more science-friendly Republican Party.  A few Republican officials who asked not to be identified also expressed concern that Nielsen may be suffering from a mental illness.

While the Greek scientist Pythagoras asserted that the Earth was spherical as early as 6 BC, Minnesota conservatives say that claim does not yet represent a scientific consensus, citing numerous contrary studies conducted by highly respected Mesopotamians, ancient Norse and Germanic thinkers, pre-Socratic Greeks, and the world renowned Flat Earth Society.

“Clearly the scientific community is split on the question of planetary shape, and until there is unanimity, Republicans will support the time-tested, traditional viewpoint,” said Buck Scheinenfelder, Chairman of the Minnesota Republican Party’s Conformity Committee.

This is not the first time the two major political parties have clashed over scientific interpretations on issues ranging from evolution to climate change.  Most recently, Minnesota GOP congressional candidate Allen Question has maintained that dinosaurs lived alongside humans as late as the 12^th century, a claim liberals say is not supported with scientific evidence.

“Liberal scientists want to make all of these issues needlessly complicated, with all their elitist calculations and peer reviewed studies,” said Sheinenfelder.  “But the next time you fly, just look out the window.  I promise, you will see clear evidence below you that looks much more like a flat disk than a dang marble.”

Minnesota Republican leaders denied that elected officials backing marriage equality and planetary sphericality signaled a broader moderating trend in response to a difficult 2012 election cycle.

“A tiny minority of weak-willed individuals may abandon their conservative values and principals, but the majority of Minnesota Republicans still understand that it is a mistake to jump to conclusions until the scientific community is unanimous,” said Scheinenfelder.

Note:  This post is, to the best of our knowledge, satirical.