McCain: planetariums suck - September 16, 2008
As the crossfire on the US election trail becomes ever nastier, will one of the bodies by the wayside be a planetarium?
Candidate John McCain took aim at these unlikely targets this week when discussing rival Barack Obama’s attempt to obtain earmarks for certain projects. Some estimates put Obama’s earmarks at over $900 million, meaning Obama has not a leg to stand on when attacking on Republican potential vice-president Palin on the same issue, says McCain.
“That’s nearly a million every day, every working day he’s been in Congress,” he says (AP). “And when you look at some of the planetariums and other foolishness that he asked for, he shouldn't be saying anything about Governor Palin.”
Theoretical physicist JoAnne Hewett writes on the Cosmic Variance blog that McCain seems to be talking about Obama’s plans to provide cash for a refurb of the Adler Planetarium in Chicago.
“Quite frankly, I am left speechless at the phrase: ‘planetariums and other foolishness’,” says Hewett.
“... Sorry, but replacing 40 year old equipment at one of the leading science education facilities in this country (the Adler Planetarium is located in downtown Chicago and is the oldest planetarium in existence today) is one of the best investments in the future that I can think of. I’ve always equated planetariums with science education - an area where the US seems to be lacking.”
I’ll try and get the Adler to say something about this...
Related
John McCain: literally antiscience – Bad Science
Space: It's an issue of national security – Florida Today
McCain bashes Obama on NASA – Boston Globe
Comments
Out of context this sounds bad... until you realize why he said it.
The planetarium’s chairman is Frank Clark who is a huge fundraiser for Obama. He has pledged to raise $200,000 for Obama’s run for the White House.
I love planetariums and I am an amateur astronomer but this was a 'tit for tat' kind of deal.
It is rather shameful that this blog has subverted itself into the politics.
Well... good luck with that.
Posted by: Dennis | September 16, 2008 03:41 PM
Stick to science. The politics is always biased towards the liberals.
Posted by: Marc | September 16, 2008 11:44 PM
As a planetarium professional (perhaps a rare breed), I think the comment is newsworthy.
The comment isn't out of context. "Why" he said it is he believes it. McCain is against any federal funding for planetariums. The real question that could be discussed is whether federal money should be used for such projects..
I would be for such spending if there was a bipartisan review board, and no one reviewed projects for their own districts. Nonprofits like planetariums do an enormous amount of good and cannot operate as self-sustaining businesses. Part of the reason we have federally funded schools is we don't want poor areas to suffer with inadequate education. Planetariums have educational missions and provide experiences for kids that can't happen in a classroom for various reasons, such as not all teachers have Space Physics degrees.
Posted by: Karen | September 22, 2008 05:45 PM
He said it again tonight. I don't know what his problem is with planetariums, except maybe that an educated electorate is his party's worst nightmare.
Posted by: Theropod | October 8, 2008 06:52 AM
Marc writes:
"Stick to science. The politics is always biased towards the liberals."
Scientists! Do what your masters in industry tell you! Political discussion leads to unclean, "liberal" thoughts.
Chairman Mao could not have said it better himself. Well done Marc.
Speaking of China... Today the Chinese take astronomy -- and astronomy education education -- very seriously, as I show here:
http://jotman.blogspot.com/2008/10/mccain-obama-and-adler-planetarium.html
Posted by: Jotman | October 17, 2008 06:17 PM