He did it again!
McCain is gunning for planetariums again! In last night’s debate he once again wheeled out the “$3 million for an overhead projector in a planetarium in his hometown” line against Obama.
This has already taken up enough of all of our time. Read the previous posts it you want to know why it’s not an overhead projector and why planetarium’s should be supported.
McCain: planetariums suck – September 16
McCain: I still hate planetariums – October 08
When a planetarium becomes a tank helmet – October 09
Debating science
Apart on the planetarium punch, some more substantial science points also emerged in last night’s debate.
The last question of the night was:
The U.S. spends more per capita than any other country on education. Yet, by every international measurement, in math and science competence, from kindergarten through the 12th grade, we trail most of the countries of the world.
The implications of this are clearly obvious. Some even say it poses a threat to our national security. Do you feel that way and what do you intend to do about it?
Obama said he’d invest in early childhood education and bring in tuition credits to make college more affordable. “Right now, I meet young people all across the country who either have decided not to go to college or if they’re going to college, they are taking on $20,000, $30,000, $50,000, $60,000 worth of debt, and it’s very difficult for them to go into some fields, like basic research in science, for example, thinking to themselves that they’re going to have a mortgage before they even buy a house,” he said.
McCain said he’d reward good teachers and encourage parent choice. He added: “Look, we must improve education in this country. As far as college education is concerned, we need to make those student loans available. We need to give them a repayment schedule that they can meet. We need to have full student loan program for in-state tuition. And we certainly need to adjust the certain loan eligibility to inflation.”
Full debate transcript from the LA Times.
McCain backs science spend
According to DC newspaper The Hill McCain will exempt research funding from his federal spending freeze.
“You’ll definitely see, under John McCain, more spending on research,” says senior policy adviser Ike Brannon.
Brannon told The Hill the increase in science spend would be paid for by cuts to other programmes.
The same on science?
AP has taken a look at scientists and the election and finds that scientists think both McCain and Obama are supportive of their work:
Both presidential candidates — Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama — offer policies farther from the [current] president than they are from each other. They advocate mandatory caps on the main global warming gas and favor federal funding for embryonic stem cell research — positions opposite the Bush Administration.
Obama and McCain promise to seek, not censor, government science advice and to restore the White House science adviser’s office.
The differences between them are more notable in the nuances of policy than in the broad brush of campaigns.