On today’s election science round up:

Wired is highlighting the perceived disagreement between McCain and his potential-vice president Sarah Palin over stem cells. Palin said yesterday that McCain backed the standard Republican party line which is opposed to embryonic stem cell research.

“McCain has stated his support for embryonic stem cell research, and has made it a campaign issue by running radio ads in battleground states with lots of independent voters … [Palin’s statement] on Wednesday is important because it raises the question of whether McCain, as the scientific community fears, might reverse his stance once in office,” says Wired.

Marc Ambinder at The Atlantic has a transcript of Palin’s statement.

Meanwhile Obama has used the launch of India’s Moon mission as a peg to talk about NASA again:

With India’s launch of its first unmanned lunar spacecraft following closely on the heels of China’s first spacewalk, we are reminded just how urgently the United States must revitalize its space program if we are to remain the undisputed leader in space, science, and technology.

(Full statement on Space Ref)

In other election/space news, Keith Cowing at NASA Watch has put online ‘A Speech That I’d Like To See The Next President Deliver’.

Reuters takes another look at last week’s televised debate and pulls out McCain’s pledges to eliminate tariffs on sugar cane-based ethanol imported from Brazil and to cut subsidies on ethanol production.

For more on this issue check the NY Times ‘Of Farming, Ethanol Subsidies and Election ‘08’ piece from earlier this month.

Want more election science? Check past Great Beyond stories and Nature’s election special.