S&T in the 2008 Presidential Election Newsletter

June 2008

The latest science-related news on the presidential election from the
AAAS Center for Science, Technology and Congress

ELECTION UPDATES

With Clinton Out, Focus is on November
With Sen. Hillary Clinton having formally suspended her campaign for Democratic presidential nominee, Sen. Barack Obama is now focusing his efforts entirely on the general election and his campaign against his prospective Republican opponent, Sen. John McCain. Beyond covering the back and forth between the campaigns on various issues, the media has also begun to speculate about prospective running mates. While Clinton acknowledged soon after leaving the race that she would consider joining the Obama ticket, no one yet knows who is favored among a list that includes Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico, former Sen. John Edwards, Sen. Jim Webb, and Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, among others. Sen. McCain has also given no indication as to his preference, although speculation on likely possibilities include Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist.

Obama Describes Plan for American Competitiveness
The Democratic Party's prospective nominee for president, Sen. Barack Obama, outlined his plan to restore American competitiveness in a speech at Kettering University in Flint, MI, on June 15. Speaking to a local audience that has experienced decades of job loss from a steady decline in manufacturing, Obama sought to assure voters that he intends to make an aggressive effort to keep the United States. competitive and to bring jobs back.
           
While some of the substance consisted of familiar rhetoric about tax cuts and health care, Obama also described an ambitious plan to double funding for basic research,  increase federal investments to modernize infrastructure, improve science and math education, and to expand research and development on alternative energy. Specifically, he cited an energy plan that would invest $150 billion in green energy projects nationwide and to create up to 5 million new jobs. He also discussed the importance of universal broadband internet access.

McCain Looks to Clean Coal and Offshore Drilling
In a move that drew criticism from environmentalists, leading Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain announced in a speech in Houston on June 17 that he would seek to lift the ban on drilling for oil on the Outer Continental Shelf off the U.S. coast. A moratorium on coastal drilling was enacted by Congress in 1982 and backed by an executive order from President George H.W. Bush in 1990. President Clinton extended the executive order until 2012 and President George W. Bush has supported it until this week.  In a Rose Garden speech, the President called on Congress to lift the ban as part of an effort to reduce domestic fuel prices. Bush has also advocated opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to drilling, which McCain opposes.

In a speech in Springfield, MO, the next day, McCain also made his pitch for a long-term solution to the country’s energy needs that would be carbon free. While he did repeat his desire to see an expansion of nuclear power, McCain also regarded clean coal technology as a major aspect of that future energy mix. As part of a federal effort to advance the technology, he said he would dedicate $2 billion annually to research and development on clean coal.

REPORTS

The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars released a report on June 17 detailing the important role that the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) needs to play in the next Administration.  The report, OSTP 2.0: Critical Upgrade, argues that the next President must enhance the role that OSTP plays and recommends that the OSTP Director, in the traditional dual role as Science Advisor to the President, serve in the President’s Cabinet.  The report also outlines six critical issues that the next Administration must address, including environmental and energy, innovation, national security, S&T education and talent, health care, and public understanding of S&T. 

RESOURCES

NEW Questions for Congressional Candidates
Scientists and Engineers for America (SEA), along with 14 other scientific professional societies (including AAAS), has created a list of seven key science and technology policy questions that will be sent to all congressional candidates.  The questions and any answers the candidates submit will be posted on an interactive map of the United States.  For further information go to: http://sharp.sefora.org/innovation2008/#questions

NEWS

In his column in the DC political newspaper Roll Call, Morton Kondracke complimented both candidates for their recent speeches on energy and innovation.  However, he emphasized the urgency of the situation facing the energy research community citing layoffs at national laboratories.  Kondracke challenged the candidates, stating that “they need to act now to save federal energy research from collapsing.”

“Obama, McCain Can Help Advance Energy, Competitiveness Now,” Morton Kondracke, Roll Call, June 19, 2008.  (www.rollcall.com; subscription required).

PRESS COVERAGE

AAAS's Science and Technology in the 2008 Presidential Election has been featured in publications including The Baltimore Sun, Wired Science, Greenwire and Inside Higher Ed. Science readers can also view a write-up in the journal's January 25 issue.

MANAGE YOUR SUBSCRIPTION

The Center's election project will maintain a listserv for individuals interested in receiving updates on new information related to science, technology and the election. To subscribe, send your name and e-mail address to congress_center@aaas.org with the Subject line "Election".