We’re only too happy when the political debate turns to science, even if it means scrapping over who said what.
The latest altercation began earlier this week when Obama announced that he was revising his position on the U.S. space program to include a “comprehensive space plan that includes $2 billion in new funding to reinvigorate NASA” as well as a “promise to make space exploration and science a significantly higher priority,” according to the Washington Post. Details of the plan include finishing the International Space Station, supporting aeronautics research, and flying an additional shuttle mission to carry a $1.5 billion particle detector to the ISS.
The plan marks a shift from Obama’s position earlier in the campaign, when he proposed delaying NASA’s Constellation program in order to fund an $18 billion education plan—a proposal that was soon dropped. Still, McCain wasted no time in blasting his opponent for changing his position (“flip-flopping” accusations never seem to get old in politics) and proclaiming that by contrast, McCain himself would “ensure that space exploration remains a top priority and that the U.S. continues to lead the world in this field.”
