[Peace-discuss] Adler Planetarium responds to McCain

Thu Oct 9 17:03:30 CDT 2008

This is, as the saying goes, an empirical question.

"He voted for nearly a billion dollars in pork barrel earmark
projects, including, by the way, $3 million for an overhead projector
at a planetarium in Chicago, Illinois. My friends, do we need to spend
that kind of money?"

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/07/presidential.debate.transcript/

On Thu, Oct 9, 2008 at 4:39 PM, Ricky Baldwin <baldwinricky at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Just a minor point: McCain did say it was for a planetarium at the debate.  I remember it clearly.  It was the first I had heard that McCain was attacking planetariums :-) so I know I heard it.  The distortion was in referring to it as an "overhead projector", evoking an image of one of those little things you see in classrooms, as if it were a million-dollar toilet seat or something.
>
>  Ricky
>
>
> "Only those who do nothing make no mistakes." - Peter Kropotkin
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Stuart Levy <slevy at ncsa.uiuc.edu>
> To: peace discuss <peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net>
> Sent: Thursday, October 9, 2008 3:14:32 PM
> Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] Adler Planetarium responds to McCain
>
> On Thu, Oct 09, 2008 at 03:04:17PM -0500, Karen Medina wrote:
>> YES!. Thanks for sharing the article.
>>
>> But I'm pretty sure the quote in the article is wrong; When McCain mentioned
>> that Obama had approved the expensive projector in Chicago, McCain
>> intentionally left out that it had anything to do with a planetarium. I'd have to
>> look for a transcript.
>
> Actually, McCain *did* say something (to a Florida newspaper, in September)
> about pork for "planetariums and other foolishness":
>
>
>> Subject: planetariums become political footballs
>>
>> Saw these two notes on the dome-l planetarium mailing list.
>> It seems McCain, stung by those who pointed out that Sarah Palin
>> had supported the famous Alaskan bridge project before deciding
>> to oppose it when it became a public issue (and then taking the money
>> for AK anyway), tried to reply by saying that Obama's record on
>> pork projects was no better:
>>
>> In a recent interview with AP and Florida newspapers, McCain ...
>>
>> > [...] was asked about nearly $200 million in congressional pet projects Palin
>> > requested for 2009 for her state, despite her boasts that she opposes such
>> > projects and his claim that she didn't ask for any. McCain responded by
>> > criticizing Obama for seeking more than $900 million in these earmarks, by
>> > one count.
>> >
>> > "That's nearly a million every day, every working day he's been in
>> > Congress," *McCain said. "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."*
>>
>> and now...
>>
>> > == 1 of 3 ==
>> > Date: Tues, Sep 16 2008 9:50�am
>> > From: "Night Spirit"
>> >
>> > In my other post, I noted McCain slammed Obama for foolish pork requests
>> > like planetariums.  I just found out that the he was talking about Obama's
>> > support to provide the Adler with a $3.3 grant to replace its 40 year old
>> > projector which is becoming impossible to repair.  Words fail me.
>> >
>> > --
>> > Laurent Pellerin, Director
>> > Kika Silva Pla Planetarium
>> > at Santa Fe College
>> > 3000 NW 83rd St, Office X-132
>> > Gainesville, Florida 32606
>> > 352.395.5381
>> > laurent.pellerin at sfcc.edu
>> > http://www.sfcollege.edu/planetarium
>
>
>> -karen medina
>>
>> ---- Original message ----
>> >Date: Thu, 9 Oct 2008 07:47:43 -0500
>> >From: "Robert Naiman" <naiman.uiuc at gmail.com>
>> >Subject: [Peace-discuss] Adler Planetarium responds to McCain
>> >To: "peace discuss" <peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net>
>> >
>> >http://www.adlerplanetarium.org/pressroom/pr/2008_10_08_AdlerStatement
>> _aboutdebate.pdf
>> >
>> >    STATEMENT ABOUT SENATOR JOHN McCAIN'S COMMENTS AT THE
>> PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
>> >    Last night, during the presidential debate in Nashville,
>> >Tennessee, Senator John McCain made the following statement:
>> >    McCain: "While we were working to eliminate these pork barrel
>> >earmarks he (Senator Obama) voted for nearly $1 billion in pork barrel
>> >earmark projects. Including $3 million for an overhead projector at a
>> >planetarium in Chicago, Illinois. My friends, do we need to spend that
>> >kind of money?"
>> >    To clarify, the Adler Planetarium requested federal support –
>> >which was not funded – to replace the projector in its historic Sky
>> >Theater, the first planetarium theater in the Western Hemisphere. The
>> >Adler's Zeiss Mark VI projector – not an overhead projector – is the
>> >instrument that re-creates the night sky in a dome theater, the
>> >quintessential planetarium experience. The Adler's projector is nearly
>> >40 years old and is no longer supported with parts or service by the
>> >manufacturer. It is only the second planetarium projector in the
>> >Adler's 78 years of operation. Science literacy is an urgent issue in
>> >the United States. To remain competitive and ensure national security,
>> >it is vital that we educate and inspire the next generation of
>> >explorers to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and
>> >math.
>> >
>> >    Senator McCain's statements about the Adler Planetarium's request
>> >for federal support do not accurately reflect the museum's legislative
>> >history or relationship with Senator Obama. The Adler has approached
>> >the Illinois Congressional delegation the last few years for federal
>> >assistance with various initiatives. These have included museum
>> >exhibitions, equipment and educational programs we offer to area
>> >schools, including the Chicago Public Schools. We have made requests
>> >to Senators Durbin and Obama, as well as to 6 area Congressmen from
>> >both political parties. We are grateful that all of the Members we
>> >have approached,including Senator Obama, have deemed our activities
>> >worthy of their support, and have made appropriations requests on our
>> >behalf, as they have for many worthy Illinois nonprofit organizations.
>> >
>> >    As a result of the hard work of our bipartisan congressional
>> >delegation, the Adler has been fortunate to receive a few federal
>> >appropriations the past couple of years. However, the Adler has never
>> >received an earmark as a result of Senator Obama's efforts. This is
>> >clearly evidenced by recent transparency laws implemented by the
>> >Congress, which have resulted in the names of all requesting Members
>> >being listed next to every earmark in the reports that accompany
>> >appropriations bills.
>> >    October 8, 2008
>> >
>> >
>> >--
>> >Robert Naiman
>> >Just Foreign Policy
>> >www.justforeignpolicy.org
>> >naiman at justforeignpolicy.org
>> >
>> >Ambassador Pickering on Iran Talks and Multinational Enrichment
>> >http://youtube.com/watch?v=kGZFrFxVg8A
>> >_______________________________________________
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>>
>
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-- 
Robert Naiman
Just Foreign Policy
www.justforeignpolicy.org
naiman at justforeignpolicy.org

Ambassador Pickering on Iran Talks and Multinational Enrichment
http://youtube.com/watch?v=kGZFrFxVg8A