NPR did the first of what I can only presume will be many pieces in the media outlining the differences between McCain and Obama on science policy. While neither candidate has answered the 14 questions posed by scientists, there are already some stark differences…like science funding.

From Melody Barnes, senior domestic policy adviser to the Obama campaign:

“Senator Obama believes that we have to double scientific research funding, so that we can take advantage of the enormous talent in the United States, and we can regain our global competitive edge.”

From Douglas Holtz-Eakin with McCain campaign:

“Doubling is a nice fun number for political purposes. It’s clean, it’s smooth. But it doesn’t reflect a balancing of political priorities. There will be competing demands for funds. These are scarce taxpayer dollars; they come from American families who work hard to generate them. And good scientists should make the case for their research money, and the senator will be happy to listen to that case and fund appropriately. But to promise everybody everything is not really laying it on the line.”

In other words, McCain’s promise to freeze domestic spending includes flat funding science. That is as stark a contrast as any of us have seen between Obama and McCain on science funding and it is a whopper. McCain is already struggling to distance himself from the policies of the Bush administration, but a wimpy stance on science funding will do little to convince Americans that he will be able to push the US through difficult economic times by investing in science and technology, which are widely seen as key to longterm economic growth and competitiveness. I sincerely hope that the McCain campaign answers the 14 questions, but also hope that they reconsider their commitment to American science.