Obama and McCain on science and technology policy
A group called Science Debate 2008 sent a list of questions about science and technology policy to Barack Obama and John McCain, covering such topics as science education, stem cell research, the politicization of science, space exploration, and numerous other topics. Both candidates responded to the list of fourteen questions; their answers are listed here (via NYT).
One quote from McCain stood out; on the subject of innovation, he said this:
Under my guiding hand, Congress developed a wireless spectrum policy that spurred the rapid rise of mobile phones and Wi-Fi technology that enables Americans to surf the web while sitting at a coffee shop, airport lounge, or public park.
His "guiding hand" remark sounds an awful lot like Gore's statement about the legislation that engendered the Internet:
During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet. I took the initiative in moving forward a whole range of initiatives that have proven to be important to our country's economic growth and environmental protection, improvements in our educational system.
If the above quote from Gore can be deliberately misquoted by those on the right to say that he "invented" the Internet, then surely that same disingenuous right-wing peanut gallery will be just as quick to construe McCain's "guiding hand" remark to mean that he invented WiFi and mobile phones.
Right?
UPDATE: McCain policy advisor Douglas Holtz-Eakin just piles on the stupid:
Waving his BlackBerry personal digital assistant and citing McCain's work as a senator, he told reporters Tuesday, "You're looking at the miracle that John McCain helped create."
McCain has acknowledged that he doesn't know how to use a computer and can't send e-mail, one of the BlackBerry's prime functions.
So now McCain invented the Blackberry too?