Obama’s $3 million projector is no simple office technology
By Todd Eastman
During the Oct 7, 2008 second Presidential debate, Senator McCain accused Senator Obama of supporting frivolous earmark requests, using the Adler Planetarium’s request for funding of a new projector system as an example, saying:
“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?”
McCain’s attack failed to mention that the Adler Planetarium in Chicago had approached Senators Obama and Durbin and six area Congressmen from both political parties, all of whom agreed to support the request, which eventually failed to gain funding.
His accusation left the impression that the projector was similar to the office-type overhead projector that normally costs less than $1000. In fact, the projector is a specialized system of projector units used to project astronomical images such as stars, planets, and galaxies on the ceiling and is used for educational purposes. Such a projector typically weighs over 5,000 pounds and is specially designed and built. The projector currently in use by the Adler Planetarium is nearly 40 years old. The historic Sky Theater was the first planetarium theater in the Western Hemisphere.
The Adler Planetarium was so distressed by the issue that it released a statement to the press in order to clarify the earmark request and the reasoning behind it. Read the statement here.
This is an example of political half-truths and the use of incomplete anecdotes that have gotten Senator McCain’s candidacy into trouble with many American voters. While the accusation seemed to have merit at the time it was made, the Adler Planetarium’s statement clarifies the subject quite sufficiently and makes it clear that this was not a frivolous request for funding of an over-priced piece of office machinery.
If education is of such importance to the prosperity of this country, does this include educational services or is it confined to traditional education in classroom settings only?
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Read more entries by Todd Eastman.
Stumble It!
October 28th, 2008
Desperate times indeed – but let’s face it, both parties are using these tactics are the moment. It’ll all be over soon.
October 29th, 2008
Hilarious if predictably pathetic.
McCain (with his long period in Washington) wants to be mighty careful throwing this sort of accusation around.
Planetarium projector v Palin’s wardrobe?
Not much of a comparison is it?
October 29th, 2008
Adler Planetarium charges admission. They had 40 years to budget the capital expense and failed to do so. If admissions can’t cover expenses, reduce expenses. Freeloading on the taxpayer in the guise of grants, etc is the way of the lazy and entitled-minded. It would be nice to think the pork was withheld but I’m sure it simply went elsewhere.
October 30th, 2008
The grant request was denied, but I’m not sure I would have called this “pork.” The planetarium does serve the public and provides an educational service to the public at a minimal cost to cover operating expenses. If we expected every educational service to cover their own costs, our nation would be a barren wasteland of closed national parks, museums, memorials, and musical venues.