"McCain, Obama Present Their Wars on Cancer"

Science magazine has a brief news article by Jennifer Couzin on the candidates positions:

McCain's statement highlights legislation he supported in 2001 to improve access to clinical trials and, last year, to fund research on the environmental risk factors of breast cancer, a bill Obama endorsed as well. McCain also referred to his past support for doubling the National Institutes of Health (NIH) budget over 6 years, adding that "as President, [I] will make sure that our researchers have necessary funding to defeat cancer once and for all."

Obama offered a denser, arguably more detailed plan, which included doubling the budget for cancer research in 5 years, mainly through the National Cancer Institute, and boosting from about 4% to 10% the number of adults with cancer participating in clinical trials. He also said he would provide "additional funding for research on rare cancers and those without effective treatment options" and for the study of genetic factors driving cancer and outcomes.

Comment: I don't suppose I would choose a candidate on the basis of his science and technology policy, in the current situation with economic woes and two wars, and indeed it is difficult to see the difference between the two candidates from their position statements. Still, I think they should be stating those policies so that we have something to hold the next president to in terms of science and technology. JAD