Senator Clinton Vows She Would End Bush's ‘War on Science'
he Bush administration's tenure in office.
In a speech at the Carnegie Institution yesterday morning, the Democratic presidential front-runner said that she would reverse the president's limits on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research and sign an executive order to restrict political interference in scientific research.
She also plans to expand the space program and increase spending on research, which includes the creation of a $50 billion strategic energy fund to promote conservation, combat global warming, and reduce America's dependence on foreign oil. Mrs. Clinton delivered the 40-minute address on the 50th anniversary of the Soviet Union's launch of Sputnik into space, a moment that she often recalls on the campaign trail to illustrate how Americans came together under presidential leadership to beat the Soviets to the moon.
"We set big goals," she said. "We didn't give in to our fears; we confronted them. We didn't deny tough facts; we responded to them. We didn't ignore big challenges; we met them."
Her speech was largely a repackaging of ideas she has put forth in other settings, such as the $50 billion energy fund, which she said would be paid for in part by ending tax breaks for oil and gas corporations.
She offered a withering assessment of the Bush administration's record on science and innovation, citing steep funding cuts as well as controversies in which high-level officials were accused of putting political pressure on scientists, disbanding advisory committees, and censoring reports.
"When I am president, I will end this assault on science," she declared, drawing applause from an audience of scholars.
Mrs. Clinton noted Mr. Bush's recent speech exhorting nations to take steps to limit global warming, but she said it came seven years too late. "This administration has dodged, denied, and dissembled on climate change," she said.
In a speech heavy on policy proposals, the former first lady also dropped in a couple of popular culture references. She quoted the Comedy Central star Stephen Colbert, whose persona on "The Colbert Report" is a right-wing ideologue who idolizes the Fox News host Bill O'Reilly and refers to him as "Papa Bear."
"To paraphrase Stephen Colbert, this administration doesn't make decisions based on facts; it makes facts based on decisions," she said to laughter.
She also called on Hollywood to do its part to stimulate curiosity in science. "We really need a television series about scientists," she said, citing the increased interest in forensics sparked by the many incarnations of CBS's "CSI."
