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Projectorgate 2008: Astronomers Fact-Check McCain

Composite: communicationcorner.com/wikimedia

What on earth was John McCain referring to during Tuesday’s debate when he kept bringing up that mysterious “$3 million overhead projector” that Barack Obama ostensibly supported in Chicago? Turns out it’s not just an ultra-fancy piece of office equipment, according to an astronomer from Chicago who begs to differ with McCain’s phraseology.

Talking Points Memo:

I am an Associate Professor of Astronomy at the University of Chicago (the University that today has added yet another Nobel Prize winner in the sciences for the US). I would like to comment on Sen. McCain’s statement during the today’s debate that Sen. Obama has earmarked “$3 million for an overhead projector at a planetarium in Chicago, Ill. My friends, do we need to spend that kind of money?”

The way Sen. McCain has phrased it suggests that Sen. Obama approved spending $3 million on an old-fashioned piece of office equipment (overhead projector).
The $3 million is actually for an upgrade of the SkyTheater—a full dome projection system, which is probably the main attraction of the Adler Planetarium and is quite sophisticated and impressive piece of equipment.

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Thursday’s Chicago Tribune also mentioned the projector issue:

Chicago Tribune:

But at a news conference Wednesday, Adler President Paul Knappenberger defended the request. The museum wants to spend $10 million to update its original, 78-year-old domed Sky Theater auditorium, including replacement of the huge, 40-year-old Zeiss planetarium projection system, which is falling into disrepair with no replacement parts available.

Knappenberger also took issue with McCain’s use of the phrase “overhead projector.” Knappenberger stood in front of the giant Zeiss projector, while beside him was a much smaller overhead projector used by generations of classroom teachers.

“These cost maybe $300 new,” he said of the classroom projector, “and you can pick them up for 10 bucks on eBay now.”

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TAGS: astronomy barack obama chicago debate earmark john mccain overhead projector planetarium president science

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By bonjovifan, October 10, 2008 at 6:37 pm #

Linda S, find something else to do with your time. Your commenting reminds me of the republicans during a debate, you can’t quite stick to the topic.

Providing some funding for a worthing and educational program is what our government should be doing with our heard earned money. Not just blowing it on wars and bailouts.

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By Margaret Currey, October 10, 2008 at 1:21 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Dito to David Dixit.His comment is right on.

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By Frank of America, October 10, 2008 at 10:50 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

Only a Republican would think a new projector for a planetarium is a boondoggle. McCain would rather spend the $$ on war toys. Its part of the general anti-intellectual anti-knowledge anti-reality anti-education philosophy of the radicals who have hijacked the Republican party. Enough - they’ve done enough damage to this country.

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By Jim Yell, October 10, 2008 at 8:36 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

When a person is young there are ample opportunities to make oneself odious to mankind. The insane ones continue this for their entire lives and never change.

For those that it is an abberation they realize that they have taken a wrong track and develope more constructive ways to deal with their motivations.

It is one of the strong, supposedly Christian Values that is framed in the word Redemption. It would seem that Ayers has for decades moved himself along a constructive path, so why is he maligned as a “terrorist”, since he is not one now? At the time he was a “terrorist” our government had ignored reality to wage a sensless war. We could have stablized the Indochinese area by a treaty with the only National Movement of Vietnam and there would have been containment for China and no massed death for Americans or for Vietnam.

So who was the terrorist? Well certainly at the time it was Mr. Ayers, but it was also a pig headed, a wrong headed government following the dictates of the Right Wing, who have soiled our honor one more time by attacking the one Moslem country that did not do 9/11, but protecting the one country that did—-the Saudi’s.

That you don’t like it is not the same thing as “it is not true”.

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By dihey, October 9, 2008 at 12:37 pm #

More fudging by McCain during the debate. “I will give every American 5000 dollar to buy health insurance.” Not true. He proposes to give every American family 5000 dollar and bachelors only 2500 dollar. Of course Gov. Palin will like the “every American” rule because if that is the case her family will receive 35,000 dollar!
It is amazing that Olberman’s staff missed this one!

And Linda S. Please explain to me what Ayres has to do with the purchase of the Zeiss projector? My hunch is that you are just using this entry to vent your sick spleen.

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By David Dixit, October 9, 2008 at 11:36 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

“My friends”, Mr McCain may be small, but he is not short when it comes to exaggeration, innuendo and just common old base rudeness…

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