Do the science advisor nominees understand science?
Science reports on a Senate committee hearing for the nominees to be deputies to the presidential science advisor John Marburger. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), asked some substantive questions rather then the usual process of just allowing the nominees to showcase their expertise. McCain read from a recent White House report on climate change: "warming in the 21st century will be significantly larger than in the 20th century ... and temperatures in the U.S. will rise by about 5°-9°F (3°-5°C) on average in the next 100 years."
He asked the nominees, Kathie Olsen and Richard Russell, if they agreed with the statement. Both refused to answer but Olsen, who's duties would include handling the administrations $1.7 billion climate research program, later said that she "was nervous ... [and] didn't understand the paragraph." McCain said he would oppose their nominations until he got an answer to his question.