Q&A: Bart Gordon
The incoming chair of the House Committee on Science sets out his stall.
US election: Showdown for Capitol Hill
Can science influence politics in the forthcoming US elections? Nature investigates how Democrats and Republicans are striving to win the hearts of voters.Mid-term squallThe stakes are high for November's mid-term congressional elections: the Democrats need to gain just six seats in the Senate and fifteen in the House to claim majorities. For President George W. Bush, it could mean the difference between a reinvigorated presidency or an unproductive lame-duck period. In a hard-fought election, both parties are occasionally and uncharacteristically turning to science to try to sway voters. The recent presidential veto against embryonic stem-cell research has provided fodder for Republicans and Democrats alike to try to distinguish their candidates. And candidates in three states are challenging incumbents largely on scientific issues — climate change, stem cells and (California, inevitably) on clean energy. A News Feature special this week looks at how scientific issues are playing in the campaign.
Alternative energy plan criticized
Analysts say US research push is not enough.