Credit where credit is due file (kinda)

As a Federally funded research scientist I obviously value funding for research. News of some of Sarah Palin's earmark requests last year, had me slightly confused.

Palin's office requested $2 million in federal monies to study crab mating habits; $494,900 for the recreational halibut harvest and $3.2 million for seal genetics research.

Those requests for the study of wildlife genetics and mating habits seems pretty antithetical to the long-standig views of Palin's running mate, John McCain.

"We're not going to spend $3 million of your tax dollars to study the DNA of bears in Montana," McCain said earlier this year, referring to a request from Montana for federal money to study the endangered grizzly bear. "I don't know if it was a paternity issue or criminal, but it was a waste of money."

Now, there is certainly a hypocrisy problem here between McCain and Palin's views on wildlife research, but that was not what struck me as odd. Palin does not believe in evolution or really even in science for that matter, so what is the deal with these earmarks. Do we give her credit for funding scientific study (regardless of the appropriatness of the dollar amount)? Of is there something fishy going on?

Turns out there may be something fishy going on. As in the fishing industry in Alaska which Gov. Palin has close ties to (although to be fair I would guess that everyone in Alaska has ties to the fishing industry).

As a related matter, most of Palin's 'science' earmarks requested for last year are actually sops to the fishing industry in her state to which she is closely tied.

More information in this regard would be nice. Citation Josh?

Also the discussion going on at TPM over the appropriateness of funding science research through earmarks rather than peer-review is a very interesting one. I think there are very few cases where earmarks are an appropriate way to fund science research, but research through Dept. of Fish and Wildlife that funds their research through a larger budget rather than something like the NSF or the NIH may be one.

Too soon to tell what is going on here, but just wanted to point out that $3M for seal DNA testing is not necessiarly a "pork-barrell" project. This is no Bridge to Nowhere.

UPDATE: Oh my. I thought the bear DNA comment was from years ago. This video shows it being just a few days ago with Sarah Palin at McCain's side when he said it.