In science, Democrats and Republicans agree on very little, or at least the things they value in science debates are different. Republicans don't think stunting the economy today is a good fix for climate change and Democrats don't agree vaccines are a good fix for keeping healthy kids.
One thing both sides to seem to agree on today is Google: Reps. Edward Markey and Joe Barton, co-chairmen of the Bipartisan Privacy Caucus, are making Google a target after the online giant was caught acquiring social security numbers of kids in its doodling contest. It is one thing for Barton, a Republican, to criticize them but Google is a financial and cultural darling of Democrats so Markey looks bad for them.
Google spent over $5 million on federal lobbying last year and chairman Eric Schmidt is on President Obama’s Technology Advisory Council - he was also adviser to his presidential campaign. Both the White House deputy chief technology officer and head of the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation are former Google executives.
What's next, an anti-trust investigation? David Hatch at National Journal has the details.
