When it comes to matters of science, Republican US presidential hopeful John McCain is with his party on some issues, not quite on others.

This week the Republican Party released a draft of its 2008 platform, one that will be debated in the days leading up to the GOP convention in St Paul, Minnesota, starting Monday (September 1). Some of the party's points regarding science differ from the campaign points McCain has been running on for more than a year.

While McCain and his party agree that federal dollars should be spent on supporting biomedical research, the rub is certainly embryonic stem cell research. McCain openly supports work with embryonic stem cells, whereas the party platform calls for an expansion of stem cell research, with a focus on sources such as umbilical cord blood and reprogrammed pluripotent (iPS) cells. Both oppose human cloning and the creation of human embryos for research purposes.

Another major difference is how McCain has proposed to confront global warming. The party's stance is that technological developments and market-based solutions will lead to lower emissions; they oppose government regulations and would offer cash prizes for innovation. McCain on the other hand has outlined a cap and trade system to be applied to commercial and industrial businesses. Under this plan entities would be able to buy and sell rights to emit, with limits on total emissions.

Despite the differences in stance, McCain's aides told Bloomberg News that they don't plan to fight the party over platform positions. Official party platforms are not binding, and candidates are not required to adhere to them, but rather form their own policies. For a peek at some of the science advocates who may be whispering in the ear of the next president, stay tuned for a feature appearing in the September issue of The Scientist.