Following are links and brief descriptions of reputable websites that cover aspects of the 2008 U.S. presidential elections, for anyone interested or curious. Areas of inquiry include science policy, foreign relations, earmarks, news, and fact checkers.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science offers a website devoted to “Science and Technology in the 2008 Presidential Election,” including a full comparison of the candidates on science and technology issues here: http://election2008.aaas.org/

The Council on Foreign Relations offers a guide to the 2008 election, including candidate positions, full workups on their “brain trusts” and links to candidate essays written for the respected journal Foreign Affairs here: http://www.cfr.org/campaign2008/index.html

In National Public Radio’s guide to the 2008 election (http://www.npr.org/templates/topics/topic.php?topicId=1102), they include a candidate position guide here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18437398

The Seattle Times offers a series (and searchable database) on earmarks here (this is not the easiest website to search, but if you stick with it, it will tell you who asked, who donated, and where the money went, usually by name): http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/favorfactory/

I’ll admit to a fondness for the stories on Bill Moyers Journal on PBS, which runs a number of stories on the election and on political issues in general. I believe they’re the ones who ran a story on the earmarks project above. Videos and full transcripts of previous shows can be found in the archives and transcripts sections, here: http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/index-flash.html

And finally, my favorite source for fact checking, PolitiFact, which is a project of the St. Petersburg Times and Congressional Quarterly, here: http://politifact.com/truth-o-meter/ . Check for the “pants-on-fire” rating for a laugh. (And then cry as you realize people believe some of it.)

If you have favorite websites relating to the election, please send them my way – I’m always looking for good sources.