Sen. McCain says Sen. Obama has requested a billion dollars in congressional earmarks, including $3 million for an overhead projector at a planetarium in his hometown. In last week's debate, Sen. McCain alleged Obama had supported a billion dollars in earmarks. For FY 2009, Obama has not requested any earmarks. For this fiscal year, Sen. Obama has requested 112 earmarks totaling more than $330 million in taxpayer funds. This does include $3 Million to go toward a new projection system at the Adler Planetarium., a request made by a bipartisan coalition of Illinois members of Congress. As we reported last week, this isn't the kind of overhead projector you'd find in a school classroom. It is the system that projects the night sky on the Planetarium's domed ceiling in its sky theater. The current system is nearly 40 years old and breaking down, and can't currently show Jupiter. It is the most popular attraction at the Adler Planetarium, the first Planetarium in the US, and according to Planetarium officials, it is an effective science teaching tool.